Calendar
Submit calendar info to:
calendar@corvallisfolklore.org
The Fire
is a trio with Rebecca Lomnicky on Scottish fiddle, David Brewer on Highland pipes and whistles, and Adam Hendey on guitar & bazouki. The Fire performs captivating Scottish music as a heartfelt and rousing musical experience. Between their entertaining and informative stage banter, vast array of instrument combinations and extensive repertoire, including everything from soaring slow airs to intricately arranged dance tunes, these charismatic performers will leave you on your feet with your hands together. In 2009, Rebecca won the 20th Annual Glenfiddich International Scottish Fiddle Championship held at Blair Castle, Blair Atholl, Scotland. David Brewer is unarguably one of the most energetic and charismatic performers of the Highland pipes in the world today. Adam brings an innovative contemporary approach to traditional music. (Rebecca is from Corvallis)
Joyride Tunes
Joyride is a Portland Oregon contra dance band known for fun, skilled play, tune sets carefully tailored to dances, and well-phrased melodies and harmonies set in a danceable groove. George Penk’s rich, compelling fiddle, Erik Weberg’s deft flute, harmonica and bombarde, and Jeff Kerssen-Griep’s vital guitar and percussion provide modern and traditional tunes for dances, weekends and festivals throughout the year (unfortunately, Sue Songer won’t be able to be there).
Susan Petrick
Susan Petrick has been calling all over the country for more than a decade. Her gracious manner along with her clarity and confidence on stage have made her one of the most sought after callers in the Pacific Northwest.
As a dancer herself, she knows what makes dancers happy and as a caller, she is always conscious of what is happening on the dance floor. Susan brings with her a diverse collection of dances featuring many flowing and flirty contras that will please your feet and satisfy your soul!
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
Old Blind Dogs
Since forming in 1992, Old Blind Dogs have stood on the cutting edge of Scotland’s roots revival. The band has developed its own trademark style with an energetic mix of songs and tunes. Dynamic percussion, polished vocals, soaring fiddle and stirring pipes fuel the delicately-phrased melodies and traditional songs.
Twenty-five years is a long time in the life of any band and most who reach that milestone are content to rest on the tried and true formulas that have worked in the past. Not so for Scotland’s Old Blind Dogs, who do not shy away from change. A strong, shared musical vision has allowed the group to ride out inevitable line-up changes whilst their popularity has never dimmed.
The current foursome of Jonny Hardie (fiddle, vocals), Aaron Jones (bouzouki, guitar, vocals), Ali Hutton (Pipes, whistles, vocals) and Donald Hay (percussion, vocals) have proven more than capable of carrying on the tradition of the band that the Montreal Gazette called, “…a Scots neo-traditional supergroup with a bracingly modern musical attack.”
The Dogs have released eleven albums and have won numerous awards along the way
including the prestigious title of ‘Folk Band of the Year’ at the 2004 and 2007 Scots Trad Music Awards. Their album ‘Four On The Floor’ also picked up the IAP ‘Best Celtic CD’ Award in the USA and their last CD was nominated for the same honour.
“The skill, talent and verve with which they played, belied their laddishness and the crowd responded with thunderous applause. Folk is the new rock and roll.” (Evening News)
The Old Blind Dogs play with a compelling energy and intoxicating rhythm, players and audience seem to share a wild ecstasy of emotion. (The Scotsman)
“Old Blind Dogs have mastered the tricky art of innovating within a musical tradition while faithfully revealing its essence.” (Acoustic Guitar)
“Old Blind Dogs bring freshness and color to acoustic music steeped in centuries of Scottish folklore and history.” (The Los Angeles Times)
The Nettles
Laura Brophy – fiddle;
Kevin Johnsrude – guitars;
Michael Proctor – bass;
Brian Bucolo – percussion;
The Nettles are well-known on the West Coast for their original approach to contra dance music. Playing traditional music from all over the world, The Nettles create a strong rhythmic groove under soaring improvisations. Rhythmic drive and melodic fluidity allow The Nettles to propel contra dances into the stratosphere.
Lindsey Dono
Massachusetts transplant Lindsey Dono is rapidly establishing herself as a Northwest mainstay. With her serene teaching, meticulous programming, and sunny demeanor, Lindsey transforms absolute beginners into confident regulars. Known for her creativity on the dance floor, Lindsey incorporates knowledge of waltz, swing, and blues to lead a variety of workshops, including the ever-requested “advanced contra flourishes.” By day, Lindsey is a devoted research scientist.
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
Full Moon
Gordy Euler – fiddle
Dave Hamlin – fiddle, mandolin
Janet Ghoulston – concertina, banjo
Fran Slefer – fiddle, button accordion, piano
Full Moon have used their 15+ years of playing together to hone a distinct sound focused on lifting dancers’ feet and hearts.
Laurel Thomas
Laurel Thomas has called contra dances all over Oregon and Washington since 2008. Dancers appreciate her clear teaching, her articulate calling and her carefully crafted programs designed to build skill for beginning dancers while keeping experienced dancers happy with an appropriate level of challenge. .
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
Tannahill Weavers
The Tannahill Weavers are a popular band which performs traditional Scottish music. Releasing their first album in 1976 they became notable for being one of the first popular bands to incorporate the sound of the Great Highland Bagpipe in an ensemble setting, and in doing so helped to change the sound of Scottish traditional music. In 2011 the band was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame.
In the late 18th and early 19th century Scotland was in a turmoil of change. Highlanders were being driven from their lands and into the burgeoning Lowland factory systems. This brought two quite distinct cultures together, the mystic Celtic culture of the North and the old Anglo/Scots culture of the Lowlands. They were married by the double barreled shotgun of necessity and the Industrial Revolution. But this forced union brought forth a cultural heritage which, thanks to people like Robert Burns and Robert Tannahill, outlasted the worst of the Industrial Revolution. It married the mystic beauty of the Celtic music to the coarse, brawling, but vitally human music, poetry and ballads of the Lowlands. It is precisely this strangely moving yet lustily stirring quality that the Tannahill Weavers have captured in their arrangements of the traditional music and songs of Scotland. All of their material is traditional, but as good musicians should, they have transformed it and brought it into the modern world, vitally alive and kicking.
As they approach their 50th anniversary in 2018, the Tannahill Weavers are one of Scotland’s premier traditional bands. Their diverse repertoire spans the centuries with fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs, and original ballads and lullabies. Their music demonstrates to old and young alike the rich and varied musical heritage of the Celtic people. These versatile musicians have received worldwide accolades consistently over the years for their exuberant performances and outstanding recording efforts that seemingly can’t get better…yet continue to do just that.
The Tannahills have turned their acoustic excitement loose on audiences with an electrifying effect. They have that unique combination of traditional melodies, driving rhythmic accompaniment, and rich vocals that make their performances unforgettable. As the Winnipeg Free Press noted, “The Tannahill Weavers – properly harnessed – could probably power an entire city for a year on the strength of last night’s concert alone. The music may be old time Celtic, but the drive and enthusiasm are akin to straight ahead rock and roll.”
Born of a session in Paisley, Scotland and named for the town’s historic weaving industry and local poet laureate Robert Tannahill, the group has made an international name for its special brand of Scottish music, blending the beauty of traditional melodies with the power of modern rhythms. The Tannahill Weavers began to attract attention when founding members Roy Gullane and Phil Smillie added the full-sized highland bagpipes to the on-stage presentations, the first professional Scottish folk group to successfully do so. The combination of the powerful pipe solos, Roy’s driving guitar backing and lead vocals, and Phil’s ethereal flute playing breathed new life into Scotland’s vast repertoire of traditional melodies and songs.
Three years and a dozen countries later, the Tannahills were the toast of Europe, having won the Scotstar Award for Folk Record of the Year with their third album, The Tannahill Weavers. Canada came the next summer, with thousands at the national festivals in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto screaming an approval that echoed throughout the Canadian media. The Regina Leader-Post wrote, “The Tannahill Weavers personify Celtic music, and if you are given to superlatives, you have to call their talent ‘awesome’.”
Since their first visit to the United States in 1981, the Tannahills’ unique combination of traditional melodies on pipes, flute and fiddle, driving rhythms on guitar and bouzouki, and powerful three and four part vocal harmonies have taken the musical community by storm. As Garrison Keillor, the host of “Prairie Home Companion”, remarked, “These guys are a bunch of heroes every time they go on tour in the States”.
Over the years the Tannies have been trailblazers for Scottish music, and their tight harmonies and powerful, inventive arrangements have won them fans from beyond the folk and Celtic music scenes. In 2011 the band was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame, and in 2014 they are joined by innovative piper Lorne MacDougall. Lorne comes with a high pedigree, having arranged and performed pipes for the Disney Pixar movie “Brave”, along with a long list of other accomplishments.
With their impending 50th anniversary in 2018, the Tannahill Weavers are firmly established as one of the premier groups on the concert stage. From reflective ballads to footstomping reels and jigs, the variety and range of the material they perform is matched only by their enthusiasm and lively Celtic spirits.
Broken Top
Bo Leyden – mandolin
Shari Ame – fiddle
John Light – keyboards
A new Corvallis contra band, with a Portland keyboardist, Broken Top brings lively traditional music to the dance.
Noah Grunzweig
Noah Grunzweig is a master of stories and dance! He called in Corvallis most recently at the last New Years Eve dance.
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
Dinna Fash Celtic Trio
Dinna Fash is Scots Gaelic for don’t worry, and this trio uses cellos and fiddles to play a wide variety of old and new Irish, Scottish, Québécois and Shetland tunes.
KGB
- Julie King – piano
- Claude Ginsburg – violin, concertina, viola
- Dave Bartley – mandolin, guitar, cittern, etc.
This KGB is not a spy organization, but a band from Seattle that plays for New England style contradance, English Country Dance (as MI-5), Mostly Waltz and other social dance events, concerts, and private functions such as wedding receptions. We write a lot of our own music, and the rest comes from all over the world: the British Isles, French Canada, the Northeastern USA, Western and Eastern Europe, South America, the rest of the USA, and places we haven’t yet identified. Their last (first) dance in Corvallis in January was cancelled because of a major storm.
William Watson
William Watson, a resident of Eugene, OR, danced his first contra in 1989 and began calling in Texas in 1992. Having called numerous contra events in cities coast-to-coast, William’s extensive experience and soothing voice project a calm confidence. His vigilant and thoughtful dance programming ensures a variety of figures, transitions, and sequences to entertain and support new dancers while offering the occasional challenge for the more advanced. His calling proficiency and sensitivities ensure everyone has a good time.
Note the changed location:
Wilson Elementary School
2701 NW Satinwood St
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
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
Penk, Pinney & Lindsay
George Penk is a well-known fiddle player across the USA, especially in the Pacific Northwest. He lives in Portland where he currently plays with the bands Joyride and Jigsaw. George collaborates with many musicians in various musical adventures, including being part of the Portland Collection project through his playing on the Portland Selection CD’s. His spirited and rich fiddle style is a delight to listen to. George is widely appreciated as a consummate dance fiddler working with callers to make sure the music is in-tune with the spirit of the dances. The Penk, Pinney, Lindsay trio, which includes Heather Pinney on piano and fiddle (also a member of Jigsaw) and Deborah Lindsay (from Corvallis) on percussion, works most often with the caller Erik Weberg, who also lends his expertise on wind instruments to the tune medleys.
Erik Weberg
I danced my first contra dance in Moscow Idaho in the Fall of 1986. Several excursions to the dance hall were necessary for me to find the courage to actually dance, but once I, tried it caught hold quickly and I became a regular dancer. Christian Petrich encouraged me to try calling for the first time in 1990 and soon after that I started regularly attending the first Wednesday open mic in Spokane Washington. I called dances around Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho for a few years before moving west of the Cascades in 1993. I was soon asked to call dances in Portland and up the Willamette Valley. Since then I’ve been calling dances, festivals and weekends around the country from Seattle to Boston, from Fairbanks to Tuscon and most places between. I am able to enjoy this craft because of the good folks who encouraged and taught me to call dances years ago, the booking agents and local dance committees who have given me wonderful opportunities to practice in their communities, and the thousands of dancers and musicians who forgive me my mistakes and make it all worthwhile. If you’re reading this you’re probably one of them; so, thank you!
Note the changed location:
First United Methodist Church 2nd floor
1165 NW Monroe
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
The Nettles
Laura Brophy – fiddle;
Kevin Johnsrude – guitars;
Michael Proctor – bass;
Brian Bucolo – percussion;
The Nettles are well-known on the West Coast for their original approach to contra dance music. Playing traditional music from all over the world, The Nettles create a strong rhythmic groove under soaring improvisations. Rhythmic drive and melodic fluidity allow The Nettles to propel contra dances into the stratosphere.
Woody Lane
Woody Lane has been calling contra dances throughout the Pacific Northwest for more than 25 years, and when he’s not calling you can find him dancing.
Beginners lesson starts at 7:00pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 7:30pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
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/
Campaign for Reel Time
(The Quarks revised)
From Portland
- Betsy Branch – fiddle
- Mark Douglas – piano
- Bill Tomczak – reeds, percussion
Campaign for Reel Time is an exciting Northwest band featuring Betsy Branch on fiddle and guitar, Bill Tomczak on clarinet, saxophone and percussion, and Mark Douglas (tonight) on piano. With their mix of instruments and improvisatory natures, plus their deft interweaving of dance-music genres, you never know what to expect from this trio, other than stimulating and inventive dance music. Their delight in playing together translates to the dance floor, and you are likely to hear plenty of laughter from the stage.
Mary Devlin
Mary Devlin’s infectious spirit of joy and fun makes her one of the Northwest’s favorite callers for both contras and English country dance. And, she’s a favorite around the country!
Mary calls dances that emphasize great connections — “feel good” dances —
“I love to call dances that propel dancers into a flow state, in symbiosis with the music and the dance.”
New and experienced dancers from coast to coast love Mary’s quick and explicit teaching, her clear, crisp calling, and her flowing dances.
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
Cascade Crossing
Carl Thor – piano, dulcimer, mando
Lori Prime – Fiddle
Rich Goss – guitar, percussion
Sarah Goss – Bass, whistle, oboe
Cascade Crossing is currently one of the hottest and most sought after bands in the Pacific Northwest region. They have developed a reputation for intense creativity, breadth of instrumentation, and energizing dance crowds. Cascade Crossing’s music is influenced by many styles, with touches of baroque, Caribbean, Celtic, Klezmer, traditional, northern, southern, jazz and ragtime. With many original tunes, expect the unexpected, from hard-driving reels to smooth, mysterious jigs. Using their wide range of instrumentation and styles, Cascade Crossing fills the dance hall with an exciting palette of musical colors and textures.
Ric Goldman
From Palo Alto, Ric teaches and calls contra and English Country dances as well as performing Morris dance.
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.