Dear Listeners to Catskills Folk,
I want to share with you a wonderful carol from the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Here in the Catskills we can think of ourselves as being in the Northern Appalachians, having a lot in common with mountian dwellers to the south.
This carol, "Brightet and Best", is not necessarily a folk song because it was composed in England. Then it made its way to the United States where it survived for many generations in the oral tradition of the Ritchie family of Viper, Kentucky. Jean Ritchie, a well-known folk singer through much of the 20th century, learned to sing it from her grandmother.
There are a number of renditions of "Brightest and Best" on YouTube, but none by Jean Ritchie herself. So I've included as your holiday present a link to the McLain Family singing the carol, and another link to Jean singing a song of her own composition, "Wintergrace."
McLain Family singing "Brightest and Best"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAk_te3mw7U
Jean Ritchie singing "Wintergrace"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvusiOLOHgA&feature=related
Happy Holidays,
Ginny
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
WIOX Radio to feature Catskills Folklorist Janis Benincasa
On Wednesday, December 21, at 7 p.m. WIOX Radio's program Catskills Folk will present Janis Benincasa, a Catskills resident who was staff folklorist at the Erpf Catskill Cultural Center during the 1980s. On previous programs host Ginny Scheer has introduced 20th century folklorists who presented Catskills folktales and folk music. This week she and Janis will talk about folklorists who worked in Delaware County in the 1980s and 1990s. They were primarily staff folklorists at the Erpf Center and at Delaware County Historical Association, in addition to folklorists who pursued projects in the region. Thanks to their efforts we wnjoyed a series of exhibits and publications about Catskills folklore and folk art and there is an archive of folk materials, including photos and interview transcripts at the Erpf Center (Catskill Center for Conservation and Development) and at DCHA. Janis will share her experiences putting on an Irish Festival, celebrating local quilters, researching ethnic resorts, documenting regional farmstands, exhibiting folk art of the watershed, and publishing Catskills stories. Join us at 7 p.m. on WIOX 91.3 or streaming on the internet at WIOXradio.org. Perhaps we can get Janis to share the saltiest Catskills stories she knows!
Monday, December 12, 2011
First Fiddling Master's Class Proposes a Regular Jam
The musicians who attended the first of this year's Master's Classes with Hilt Kelly and the Sidekicks learned and shared a wide variety of traditional, old-time, Irish, and Northeastern tunes, as well as popular and sentimental melodies from the early 20th century. At the end of this article I'll give you a partial list. The attending musicians had such a good time that they proposed having a regular jam, perhaps starting out at someone's house, then hopefully finding a larger space as the group grows. We're thinking about one Friday per month, perhaps the second Friday so it won't conflict with the open mic on first Friday nights in Stamford.
If you'd like to participate in planning this jam, which may start as soon as January, please e-mail Ginny at gscheer@manhattancountryschool.org or call 607-326-7049. Also don't forget that there will be another Master's Class on January 22, 1-4 p.m., also at the Roxbury Arts Group's Hilt Kelly Hall.
Last Sunday we played:
Soldier's Joy, Liberty, Turkey in the Straw, Haste to the Wedding, Darlin' Nellie Gray, Faded Love, Harvest Home, an unnamed reel Hilt learned from his Dad, Staten Island Hornpipe, Little Billy Wilson, the Wreck of the Old 97, Irene Goodnight, Angeline the Baker, and Make Me a Pallet on the Floor.
After he performed Play a Simple Melody, Hilt told how he thought he had learned it from a sheet music collection still in his possession that used to belong to Forest Bouton, piano player for the Melody Boys in the 1920s, 30s and 40s.
Then Hilt sang Fraulein, and joined in high harmony when Don Strausser sang Silver Haired Daddy of Mine. One of the young attendees introduced a jig, Paddy Whack, and was pleased to have Hilt join in. Stella requested Mississippi Sawyer - another tune Hilt learned from his Dad - and then Hilt demonstrated Money Musk, a fiddler's showpiece that is a contradance in New England.
Hilt told about playing many years ago for the Norway Ski Club out on Route 28. When he played a Norwegian folk tune the ski members were astonished. One asked him to slow it down - he had been playing it as a polka - and all the skiiers got up and joined in a Norwegian folk dance. Hilt allowed that he had learned the tune from his Uncle Cedric Kittle - his mother's brother, born in 1890. Cedric had learned it from his son-in-law who was Norwegian American. Cedric's daughters are still alive, living in Bovina.
Then HIlt started a waltz in D that resembled In the Good Old Summer Time and parts of Let Me Call You Sweetheart. Again, there was no name. Hilt and the Sidekicks then performed Just Because, with square dance calls, Don Irwin sang Good Timing Woman, and Don Strausser and Hilt joined again to sing Sitting Alone in an Old Rocking Chair. Eva Irwin requested that her husband sing Frankie and Johnnie.
Then Hilt played Doc Boyd's Jig, from his recording "Hilt Kelly Catskill Mountain Fiddler" and told how he learned the name of it from Bill Eddie, an IBM worker who was originally from England or Scotland. finally Hilt talked about his family history, going back to Matthew Halcott, as described in Bill Birns's articles in the Catskill Mountain News.
If these kinds of old-time melodies and dance tunes interest you, plan to attend the next Master's Class on January 22 and join us once the monthly jams are organized. -G.
If you'd like to participate in planning this jam, which may start as soon as January, please e-mail Ginny at gscheer@manhattancountryschool.org or call 607-326-7049. Also don't forget that there will be another Master's Class on January 22, 1-4 p.m., also at the Roxbury Arts Group's Hilt Kelly Hall.
Last Sunday we played:
Soldier's Joy, Liberty, Turkey in the Straw, Haste to the Wedding, Darlin' Nellie Gray, Faded Love, Harvest Home, an unnamed reel Hilt learned from his Dad, Staten Island Hornpipe, Little Billy Wilson, the Wreck of the Old 97, Irene Goodnight, Angeline the Baker, and Make Me a Pallet on the Floor.
After he performed Play a Simple Melody, Hilt told how he thought he had learned it from a sheet music collection still in his possession that used to belong to Forest Bouton, piano player for the Melody Boys in the 1920s, 30s and 40s.
Then Hilt sang Fraulein, and joined in high harmony when Don Strausser sang Silver Haired Daddy of Mine. One of the young attendees introduced a jig, Paddy Whack, and was pleased to have Hilt join in. Stella requested Mississippi Sawyer - another tune Hilt learned from his Dad - and then Hilt demonstrated Money Musk, a fiddler's showpiece that is a contradance in New England.
Hilt told about playing many years ago for the Norway Ski Club out on Route 28. When he played a Norwegian folk tune the ski members were astonished. One asked him to slow it down - he had been playing it as a polka - and all the skiiers got up and joined in a Norwegian folk dance. Hilt allowed that he had learned the tune from his Uncle Cedric Kittle - his mother's brother, born in 1890. Cedric had learned it from his son-in-law who was Norwegian American. Cedric's daughters are still alive, living in Bovina.
Then HIlt started a waltz in D that resembled In the Good Old Summer Time and parts of Let Me Call You Sweetheart. Again, there was no name. Hilt and the Sidekicks then performed Just Because, with square dance calls, Don Irwin sang Good Timing Woman, and Don Strausser and Hilt joined again to sing Sitting Alone in an Old Rocking Chair. Eva Irwin requested that her husband sing Frankie and Johnnie.
Then Hilt played Doc Boyd's Jig, from his recording "Hilt Kelly Catskill Mountain Fiddler" and told how he learned the name of it from Bill Eddie, an IBM worker who was originally from England or Scotland. finally Hilt talked about his family history, going back to Matthew Halcott, as described in Bill Birns's articles in the Catskill Mountain News.
If these kinds of old-time melodies and dance tunes interest you, plan to attend the next Master's Class on January 22 and join us once the monthly jams are organized. -G.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
We're Back
Hilt Kelly, synonymous with Catskills Square dancing and fiddling.
Catskills Folk Connection is up and running again, having received notification of funding. On fairly short notice we've arranged to have two workshops this winter with Hilt Kelly, legendary fiddler and square dance caller, and will continue with old-time square dances in the spring, starting in March.
The workshops, called "Master's Classes" will take place Sunday December 11 from 1 to 4 p.m. and again Sunday January 22 at the same time. Hilt and his band the Sidekicks will be ready to share their tunes and techniques with fiddlers, violinists, guitar players, banjo players and other instruments. Beginners are invited to come and listen. The format, after an initial informal concert, will be a jam. So bring your instrument, and plan to have fun learning old tunes from the Catskills' veteran square dance musicians. Some of the tunes are so old they don't have names any more!
The Master's Classes will take place at Hilt Kelly Hall, the performance space for the Roxbury Arts Group. It is located just one building up Vega Mountain Road from their offices at the Old Bank Gallery at 53484 Main Street, Roxbury, NY 12474. There is limited parking at Hilt Kelly Hall, so you may wish to park down by the Old Bank Gallery and walk up.
For the next workshop and for the dances, Catskills Folk Connection will be sending out reminder cards. If you would like to be on our mailing list, please send your name and address to Ginny at gscheer@manhattancountryschool.org or at Manhattan Country School Farm, 3536 New Kingston Mountain Road, Roxbury, NY 12474. Include your e-mail address and pretty soon we'll start sending the reminders by e-mail.
See you on the 11th for some fine old-time tunes! If you've noticed that our posters and cards say 2 p.m. as starting time, come at 1 p.m. anyway. We'll be ready for arrivals at either time.
John Van Benschoten and Sidekick Don Strausser pick tunes at the 2008 Master's Class.
October 26, 2011
After a successful season of square dances in the spring, we've been away for awhile, awaiting further funding. Because of budget issues in Albany, it still hasn't arrived. So we're going to go ahead with what we have left over and schedule dances for November and December. Watch this blog for their times and places.
Catskills Folk Connection still has a radio program on WIOX alternate Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Tonight's show is a short program about Halloween in Roxbury. Check the photos of Halloween costumes and yard art in our Gallery to the right of this post, and listen in a 7p.m.
My fellow folklorist, Karyl Eaglefeathers, focuses her part of the radio program on Native American history and traditions, using a time slot at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. If you are too far away to listen on the air, you can hear our programs online at WIOXradio.org.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
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