Hi everybody!
What a summer we've had! Hope everybody got as much out of NAFCO as I did. Wasn't that incredible!
I had lots of good comments about our performances at NAFCO and the Folk Festival from all sides - people especially were impressed with the fiddling and dancing at the same time!
Welcome Aboard to new STEP fiddlers Lauren Gosse, Leslie Amminson, Ben Delaney and Jean Patey.
CANADIAN FOLK MUSIC AWARDS
We've got some more performances coming up - Here's something to really get excited about! Another prestigious gig!
We have been asked by the Canadian Folk Music Awards to play on their gala show, which will be taking place November 23, at the Arts and Culture Centre.
Our role would be a tribute to Oliver Schroer, one of Canada's foremost fiddlers who died this summer of leukemia. Oli was a great fiddler and famous for turning young people on to fiddling. One of Oli's youth projects was called Random Acts of Violins - here's an example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdHBQ4uQM6E&NR=1
One of Oli's star students - Emlynn Stamm, will be coming the week beforehand to work with us on some music using his teaching techniques, which emphasized improvisation, rhythm, and creativity. Emlynn has worked with groups in BC and Ontario with great success. So not only do we get to play at the CFMA national conference awards gala, we also get a free workshop as well.
This will be an adventure, and a fabulous learning experience for everybody! Please let me know if you'll be unable to do this.
BENEFIT CONCERT FOR AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
The STEP fiddlers have been invited to perform at a benefit concert on Sunday afternoon, November 30. at St. David's Church. This is part of a series of concerts and events leading up to the Declaration of Human Rights on Dec. 10, and all proceeds will go to Amnesty International.
Please let me know whether or not you are available to play in this concert.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Folk Festival
Hi everybody!
Re: Saturday's performance on the Neil Murray Stage, NL folk festival
Schedule
Anytime before the performance: Sign in at performers entrance to get your accreditation
2:00 meet in the performers tent to tune up.
2:30 Valerie Hewson performs on Neil Murray Stage
3:00 STEP fiddlers performance
4:00 Julia Bowdring and Cunla perform
Dress - tie-dyes and jeans or shorts.
We won't be doing I'll Hang My Harp, so cellos need not come (unless you want to! If you perform you get a pass into the festival so we'll use you somehow. Perhaps play Pierre.)
Remember that there are morning workshops at the Festival that you can get up close to the performers and hear them interact with each other - it's the best part of the festival!
The Festival lineup is available at nlfolk.com Check it out!
Christina
Re: Saturday's performance on the Neil Murray Stage, NL folk festival
Schedule
Anytime before the performance: Sign in at performers entrance to get your accreditation
2:00 meet in the performers tent to tune up.
2:30 Valerie Hewson performs on Neil Murray Stage
3:00 STEP fiddlers performance
4:00 Julia Bowdring and Cunla perform
Dress - tie-dyes and jeans or shorts.
We won't be doing I'll Hang My Harp, so cellos need not come (unless you want to! If you perform you get a pass into the festival so we'll use you somehow. Perhaps play Pierre.)
Remember that there are morning workshops at the Festival that you can get up close to the performers and hear them interact with each other - it's the best part of the festival!
The Festival lineup is available at nlfolk.com Check it out!
Christina
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Nafco Concert
Congrats to Maria, Valerie, Dominic and Danielle who did an excellent job on the Morning Show yesterday!
Ok, everybody! This is the big one!
For those of you who missed the rehearsal -- we have a new choreography for the Peak of the Topsail set - if you weren't at the rehearsal, you will be our "dance band" - Move over to stand by Ryan and play. We'll run over it at soundcheck tomorrow morning. When we play La Bastringue we will all bunch round the cloggers. Iona, can you please play the doll?
Sound Check 11:00 am.– 12:00 noon, Main Stage, Arts and Culture Centre Please be professional – no chatting onstage. We absolutely cannot waste one second of our time or the technicians time.
Concert 2:30 Please arrive at 2:00 to tune up.
Dress All black for Emile Benoit class; black and white for everyone else.
Free Pass Unfortunately the Conference can not afford to give us comps but we are entitled to one free pass each to the workshop of our choice I will have the passes later on Sunday afternoon – I will put them in the mailbox at 16 Maxse St. and you can come and get them at your convenience.
INTROS - can we do the intros as we did before? It would be great if they could be from memory! Here they are -
Rosemary
That was a set of dance tunes from the south coast of Newfoundland – two from Placentia Bay and two from Francois on the southwest coast.
Darhen
A Slow Air is a melody of a song, played on instruments. Our next selection comes from the singing of Philip Foley of Fogo Island, off the Northeast coast. It’s a beautiful song about lost love and it’s called I’ll Hang my Harp on a Willow Tree. After that we’ll play Genevieve’s Reel, composed by Dave Panting of St. John’s.
Jacqueline
Our next selection takes us to the Port au Port Peninsula, and Newfoundland’s French traditions. Our versions of La Bastringue and La Guenille come from the playing of Emile Benoit of l’Anse aux Canards. Darhen and Dominic are going to demonstrate some foot-clogging on this one. We’d also like to introduce Pierre Benoit, our dancer.
Julia
Next we’re going to play some single-tunes for you. Single tunes are unique to Newfoundland, and were used mainly for square dancing. This set of wonderful tunes comes from the playing of Luke Payne, a great accordion player who lives in Cow Head.
Anna and Danielle
In Newfoundland, “jigs” are often called “double tunes.” This set of double tunes comes from Placentia Bay. They're called The Peak of the Topsail, American 8 and Leo Bonnell's Crooked Double.
We got them from a tape that Mr. Wilf Wareham gave to our director, Christina Smith. They’re great tunes and we’d like to thank Mr. Wareham for collecting the tunes and for sharing them with us!
See you tomorrow, everybody!
Ok, everybody! This is the big one!
For those of you who missed the rehearsal -- we have a new choreography for the Peak of the Topsail set - if you weren't at the rehearsal, you will be our "dance band" - Move over to stand by Ryan and play. We'll run over it at soundcheck tomorrow morning. When we play La Bastringue we will all bunch round the cloggers. Iona, can you please play the doll?
Sound Check 11:00 am.– 12:00 noon, Main Stage, Arts and Culture Centre Please be professional – no chatting onstage. We absolutely cannot waste one second of our time or the technicians time.
Concert 2:30 Please arrive at 2:00 to tune up.
Dress All black for Emile Benoit class; black and white for everyone else.
Free Pass Unfortunately the Conference can not afford to give us comps but we are entitled to one free pass each to the workshop of our choice I will have the passes later on Sunday afternoon – I will put them in the mailbox at 16 Maxse St. and you can come and get them at your convenience.
INTROS - can we do the intros as we did before? It would be great if they could be from memory! Here they are -
Rosemary
That was a set of dance tunes from the south coast of Newfoundland – two from Placentia Bay and two from Francois on the southwest coast.
Darhen
A Slow Air is a melody of a song, played on instruments. Our next selection comes from the singing of Philip Foley of Fogo Island, off the Northeast coast. It’s a beautiful song about lost love and it’s called I’ll Hang my Harp on a Willow Tree. After that we’ll play Genevieve’s Reel, composed by Dave Panting of St. John’s.
Jacqueline
Our next selection takes us to the Port au Port Peninsula, and Newfoundland’s French traditions. Our versions of La Bastringue and La Guenille come from the playing of Emile Benoit of l’Anse aux Canards. Darhen and Dominic are going to demonstrate some foot-clogging on this one. We’d also like to introduce Pierre Benoit, our dancer.
Julia
Next we’re going to play some single-tunes for you. Single tunes are unique to Newfoundland, and were used mainly for square dancing. This set of wonderful tunes comes from the playing of Luke Payne, a great accordion player who lives in Cow Head.
Anna and Danielle
In Newfoundland, “jigs” are often called “double tunes.” This set of double tunes comes from Placentia Bay. They're called The Peak of the Topsail, American 8 and Leo Bonnell's Crooked Double.
We got them from a tape that Mr. Wilf Wareham gave to our director, Christina Smith. They’re great tunes and we’d like to thank Mr. Wareham for collecting the tunes and for sharing them with us!
See you tomorrow, everybody!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Saturday rehearsal cancelled
This Saturday seems to be a problem for many of us - less than half of us can make it, so Saturday's rehearsal is cancelled.
We *will* rehearse Thursday at 7:00, at Mmap, 2nd floor Arts and Culture Centre, go in the door to the right of the AC Hunter library entrance. We'll see if we need another practice - if it looks like we do, we'll try to squeeze another in before our gig on Sunday Aug. 3. We need to practice our stage-show - we want to look really professional. This will be an international audience!
Repertoire for the NAFCO gig -
Walt Hallett's etc.
I'll Hang My Harp/Genevieve's Reel
La Bastringue
Luke Payne's Tunes
Peak of the Topsail, etc.
I know we've played these rather a lot lately! We will be doing some different repertoire for the Folk Festival - but for this gig we want to hit them with our very best stuff.
Can everybody please practise the Rufus tunes for Thursday, that I passed out at the recording session? We might try them out at the Folk Festival.
Don't forget to pick up a pass to the NAFCO workshops!
See you all on Thursday.
We *will* rehearse Thursday at 7:00, at Mmap, 2nd floor Arts and Culture Centre, go in the door to the right of the AC Hunter library entrance. We'll see if we need another practice - if it looks like we do, we'll try to squeeze another in before our gig on Sunday Aug. 3. We need to practice our stage-show - we want to look really professional. This will be an international audience!
Repertoire for the NAFCO gig -
Walt Hallett's etc.
I'll Hang My Harp/Genevieve's Reel
La Bastringue
Luke Payne's Tunes
Peak of the Topsail, etc.
I know we've played these rather a lot lately! We will be doing some different repertoire for the Folk Festival - but for this gig we want to hit them with our very best stuff.
Can everybody please practise the Rufus tunes for Thursday, that I passed out at the recording session? We might try them out at the Folk Festival.
Don't forget to pick up a pass to the NAFCO workshops!
See you all on Thursday.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
NAFCO/ The Morning Show /Folk festival
Hi everybody!
I've tentatively booked two rehearsals:
10:00 am Saturday the 26th
7:00 pm Thursday the 31st.
at Mmap (Arts and Culture Centre, 2nd floor. Go in the door next to the AC Hunter Library - the door that used to lead to the Art Galleries - and go up one flight. First door on the right.)
Please let me know as soon as you can whether or not you can be there. If there are too many "can'ts" I may try to reschedule.
The Morning Show - on CBC!! We have been asked to publicise NAFCO. I need five volunteers from the Emile Benoit class. We have to be at CBC studios corner of University Ave. and Paton St. at 8:00 am on Friday Aug. 1
Folk Festival! Our time on the Neil Murray Stage is 3:00 pm on Saturday.
NAFCO is looking for volunteers. Call Tiffany Pollack, volunteer coordinator, 737-3661.
NAFCO workshop schedule has now been posted - visit http://www.mun.ca/nafco2008/event_sched/workshopsched.php
This is a *Great Deal!* sign up and go to as many as you can!
I've tentatively booked two rehearsals:
10:00 am Saturday the 26th
7:00 pm Thursday the 31st.
at Mmap (Arts and Culture Centre, 2nd floor. Go in the door next to the AC Hunter Library - the door that used to lead to the Art Galleries - and go up one flight. First door on the right.)
Please let me know as soon as you can whether or not you can be there. If there are too many "can'ts" I may try to reschedule.
The Morning Show - on CBC!! We have been asked to publicise NAFCO. I need five volunteers from the Emile Benoit class. We have to be at CBC studios corner of University Ave. and Paton St. at 8:00 am on Friday Aug. 1
Folk Festival! Our time on the Neil Murray Stage is 3:00 pm on Saturday.
NAFCO is looking for volunteers. Call Tiffany Pollack, volunteer coordinator, 737-3661.
NAFCO workshop schedule has now been posted - visit http://www.mun.ca/nafco2008/event_sched/workshopsched.php
This is a *Great Deal!* sign up and go to as many as you can!
Monday, July 7, 2008
NAFCO
All about NAFCO!
On the website you'll find all kinds of info. http://www.mun.ca/nafco2008/conference/
Workshops are going to be *fan*tastic* (I've had an advance peek) and well worth the price! Go to as many as you can! Information is here http://www.mun.ca/nafco2008/event_sched/workshopsched.php
The workshop schedule will be posted in a few days.
You'll find a schedule and list of performers and concerts on the website. I've looked at the concert schedule - I'm really afraid I'm going to have to go to *all* of them, they are all so good!! Go to as many as you can - you'll probably never get another chance to hear so many fabulous internationally famous fiddlers all at once in the same place!
Our performance will be the afternoon of Aug. 3. on the concert entitled "Fresh Fiddles." Rehearsal info will be posted soon!
On the website you'll find all kinds of info. http://www.mun.ca/nafco2008/conference/
Workshops are going to be *fan*tastic* (I've had an advance peek) and well worth the price! Go to as many as you can! Information is here http://www.mun.ca/nafco2008/event_sched/workshopsched.php
The workshop schedule will be posted in a few days.
You'll find a schedule and list of performers and concerts on the website. I've looked at the concert schedule - I'm really afraid I'm going to have to go to *all* of them, they are all so good!! Go to as many as you can - you'll probably never get another chance to hear so many fabulous internationally famous fiddlers all at once in the same place!
Our performance will be the afternoon of Aug. 3. on the concert entitled "Fresh Fiddles." Rehearsal info will be posted soon!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
A Grand Success
Hi everybody!
Last night I left all the thanking to Jean Hewson, our delightful emcee. But so many people put so much effort into this concert, I want to thank everyone, and make sure everyone recognises the contributions made. I don't have emails for all the Celtic Fiddlers nor individual Gillam fiddlers, so please pass along this message!
The biggest and warmest thanks to Erin McArthur, who is currently on the Nafco organizing staff. Erin is in largest measure responsible for the grand success of this concert - she covered promotion almost single-handedly, even down to creating that fabulous poster. She got the audience for us, even liasing with a brownie pack from Conception Bay - the whole pack came to the concert! She put together the program, (humourously prompting us to contribute the bios before it went to press!) printed the tickets, and contributed her vast knowledge of concert-organizing logistics, gently reminding us all of when we had to do what, and did we forget this or that? And it was Erin's kindness and consideration of the performers that provided the big bowl of candy and the water backstage. So from all of us, Erin, Thank you.
Thanks to our good-natured and skillful stage manager, Frank Parsons, who kept us all in order and on time, and our articulate and amiable emcee, Jean Hewson. Thanks to Mun Music School staff Jennifer Hart and Brad Cooper who were the epitome of professionalism, catering to all our needs. Special thanks to sound-tech Brad, who, without knowing any of the groups or getting a sound-check from any of us, made us all sound great! Thanks to Darhen Sing, youth representative on the Organizing Committee, and to Theo Stylianides and Maria Bath for consenting to be interviewed and photographed for the Telegram. Kudos to Maria for an excellent interview!
Thanks to the intrepid Roy Duffenais, who is touring 15 youngsters from Northern Manitoba across Newfoundland They had to drive 12 hours just to get to an airport, and take a deour to avoid a forest fire. It was this visit that inspired the concert in the first place! Thanks to Korona Brophy and the Celtic Fiddlers, and the fabulous Peter Duchemin and Evelyn Osborne - (your performance was magic, in more ways than one!) and to all the Step Fiddlers.
Special thanks to the "parental units" (as my brother puts it!) of the performers. It's your dedication and support that has brought all these wonderful kids to such heights of skill. Thanks to all parents who helped set up, sold CDs and tickets, handed out programs, or offered help - Janet Hewson, Krista and David Vokey Sing, Colette Phillips, Glenda Elsworth, George Stylianides, Sophia and Kevin Redmond. I'm sorry I can't put names to those people from the Celtic Fiddlers and the Frontier Fiddlers who pitched in setting up drums, etc. - but your contributions are no less valued and appreciated!
Last of all, thanks to Anna Kearney Guigne and the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention, who enthusiastically leapt on board of this idea and gave us the stage and the support to produce this wonderful concert.
I hope I haven't left anyone out - (If I have, Erin will tell me!) Thanks everybody, for all your contributions to a wonderful evening.
Sincerely,
Christina Smith
Last night I left all the thanking to Jean Hewson, our delightful emcee. But so many people put so much effort into this concert, I want to thank everyone, and make sure everyone recognises the contributions made. I don't have emails for all the Celtic Fiddlers nor individual Gillam fiddlers, so please pass along this message!
The biggest and warmest thanks to Erin McArthur, who is currently on the Nafco organizing staff. Erin is in largest measure responsible for the grand success of this concert - she covered promotion almost single-handedly, even down to creating that fabulous poster. She got the audience for us, even liasing with a brownie pack from Conception Bay - the whole pack came to the concert! She put together the program, (humourously prompting us to contribute the bios before it went to press!) printed the tickets, and contributed her vast knowledge of concert-organizing logistics, gently reminding us all of when we had to do what, and did we forget this or that? And it was Erin's kindness and consideration of the performers that provided the big bowl of candy and the water backstage. So from all of us, Erin, Thank you.
Thanks to our good-natured and skillful stage manager, Frank Parsons, who kept us all in order and on time, and our articulate and amiable emcee, Jean Hewson. Thanks to Mun Music School staff Jennifer Hart and Brad Cooper who were the epitome of professionalism, catering to all our needs. Special thanks to sound-tech Brad, who, without knowing any of the groups or getting a sound-check from any of us, made us all sound great! Thanks to Darhen Sing, youth representative on the Organizing Committee, and to Theo Stylianides and Maria Bath for consenting to be interviewed and photographed for the Telegram. Kudos to Maria for an excellent interview!
Thanks to the intrepid Roy Duffenais, who is touring 15 youngsters from Northern Manitoba across Newfoundland They had to drive 12 hours just to get to an airport, and take a deour to avoid a forest fire. It was this visit that inspired the concert in the first place! Thanks to Korona Brophy and the Celtic Fiddlers, and the fabulous Peter Duchemin and Evelyn Osborne - (your performance was magic, in more ways than one!) and to all the Step Fiddlers.
Special thanks to the "parental units" (as my brother puts it!) of the performers. It's your dedication and support that has brought all these wonderful kids to such heights of skill. Thanks to all parents who helped set up, sold CDs and tickets, handed out programs, or offered help - Janet Hewson, Krista and David Vokey Sing, Colette Phillips, Glenda Elsworth, George Stylianides, Sophia and Kevin Redmond. I'm sorry I can't put names to those people from the Celtic Fiddlers and the Frontier Fiddlers who pitched in setting up drums, etc. - but your contributions are no less valued and appreciated!
Last of all, thanks to Anna Kearney Guigne and the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention, who enthusiastically leapt on board of this idea and gave us the stage and the support to produce this wonderful concert.
I hope I haven't left anyone out - (If I have, Erin will tell me!) Thanks everybody, for all your contributions to a wonderful evening.
Sincerely,
Christina Smith
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