Calendar
Submit calendar info to:
calendar@corvallisfolklore.org
RUNA
“Best of all, RUNA sounds like no one else!” – Travis Rogers, Jr., Music Life & Times
Quickly gaining recognition as one of Irish music’s new “super-groups,” RUNA has been en- chanting audiences by pushing the boundaries of Irish folk music into the Americana and roots music formats since their formation in 2008. Interweaving the haunting melodies and exuberant tunes of Ireland and Scotland with the lush harmonies and intoxicating rhythms of jazz, bluegrass, flamenco and blues, they offer a thrilling and redefining take on traditional music.
The group has been honored internationally, winning Top Group and Top Traditional Group in the Irish Music Awards and four Independent Music Awards including Best Live Album, Best World/Traditional Song and Best Bluegrass Song.
“Timeless and flawless…” – Jim Allford, PA Music Scene
RUNA consists of vocalist and step-dancer, Shannon Lambert-Ryan of Philadelphia, Dublin-born guitarist, Fionán de Barra, Cheryl Prashker of Canada on percussion, Zach White of St. Louis on guitar, vocals and mandolin, and Maggie White of Kentucky on the fiddle and Mandolin.
RUNA recently released their fifth album, “RUNA: LIVE”, which was recorded at the BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, MD on Thursday, March 17th, 2016. Receiving lavish praise on both sides of the Atlantic, the album has been hailed as “an incredible masterpiece” – Marcene Bronson, The Celtic Crier
Seeking to preserve and continue a traditional culture in a modern age, RUNA creates the backbone of its signature roots sound from the musical and geographical diversity of its individually established band members. Their strive for excellence and creativity blazes a trail for the future of folk music, earning them the reputation as one of the most innovative Irish folk groups of this generation.
“Genuine and with endless innovation…” – John O’Brien, Jr., Ohio Irish American News
The Outside Track
The Outside Track is a Pan Celtic group that performs Scots, Irish and Cape Breton songs and stepdance.
Mairi Rankin, one of the hugely influential Rankin Family – legends on the Canadian music scene – plays fiddle, sings and also step-dances up a storm. Born in Mabou, Nova Scotia, Mairi has been influenced by some of the best Cape Breton traditional musicians and instructors on the island. She has developed her own unique style by being immersed in such a rich musical culture. She has toured nationally and internationally as a solo artist, a sideman and is a member of the Cape Breton Celtic super group Beolach. She has performed with the Rankin Sisters, Unusual Suspects and Bruce Guthro to name but a few. Mairi has recorded one solo album, two CDs with Beolach and has been featured on numerous compilations and recordings
Teresa Horgan, from Co. Cork, has an emotive singing style. “She has just enough world weariness in her vocals to interpret…songs and make them her own.” – Tony Lawless, Tradconnect. Teresa was immersed in music from a young age, playing with her family and later went on to obtain an honours degree in Irish Music and Dance at the University of Limerick. She recorded two albums with award-winning Irish band, ‘FullSet’, and one album with guitarist, Matt Griffin, called ‘Brightest Sky Blue’. She was also privileged to perform on the prestigious TV show, ‘The Late Late show’. She has toured extensively and shared the stage with The Chieftains, Declan O’Rourke, Andy Irvine, Lúnasa and more.
From the Highland village of Evanton, Fiona Black developed a love of music and dance from a young age. The feisean movement provided her the opportunity to nurture her passion through learning to play the piano accordion. Fiona went on to attend the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music where she honed her skills as an accordionist and gained valuable experience arranging, performing, composing and recording. Fiona set off for Limerick in 2005 where she completed a BA with Honours in Irish Music and Dance. During this degree, Fiona further developed her skills as a performer, arranger, teacher and composer while also traveling to Cape Breton during her third year of studies. Fiona’s accordion style incorporates many different influences, intertwining her native Scottish style with Irish, Swedish and Cape Breton repertoire, always adding her distinctive rhythm and vibrancy.
Ailie Robertson from Edinburgh is widely regarded as one of Scotland’s leading young traditional musicians. She is a musician in the broadest sense: composer, arranger, teacher, improviser and harp virtuoso. Her accomplishment on the clarsach is such that leading Irish flautist Niall Keegan said: “Ailie’s synthesis of Irish, Scottish and contemporary harping technique into an individual style represents the realisation of otherwise unimagined possibilities for the Celtic harp.” Ailie grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was immersed in the harp world from an early age. She began playing the clarsach when she was eleven years old and through her piano and clarsach lessons she developed a love for both classical and traditional music. In 2009 she was nominated for ‘Up and Coming Artist of the Year’ in the BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards. Ailie is in great demand as a teacher around the world, and has published six books of harp music.
Michael Ferrie is an award-winning guitarist and composer from Callander, Scotland. A former student of Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd (National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music) and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Ferrie is currently studying on the MMus Folk Music program at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. Ferrie was named Highland Young Guitarist in 2010. In 2013 Ferrie was commissioned to compose for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra’s ‘Out and About’ week, and in the same year was nominated for the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award with Scottish folk band ‘Thalla’.
Coriolis
Dave Hamlin – fiddle, mandolin,
Jon Neff – guitar, bass,
Victor Fiore -fiddle
Two thirds of the Steeltones and one third of Mad Robin.
Rich Goss
Most weekends, and sometimes on weekdays, I can be found in a dance hall somewhere calling, playing, doing sound, or contra dancing. I also play percussion once or twice a year with The Portland Megaband, a 75-80 member contra orchestra!!
The Pacific NW is such a terrific place to live! It’s great for calling and playing opportunities. In addition to established contra dances, I also enjoy calling for parties, weddings and community dances.
I’ve called dances from coast to coast for events ranging from large to small, novice to experienced, in a driveway to very large dance halls. My goal is to call fun accessible dances with clear concise teaching, always with a good-natured, easy-going style.
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.
Michael Hurley
Michael Hurley is an American folksinger, guitarist and fiddler who became a part of the Greenwich Village music scene in the late ’60s and ’70s. Born and raised in Bucks County, Penn., Hurley released his first album in 1964 on Folkways Records. But he remained inactive in his solo career, occasionally lending songs to the Holy Modal Rounders and the Youngbloods until the early ’70s, when he wrote two more albums: Armchair Boogie and Hi-Fi Snock Uptown.
Hurley intermittently released albums throughout the ’80s and ’90s, mostly by himself or on small labels. In 2001, Locust Music reissued his first album, renaming it Blueberry Wine, with new artwork by Hurley himself. In 2011, Hurley’s first book of lyrics was released by the Quebec book publisher L’Oie de Cravan. It contains the original English lyrics to 19 of his songs calligraphed by the author, a foreword by critic Byron Coley and a French version by Marie Frankland, winner of the 2007 John-Glassco prize for translation.
Opening for Michael Hurley will be
Mouth Painter
Mouth Painter’s music is at the intersection of country/folk, drone, & exotica, blending the lines of tradition and experimentation. Their music is influenced by the sounds of nature, the geologic continuum, Keith Whitley, Elisabeth Waldo, Halpern, etc
First and Third Sundays
We will mix Balkan, Israeli and other folk dances each week, with occasional live music from Balkan, Israeli and other traditions. Watch the calendar for announcements about special dances, but just come to each dance and learn all sorts of dances.
Corvallis Guitar Society
The goal of the Corvallis Guitar Society is to act as a catalyst to bring local guitarists out of the woodwork and provide an opportunity to perform and enjoy guitar music in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. The accent here is on participation and we hope people will want to participate in the open stage section also – no piece of music is too short or simple (though there is a five minute limit if we have a full sign-up sheet) and you are guaranteed a warm round of applause for showing us what you can do! We do have a limited number of open stage slots so be sure to sign up early at the front desk on the way in.
Our Mission
To promote classical and related guitar styles by providing a supportive performance environment for people of all ages and ability.
We seek to achieve this through a monthly meeting that provides an opportunity to discuss, listen to, and play solo guitar music including classical, flamenco, finger-style, jazz, as well as classical guitar ensemble styles.
Frankie Gavin
The Whiteside Theatre Foundation and the Corvallis Folklore Society are announcing a pre-sale of reserved and general admission tickets for the Corvallis premier of Frankie Gavin, on February 7, 2019, at 7:00 pm. These tickets will not be announced to the general public until late December so this is your opportunity to get the best seats before they are gone. 90 reserved seats in the center floor, front section of the theater and the first-row balcony are available during this presale. These tickets are available now at https://FrankieGavin.bpt.me They are regularly $20 but with the password “wtfcfs” on the brown paper tickets website, members qualify for $2 discount on each ticket. General admission tickets are available for $17 and also qualify for the membership discount.
Frankie Gavin is one, and perhaps the best of, Ireland’s premier traditional fiddle players. And in a land that produces many prodigiously talented players, that is saying a lot.
In a nutshell, Frankie has been playing since the age of four, when he was handed a whistle, and has since performed for four presidents beginning at the age of six; is a founding member of the legendary Irish traditional band De Danann, in the forefront of the renaissance of trad Irish music along with Bothy Band and Planxty (and the reformed New De Danann); performs and records with other luminaries in the Irish traditional music scene and more, such as Yehudi Menuhin; was in the 2010 Guinness Book of World records as the world’s fastest fiddler; has just recently win the 2018 Musician of the Year award from Ireland’s prestigious Gradam Ceoil Arts Academy; AND recently performed for the Pope in Dublin!
Frankie’s artistry is amazing; he is a master of control over bow and fiddle, and making each piece of music delight the ear. He strives to bring each traditional piece into a setting that is appreciated equally by lovers of old and new, and is rousing enough to get you to kick up your heels! His concerts also share anecdotes about his childhood and life on tour, themselves worth the price of admission! But perhaps a Frankie Gavin concert can be best summed up by Fintan Vallely in the Irish Sunday Tribune:
“Innovation may be the buzz-word in Traditional music, but Frankie Gavin’s digressions are not in the common areas of tempo and superficial style-impressions. His contemporary borrowings of art-deco and music-hall Irishness are re-jigged in original avenues of exploration. His dextrous treatment of troublesome tunes might get even the Pope out on the floor, his orchestration could break hearts.”.
To have the opportunity to watch him play and see the joy he has for the music, and to feel the energy he packs into his shows, is an uplifting and rousing experience for all ages!
CFS annual Corvallis Contra Weekend
Registration opens Nov 15, 2018
Genticorum
Over the past 18 years the trad Quebec group Genticorum has become a fixture on the international world, trad, folk and Celtic music circuit. The band’s six albums met with critical acclaim in Canada, the United States and Europe, assuring the band a brilliant future. Known for its energy and its stage presence, Genticorum has given more than a 1000 concerts in more than 15 countries.
Firmly rooted in the soil of their native land, the energetic and original traditional ‘power trio’ also incorporates the dynamism of today’s North American and European folk cultures in their music. They weave precise and intricate fiddle, flute and accordion work, gorgeous vocal harmonies, energetic foot percussion and guitar accompaniment into a big and jubilant musical feast. Their distinctive sound, sense of humour and stage presence makes them a supreme crowd pleaser.
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.
Cis Hinkle
Cis Hinkle has delighted contra and square dancers since 1985 with her skilled teaching, welcoming manner, playful enthusiasm, and masterful selection of dances. She is in great demand at music and dance festivals all over the US, England, and Denmark. When not on the road, Cis teaches t’ai chi classes in her native Atlanta, Georgia.
Michael Karcher
Michael has been having the time of his life calling around the U.S. and Canada since 2011.
He has honed a warm and concise style of teaching and calling, to the delight of dancers across North America.
CFS annual Corvallis Contra Weekend closing dance
Not part of the Contra Weekend program – open to everyone!
Genticorum
Over the past 18 years the trad Quebec group Genticorum has become a fixture on the international world, trad, folk and Celtic music circuit. The band’s six albums met with critical acclaim in Canada, the United States and Europe, assuring the band a brilliant future. Known for its energy and its stage presence, Genticorum has given more than a 1000 concerts in more than 15 countries.
Firmly rooted in the soil of their native land, the energetic and original traditional ‘power trio’ also incorporates the dynamism of today’s North American and European folk cultures in their music. They weave precise and intricate fiddle, flute and accordion work, gorgeous vocal harmonies, energetic foot percussion and guitar accompaniment into a big and jubilant musical feast. Their distinctive sound, sense of humour and stage presence makes them a supreme crowd pleaser.
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.
Cis Hinkle
Cis Hinkle has delighted contra and square dancers since 1985 with her skilled teaching, welcoming manner, playful enthusiasm, and masterful selection of dances. She is in great demand at music and dance festivals all over the US, England, and Denmark. When not on the road, Cis teaches t’ai chi classes in her native Atlanta, Georgia.
Michael Karcher
Michael has been having the time of his life calling around the U.S. and Canada since 2011.
He has honed a warm and concise style of teaching and calling, to the delight of dancers across North America.
Beginners lesson starts at 7:00pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 7:30pm
American Strings:
An Evening with
Jesse Colin Young
Jesse Colin Young, best known as the singer of the 1960’s pop rock anthem, “Get Together,” will appear at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, in Corvallis. Young’s performance is part of the American Strings series presented by the College of Liberal Arts at Oregon State University.
Young will perform and speak at the event, hosted by Bob Santelli, OSU Director of Popular Music and Performing Arts. The show will be held in the Majestic Theatre, 115 SW 2nd St., Corvallis.
Young, a solo artist and member of the band, The Youngbloods, recorded “Get Together,” a now-legendary song of the peace movement.
A native of Queens, New York, Young recorded his first album, “The Soul of a City Boy,” while living in Greenwich Village in 1964. After recording a second album, “Young Blood,” featuring supporting musicians John Sebastian and Peter Childs, he formed The Youngbloods band, which added guitarist Jerry Corbitt, keyboardist/guitarist Lowell “Banana” Levinger and drummer Joe Bauer.
“Get Together” appeared on their 1967 debut album and was re-released as a single in 1969, after the refrain of “Come on people now, smile on your brother” was used as the television theme for the National Council of Christians and Jews. “Get Together” has been heard over and over in commercials, on television and in the movies, including in the soundtrack of the movie, “Forrest Gump.”
Young’s song “Darkness Darkness” was the theme song for the James Cameron movie “Ghosts of the Abyss” in 2003. A cover of that song by Robert Plant won the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal in 2003.
During the 1970’s, Young helped establish the “No Nukes” movement. He closed the 1979 “No Nukes” concert singing “Get Together,” joined by Jackson Browne, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash. Throughout the 1980’s, Young toured as a solo artist, often appearing at fundraisers for organizations.
Young has also been an organic coffee farmer for more than 25 years. With his wife, Connie, Young owns a certified organic, six-acre coffee farm in the Kona, Hawaii, coffee belt.
The American Strings series brings renowned artists from around the U.S. to Corvallis and Oregon State University for an in-depth look at how and why stringed instruments play such a profound role in American music.
7:30 Randy Williams
Randy recently returned to Corvallis where his love for guitar and performing began while an OSU student in the 1960’s. Randy became a regular at open mic events on campus playing and singing material by such artists as the Limeliters, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, and the Beatles. His acoustic guitar technique was influenced by classic guitar training, and the fingerpicking style of Merle Travis and Doc Watson. He released a CD called “Finger Pickin’ Good” in 2014, and now performs regularly at Imagine Coffee.
8:30 Webster Chicago
Delta Blues. Down home, the way blues was meant to be. The members of the band, left to right, are Brian Rhodes (guitar), Tom Spies (drums), Chris Dunfield (harp/vocals) and Bill Veley (bass).
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
Celtic Harps: Rare Instruments and Wondrous Stories
Lisa Lynne & Aryeh Frankfurter perform with two Celtic harps, the rare Swedish Nyckelharpa, Ukrainian Bandura, Cittern and more.The audience will hear Traditional instrumental music from Sweden and Ireland as well as heartwarming original compositions. They will present an eclectic blend of music, humor and tales from their adventures as modern day troubadours. They hail from Oregon and tour extensively, both having successful recording and performing careers built from years of street performing and a background as rock musicians. They have performed with some of the biggest names in folk and acoustic music and have sold well over a million albums combined. Audiences are spellbound and enchanted with their unique show of breathtaking music both traditional and original, with wondrous stories and humor entwined.
Sponsored by: First Alternative Natural Foods Co-op, 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Block 15 Brewing Company, Downward Dog, KLCC
https://www.facebook.com/events/2152930398284624/
Socks in the Frying Pan
After taking America by storm on their first U.S. tour, the 2014 Irish Music Association Best New Band Socks in the Frying Pan released their eagerly awaited second album- The Return of the Giant Sock Monsters from Outer Space
The award winning trio from County Clare have captivated audiences the world around with their high energy performances, breath-taking musical ability and their trademark 3 part vocal harmonies, and have returned with the follow up to their debut award winning 2013 album.
The new album offers 6 sets of tunes, tastefully diverse and brilliantly crafted, combined with 6 songs, showcasing both vocal and harmonising abilities of each member on their respective songs, totalling a dozen stand-out tracks that will captivate and mesmerize the listener. Demonstrating creative versatility, several of the tunes and one of the songs have been written and arranged by the band. The album experience is exactly that which one encounters at a live Socks show- a high energy, masterfully performed collection of music and song that demonstrates exactly why Socks in the Frying Pan is fast becoming a household name and why they are one of the most loved and sought after Irish bands in the world today.
“Their Sound flows in magnetic, energetic waves, so does their banter on stage”
–Irish Music Magazine
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 Euphemists
Dave Goldman — piano
Alan Snyder — fiddle
Paula Hamlin — winds
Kaye Blesener — trombone
Jerry Nelson — guitar, wind, percussion
Enjoy contradancing but miss that Big Band sound? Then you’ll love the Euphemists, a band whose motto is “All fiddle tunes get better with horn riffs!” Over the past few years, various pairings of these Portland musicians have said, “We should form a band!” Finally, inspired by the recent immigration of fiddler Alan Snyder from warmer climes, The Euphemists congealed in 2011. The band features a brass front line of Paula Hamlin, Kaye Blesener, and Jerry Nelson, while Jerry’s several guitars share backup rhythmic duties with the keyboard of Dave Goldman.
Eric Curl calling
Eric started calling in 1996 and called in California and Colorado before moving Seattle in 2006. A mechanical engineer working for Boeing, he now enjoys calling in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia on a semi-regular basis. In his spare time, he likes to hike, snowshoe, camp, visit friends and family, play music, and of course, dance and call.
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.