Calendar
Submit calendar info to:
calendar@corvallisfolklore.org
A Winter Gift
is presented by three of the premier Celtic Harpists in the world. Patrick Ball, Lisa Lynne & Aryeh Frankfurter perform Celtic legends, along with Irish and English literature woven together with beloved and rare pieces of holiday music.
This trio is well known for their first show “Legends of the Celtic Harp” which tells stories and legends of the harp through time. In their new show “A Winter Gift” storyteller and wire-strung harpist Patrick Ball along with harpers and multi-instrumentalists Lisa Lynne & Aryeh Frankfurter step into a magical world of Irish and English literature. The trio presents a heartwarming collection of tales and music from Celtic legend and traditional folk stories. They perform a Child’s Christmas in Wales, a chapter from The Wind in the Willows, and passages from Shakespeare, William Butler Yeats, and Thomas Hardy, and mingle them with beloved and original pieces of seasonal music. Audiences will hear three Celtic Harps, Swedish Nyckelharpa, Fiddle, Bandura, Bouzouki and more. www.LegendsOfTheCelticHarp.com
Patrick Ball is an American master of the Irish harp and a captivating spoken word artist. He has recorded nine instrumental and three spoken word albums which have sold well over a half million copies internationally, winning national awards in both the music and spoken word categories. Patrick’s critically acclaimed concerts and solo theatrical productions have toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Ireland and the UK, and have been awarded grants by the California Arts Council and the Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Association. www.PatrickBall.com
Lisa Lynne is a multi-instrumentalist and performer who has gained worldwide recognition for her original music featuring her Celtic Harp. She is widely acclaimed for composing memorable and heartwarming melodies on the Windham Hill/Sony music labels that have repeatedly placed in the Top 10 & Top 20 on the Billboard New age music charts. Lisa tours year round performing at large US festivals and performing art centers. Her work in Therapeutic music has gained recognition from NBC, CNN, Fox News Atlanta and numerous newspaper and magazine articles including Wall Street Journal. Lisa’s music is heard throughout the award winning PBS special “Alone in the Wilderness,” amongst many other soundtracks for commercial television and independent films.Lisa was recently selected by Los Angeles Magazine as one of 50 most inspiring women. www.LisaLynne.com
Aryeh Frankfurter is also a renowned Celtic harper and world traveling multi- instrumentalist who went from virtuosic progressive rock violin to intricate Swedish folk and Celtic Music. He began with Classical violin at the age of three, his early studies and successes led him to explore various ethnic and international musical genres. Aryeh taught himself to play a variety of instruments bowed and plucked and most recently the rarely seen Swedish Nyckelharpa. His uncommon approach to the Celtic harp and folk harp repertoire, his numerous critically and commercially successful albums have earned him credit as a musician, recording and performance artist of extraordinary talents and abilities. www.Lionharp.com
Songwriters’ Roundtable
with
Cassandra Robertson, Ralph Penunuri, and Paul Mckenna
Cassandra Robertson, a muse with a message, has the heart of a lion, and the mane to match. Accompanied by her acoustic guitar, she floors the audience like a sonic boom with captivating messages of peace, prosperity, hope and above all, inspiration. Her unique style of “acoustic conscious folk” kick starts the heart and levitates the soul; reminding us all that we CAN positively affect the world we all share, as long as we choose planet over profit and remember to be ourselves.
Ralph Penunuri brings a wide range musical stylings and sensibilities to his neo-traditional folkroots songwriting. Existential awakenings both great and small inhabit his lyrically rich storysongs — from balladry to bluegrass and blues, jazz, vocal improv and tone poem exploration. A progressive eco-advocate and backyard farmer, Ralph is a cultural citizen and activist in the community. He will be accompanied for this Best Cellar session by fiddler extraordinaire and darn nice guy Kevin Craven.
Paul McKenna has worked for 43 years as a staffer for the Service Employees International Union, including 28 years for SEIU Local 503 in Oregon. During this time, he has written over 300 labor and topical songs, addressing the trials and tribulations of working people in America, both original songs and parodies. Paul recently released a double CD entitled “Come Join Us In A Union Song, ” featuring 36 of these songs, with accompaniment by Corvallis musicians Nick Rivard, Dave Storrs, and Laura Brophy. The CD reflects Paul’s eclectic musical tastes, with a wide range of styles, including folk, rock, blues, jazz, country, rap and reggae. He has two daughters, Katie, 34 and Rachel, 31 and lives in Corvallis with his wife of 39 years, Wendy.
The best Cellar is a once-a-month evening of acoustic music.
Admission is $2-10 “pay what you will” and kids are free.
Cookies and coffee are available.
For more information, or to join the volunteer team, contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com
The Trail Band
Christmas With The Trail Band features your favorite holiday songs and some original holiday tunes arranged in the versatile, energetic style that has become the band’s trademark. Songs include Joy To The World, The First Noel, and many many more.
The Trail Band has been selected numerous times to represent the state of Oregon for regional, national and international events. Representing The Oregon Economic Development Department at the prestigious American Festival in Tokyo, the band performed for thousands and received enthusiastic ovations. They also received The Oregon-California Trails Associations Meritorious Award for their contributions to American history.
WINTERDANCE
a Celtic Christmas Celebration
Molly’s Revenge
special guest vocalist Christa Burch
The Murray Irish Dancers
(out of Portland) will present an evening of music, song and dance associated with the festive season. The performance will include Christmas songs both old and new, all played with a Celtic twist, as well as selections from the band’s new album.
The California-based group has toured internationally since 2000 as an acoustic band, releasing ten CDs. In 2013, Molly’s Revenge as a trio released an all-instrumental collection titled Trio, recorded at a remote windswept retreat in the redwoods of the Mendocino coast. Trio is a compelling collection of fierce and beautiful tunes encompassing Scottish pipe sets, driving Irish reels, jigs, polkas, slides, and hornpipes, French Canadian fiddle tunes, and even a set of American oldtime melodies featuring Highland pipes.
Molly’s Revenge, whose lineup includes bagpipes, fiddle, whistle, guitar, mandola, and bodhran, have toured extensively in the USA as well as Australia, China and Scotland. The band is known for its unique and infectious on-stage enthusiasm. Their arrangements of traditional jigs and reels bring these dance tunes up to date with a driving, hard-edged accent that always leaves audiences shouting for more.
Guest vocalist Christa Burch possesses a singular voice: warm, supple, expressive, intimate, and instantly recognizable. Part of a vibrant new generation of American folk singers, Christa deftly marries intuitive musicianship and storytelling through song. To balance the gentle beauty of Christa’s songs, The Murray Irish Dancers bring a percussive, joyful, and colorful exuberance to the stage. This 11th Annual Celtic Christmas Celebration will capture the traditional spirit of the season and warm the hearts of all.
The Murray School of Irish Dancing offers classes for students of all ages and levels wishing to become outstanding Irish dancers. At the Murray school we believe in supporting students through enhancing their self esteem and confidence. We also encourage our students to work hard and strive for excellence. Through this they will develop skills that will last a lifetime. We endeavor to create a safe learning environment for all students through mutual respect and responsibility towards all teachers, students and parents in The Murray School. We welcome students from all levels of dance experience and of all cultural backgrounds to learn about Irish Culture, Music and Dance and to be part of the Murray team.
Ticket information here: https://corvallisfolklore.org/home/winterdance-2017/
Cabin Fever NW
They are on tour with their quintet so be ready for a breathtaking show. Alternative Roots magazine says “Imagine Simon and Garfunkel singing with the Carter Family’s devotion”. Vibrant original songs performed with rich vocals and masterful instrumentation, Cabin Fever NW has wide crossover appeal for fans of bluegrass, singer-songwriter, Americana, country, pop and gospel. www.CabinFeverNW.com
Optional potluck at 2:00PM.
Go to https://lisalynne.com/cedarhouse-concerts/ for location details.
A house concert is an excellent place to hear and meet great musicians in a very intimate setting.
Mother Night
and the
Book of Dreams
an evening of myth, story and music
Old tales, new tales, music and poetry- join us for a magically eclectic evening of exploring the misty world of dreams. Myth tellers, storytellers, musicians and poets will escort us to the realm of Mother Night and take us sightseeing in The Book of Dreams. The evening is designed for adults and children over 8 years of age.
A workshop, The Hidden Path of Dreams: Tools for Dream Tending, will also be offered Jan. 27th & 28th. For more information and workshop registration, contact The Mythic Road, mythicroad@gmail.com or contact Freya 541 829 8204
7:30 Webster Chicago
Delta Blues. Down home, the way blues was meant to be. Featuring Chris Dunnfield, Bill Veley, Tom Spies, and Bryan Rhodes.
8:30 Crooked Kate
Crooked Kate features folk singer Rita Brown (2010 Gazette-Times favorite singer) and cellist Anne Ridlington, playing a blend of folk, pop and classical music. The inventive cello provides rich harmony with Rita’s voice and guitar. Anne, who plays cello with the Eugene Symphony, also does impressive solos.
They’re fun, and they’re GOOD.
The best Cellar is a once-a-month evening of acoustic music. Admission is “pay what you will,” and kids are free. Cookies and coffee are available. Located in the cellar of the Methodist Church on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis. For more information, or to join the volunteer team, contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com
Jim Malcolm Live from Scotland
He’s Scotland’s Songwriter of the Year in 2004 and three-times nominated for Scots Singer of the Year.
Jim Malcolm’s concerts are like a musical tour through Scotland’s landscape and history, with humor his constant companion. Jim Malcolm performs award-winning original songs, traditional ballads and the works of Robert Burns, with guitar and harmonicas. His harmonica work is pretty hot and he has a great voice. The Friends Meeting House is a 70 seat venue and he has sold out here before, so I recommend getting tickets early.
Here is what others say:
“Jim Malcolm’s voice has the complex individuality of an aged single-malt whisky.”
-Boston Globe
“One of the finest talents to have emerged through the Scottish folk scene in years”
-The independent
“One of those pure warm Scottish folk voices one never tires of listening to.”
-Dirty Linen
“Undeniably stunning”
-Mojo
Jim released a 2015 CD: Live in Perth , which is a rewarding selection of old and modern Scottish folk song, recorded live with no studio jiggery pokery in front of a lively audience of fans, friends and family. For 2017, Jim and Susie Malcolm have a duet album; they are great together. The new CD, entitled Spring Will Follow On is a selection of traditional and more contemporary songs they love, set alongside two new compositions from Jim based on popular fiddle tunes. A cheerful collection!
7:30 The Lucky In Love String Band
Pete Kozak, Jeff Hino, Ron Green, and Mark Weiss
Bluegrass with a twist. Well, maybe a few twists. Hot instrumental work and three part harmony.
8:30 Paper Wings
Many will remember Wilhelmina Frankzerda, who grew up in Summit and now lives in Nashville Tennessee. She and Emily Mann form the duo Paper Wings, and will be stopping by The Best Cellar as part of their west coast tour. These two fine, young musicians bring a traditional, Americana sound to their own original songs. Reviewed by Kristin Andreassen (of Uncle Earl) as “a gorgeous, big-hearted and masterfully played bunch of songs and tunes from two of the best musicians I know.”
The best Cellar is a once-a-month evening of acoustic music. Admission is “pay what you will,” and kids are free. Cookies and coffee are available. Located in the cellar of the Methodist Church on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis. For more information, or to join the volunteer team, contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com
Daimh, Gaelic Supergroup and unchallenged champion, play straight in the eye Highland music and are based around West Lochaber and the Isle of Skye.
Formed around the turn of the century and taking the name from the Gaelic word for kinship Daimh (pronounced Dive) have taken their contemporary take of Highland and Gaelic music to over 20 countries, setting audiences alight from Moscow to San Francisco.
With a reputation as giants of the Bagpipes and Fiddle, Angus Mackenzie and Gabe McVarish lead the melodic powerhouse with fellow founder member Ross Martin underpinning the groove on the Guitar. The Band is joined by new guy Murdo Yogi Cameron on Mandola and Accordion to complete the instrumental line up.
Multiple Grammy-nominee John McCutcheon charms audiences with “story telling that has the richness of fine literature” (Washington Post) and his mastery of a stage full of folk instruments is simply amazing. He plays guitar, fiddle, autoharp, banjo, jaw harp, (hambone if we are lucky) and is best known for his hammered dulcimer playing. A John McCutcheon concert is always energizing, fun, uplifting, community building, and his audiences leave with a renewed sense of hope for humanity. “This notion of telling stories of ordinary people who have done great things, and carrying those stories from one place to another, of telling people ‘this is where I’ve been, these are the stories I can bring you,’ is the heart of what I do,” McCutcheon sums up. “That’s my goal. If you can recognize yourself in my songs, then I’ve done my job.” He lives in Georgia but keeps moving, toward wherever he senses there’s still a story yet to be told.
His 30 recordings have gathered many honors including 7 Grammy nominations. His most recent honors the centenary of Joe Hill’s death on November 19th, 1915. John McCutcheon brings Joe Hill’s music to a whole new audience. With fresh arrangements, stunning musicianship, and released on a palette that makes these songs feel as though they were written today rather than a century ago, there is a life and vitality that is both rare and refreshing. In honor of Woody Guthrie’s 100th birthday John recorded THIS LAND: Woody Guthrie’s America. He assembled an all-star cast of songs and musicians to honor America’s most enduring folksong writer: Willie Nelson, Tommy Emmanuel, Kathy Mattea, Tim O’Brien, Stuart Duncan, Tom Chapin, Tom Paxton, Maria Muldaur and more. McCutcheon offers fresh new arrangements and exciting new interpretations of many of Woody’s most well-known songs. He has so much material we never know what he might perform, and of course he gives the audience a chance to request their favorites so plan ahead!
But it is in live performance that John feels most at home. It is what has brought his music into the lives and homes of one of the broadest audiences any folk musician has ever enjoyed. People of every generation and background seem to feel at home in a concert hall when John McCutcheon takes the stage, with what critics describe as “little feats of magic,” “breathtaking in their ease and grace…,” and “like a conversation with an illuminating old friend.”
So if you want to laugh, cry, be inspired, and feel like you are a part of a big community, then don’t miss this concert. More information about John McCutcheon his website is at www.folkmusic.com For info or to volunteer, call Chere Pereira 541-753-9224.
Whether in print, on record, or on stage, few people communicate with the versatility, charm, wit or pure talent of John McCutcheon.
The Gothard Sisters
The Gothard Sisters are a dynamic group of three sisters, whose impressive array of talents have set them apart as one of the most refreshing and compelling acts in Celtic music today.
The sisters’ unpredictable and theatrical flair brings a youthful splash to the time-honored tradition of Celtic folk music, bridging the gap between modern Pop and Folk-Rock with a sunny, optimistic style that has been described as “beautifully-arranged, melodic-minded Celtic Folk-Pop.”
Hitting the streets of their hometown – Edmonds, Washington – in 2006, The Gothard Sisters first began playing together as a violin trio busking for tips at the local farmer’s market, working their way onto stages at local fairs and festivals. Audiences responded with enthusiasm, and over 1,000 performances later the band recently performed at the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., completed several national concert tours of the United States, regularly perform as guest entertainers on Disney Cruise Line in Europe and South America and are well-known musicians on the national Celtic festival circuit.
In December 2016 The Gothard Sisters charted on Billboard’s World Music Chart with their latest Christmas album, Falling Snow, alongside notable Irish music phenomena Celtic Woman and Celtic Thunder.
Judy Fjell grew up in Montana listening to folk-protest music on the radio and was so inspired to sing the repertoire that she bought a garage sale guitar and taught herself to play.
Nancy Schimmel, the daughter of Malvina Reynolds, experienced firsthand her mother’s protest stories and songs in Berkeley, California. Nancy Schimmel truly knows the life of Malvina Reynolds better than anyone else alive today.
Malvina Reynolds (1964)
When Judy and Nancy met at a Fjell concert in Oakland, California, in the mid-eighties, they began a conversation and collaboration which continues to the present. Each Malvina Reynolds concert is a one-time-only celebration of the life of this American songwriter, who collaborated regularly with Pete Seeger and whose songs are still performed forty years after her death. Malvina’s song “Little Boxes” is currently known from the Weeds television series. It has also been seen on YouTube by 13 million viewers in Walk Off the Earth’s brilliant cardboard box set video. Kodak adapted “Turn Around,” Malvina’s song about her daughter Nancy for its television ads in the sixties. A civil rights sit-in at San Francisco’s Palace Hotel inspired Malvina to write “It Isn’t Nice,” still a favorite at protest gatherings. Other well-known Malvina songs are “What Have They Done to the Rain,” “Magic Penny,” “God Bless the Grass,” and “Morningtown Ride,” which was a top hit in England for several weeks. Judy and Nancy will also perform several of the songs they have co-written in the “spirit of Malvina.”
Windborne
Vocal virtuosity rooted in folk music and cultures from around the world. Their dynamic concert programs include songs from Corsica, the Republic of Georgia, Bulgaria, Quebec, and Basque country, as well as traditional and original American folk music. They believe deeply in the power of music to change hearts. See more about them here.
Optional potluck at 6PM.
Go to https://lisalynne.com/cedarhouse-concerts/ for location details.
A house concert is an excellent place to hear and meet great musicians in a very intimate setting.
7:30 Sharon and Dave Thormahlen
Sharon and Dave have been making beautiful music together in Corvallis for decades. They perform traditional and new music written by Sharon, mostly on instruments made by Dave.
8:30 Wild Hog In The Woods
Stringband music from a bygone era played the way it always should have been.
The best Cellar is a once-a-month evening of acoustic music. Admission is “pay what you will,” and kids are free. Cookies and coffee are available. Located in the cellar of the Methodist Church on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis. For more information, or to join the volunteer team, contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com