Hilt & Stella Kelly On-line Video Wednesday, December 15 at 7 p.m.

 https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4140851861. 

REMEMBERING HILT & STELLA KELLY

The much-loved Delaware county musicians, Hilt & Stella Kelly, who provided residents with toe-tapping tunes and lively square dances for over 60 years, are featured in a video interview from 2003 that has not often been seen in our area.  Videographer Bob Nisbet interviewed the Kellys 18 years ago, documenting their family history and dozens of fiddle tunes and square dance calls.  He has given Catskills Folk Connection permission to present an edited version of the two-hour video recording.  It will be aired on-line at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 15 at 7 p.m. the Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4140851861.

The Kellys bring together the traditions of both the Catskills' multi-generational farming population and the rich ethnic diversity drawn to the region in the pst century.  In the interview at their home off Big Red Kill Road in Bedell, a few miles outside of Fleischmanns NY.  Hilt shares his family history that goes back to the Revolutionary War and Stella tells about growing up on her family's boarding house farm during the Depression.  With time out to raise their family, Hilt and Stella followed their musical bent for most of their lives.  with Hilt on fiddle and Stella playing piano, together they led the band "Hilt Kelly & the Sidekicks," which included Don Strausser on lead guitar and Don Irwin on rhythm guitar.  Hilt was the main caller, but all three men were prize-winning square dance callers.

    

The 2003 video contributes to the existing fiddle tunes and square dance calls recorded by Hilt & Stella Kelly, but adds significant insights about the musicians and about square dancing itself.  For example, the video includes a rare discussion and demonstration of the tunes and calls that were used to structure traditional square dances.  Hilt tells how dances were offered in a series called 'changes" that featured groups of three different types of tunes and associated dances throughout the evening.  Nisbet's intuitive interviewing and attention to detail results in clear documentation of this important aspect of square dance history.

“It was always our goal,” says Catskills Folk Connection folklorist, Ginny Scheer, “to document Hilt’s and Stella’s square dances. Since they have passed on we have continued to perpetuate their square dance tradition by scheduling live in-person square dances, when Covid conditions permit.” In the meantime, Catskills Folk Connection  offers online presentations about traditional music and dance, with more more lectures about square dancing and mini-videos of dance instruction coming up this winter. You can learn more about Catskills Folk Connection’s programs here on this blog.

For the Kellys friends and followers, viewing the 2003 video will be a chance to be again in Hilt’s and Stella’s company and to enjoy many familiar tunes and stories. For those who never got to meet them, the video will be a treat, rich in Catskills history, local expressions, and this region’s traditional music and dance. To join the presentation at 7 pm on Wednesday, December 15, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4140851861. The meeting link will also be published in Catskills Folk Connection’s FaceBook page. For more information, contact Ginny Scheer 607-326-4206 or gscheer.mcs@gmail.com.

Tuesday, October 26 Repeat Program

I am planning this week's edition of Catskills Folk, my radio program on WIOX, as a repeat of my previous program. On October 12 I encountered unexpected problems playing the music I had prepared for you    featuring the performers at Roxbury Arts Group's Fiddlers! event, which had just taken place.  Mysteriously all the mp3 files - which I had tested at home prior to the program - would not play on the air.

I've looked into it and I believe this refusal to play was the result of an incompatibility between Microsoft on my Dell laptop and the Apple computers at the radio station.  It has to do with the Properties of the musical file and whether or not the file is set to be opened with iTunes or with Microsoft's 'Groove Music."  For this week I'll save the files I wanted to play for you, but this time in both formats.  And I will go to the station to test them.

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The theme for October 12's program was to share with you samples of performances by the the three ensembles who were on stage that Sunday afternoon at Fiddlers!.  There were three groups: An urban Cajun band "The Empty Bottle Ramblers"; two performers of old-time music from "The Onlies"; and a threesome that brings together musicians whose roots run deep in Cajun and Creole traditions.   

Even with the corrected music tracks , there are two recordings that I was unable to download in the first place.  They are excellent recordings, one of the "Onlies" and another featuring two of the Cajun/Creole threesome. And because I won't be able to play them on the air on Tuesday, October 26, I am including the links to these recordings here.  

The Onlies

Paul Brown, on his radio program "Across the Blue Ridge" on WFDD, presented all four "Onlies": Leo Shannon, Vivian Leva, Sami Braman, and Riley Calcagno, with selections from their May 17 performance at the Muddy Creek Music Hall.  The recording quality is excellent, and the program includes an interview with the artists.  The link for this recording is below.

https://wfdd.org/story/across-blue-ridge-103-onlies-tradditionalist-interpreters-and-explorers     

The Onlies' segment  begins at about 34 minutes 50 seconds from the end.  

Jourdan Thibodeaux and Cedric Watson  

Jourdan and Cedric were featured in the summer of 2021 in a recording called "The Acadian Session; Shelter in Place."   Jourdan sings and plays the fiddle, and Cedric, a true multi-instrumentalist, plays the fiddle, the accordion, and a number of other instruments - and he sings.

The recording is about 30 minutes long, and comes with a log - a kind of measuring stick with the beginning of each tune marked on it.  If it were a long-playing vinyl record, I'd say that the marking tells you where to "drop the needle."  I think you'll enjoy all of it, including their exploration of their cultural roots at the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45DMndPXvN4

While these recordings are a treat, I hope you will listen on Tuesday night at 7 pm to Catskills Folk for more music by these three outstanding groups of musicians.

See you on the radio! ---- Ginny Scheer

 

   

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Free Concert Saturday October 9 in Stamford

 

The Tremperskill Boys Labor Day Weekend: First in-person concert since 2019

Kicking off the traditional celebration of fall in the mountains, Catskills Folk Connection and the Roxbury Arts Group are sponsoring a free concert in Stamford NY on October 9 at 2 p.m. The Tremperskill Boys, the well-known square dance band, will play a program of Catskills tunes, Irish and Scottish melodies and original and popular songs in Veterans Memorial Park at the intersection of Stamford's Main Street and Railroad Avenue. The Tremperskill Boys band was founded in 2008 by John Jacobson, named for the creek that runs past his home in Andes. Playing together for concerts and square dances are John Jacobson fiddle, calling and vocals; Dane Scudder fiddle, banjo and calling, Chris Carey banjo, Sheila Addison guitar, Amy Lieberman string bass, and Ginny Scheer silver flute. Though the genders are evenly divided, the band decided to keep their “Boys” name. They say “We’re an old-time string band – but we’re not all strings; and we’re the Tremperskill Boys – but we’re not all boys!”   In the past, the Tremperskill Boys opened Roxbury Arts Group's annual Fiddlers! festival with a performance and a traditional Catskills square dance. Covid infection levels still prevent square dancing, but not outdoor concerts. This concert is offered in anticipation of Sunday's Fiddlers! 28 event taking place at Roxbury Arts Group's Hilt & Stella Kelly Hall on October 10 from 3 to 6 pm, featuring a constellation of stellar Cajun bands. More: www.roxburyartsgroup.org. Join the Tremperskill Boys this Saturday to immerse yourself in the Catskill region's musical heritage and think about the time, soon we hope, when we can square dance safely again. Bring a chair for socially-distanced seating. If rain interferes, the concert will move to a local indoor space. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available. TRADITIONAL MUSIC UPDATES FROM MUSIC ON THE DELAWARE Of interest to traditional music lovers, in addition to Saturday's concert by the Tremperskill Boys, are two concerts offered by Music on the Delaware. One concert is virtual, and the other in-person at the Walton Theatre. John Kirk and Trish Miller Tonight October 3 at 6 pm John Kirk and Trish Miller will entertain with their internationally-known multiple talents that include singing, fiddle tunes, and - hopefully - Trish's prize-winning clogging. John and Trish are also traditional music educators and dance organizers and callers. Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89798198300. Also available at www.musiconthedelaware.org. John Potocnik and Tom White A Coffeehouse-at-the-Theatre performance Sunday October 17 from 6 to 8 pm will feature a mostly original but also traditional instrumental concert. It will take place live, in-person in the Theatre's parlor, but will be simultaneously streamed on-line. John Potocnik is a well-known master fiddler and Tom White is a multi-instrumentalist and song composer. Their concert will highlight fiddle tunes written about people, places and critters from where they live. Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89798198300. Also available at www.musiconthedelaware.org.

Catskills Folk Connection is at the Cauliflower Festival September 25

 I hope you will join me, folklorist Ginny Scheer, at Catskills Folk Connection's booth at the Cauliflower Festival, 11am - 4 pm on Saturday, September 25, in Margaretville, behind the Freshtown supermarket. 

The foodways theme for this fall is fermented foods.  At the Cauliflower Festival you will be able to view selections from my field interview with Robert Ford about making sauerkraut and listen to my radio interview with Madalyn Warren about making kimchi, both fermented Catskills products.  I will even have a crock with cabbage getting ready to ferment!  

In addition, I will acquaint visitors with Catskills Folk Connection's 2020 and 2021 programs by offering individual viewings of previous programs in video, audio and photos.  These will include field interviews with tradition bearers, folk artists and square dance musicians, as well as presentations of works from "Folk Art in Wood," our successful in-person exhibit from 2020.

Catskills Folk Connection's "Folk Art in Wood" exhibit 2020

Carved goose and two ducks by Joe Dibble

Our booth is usually under the pavilion. Look for the orange tablecloth.

See you at the Cauliflower Festival!

Our First In-Person Concert Was a Great Success

On Saturday September 4 Catskills Folk Connection sponsored an outdoor concert by the Tremperskill Boys, held under a tent at Dirty Girl Farm in Andes, NY,  About forty people attended, sitting in socially distanced chairs, to hear the band present a lively afternoon/evening of Catskills tunes and Irish and Scottish favorites. John Jacobson offered songs: some were his original compositions, and some were well-known popular songs.  

The Tremperskill Boys usually play for Catskills Folk Connection square dances but Covid restrictions prevent us from offering dances right now.  Like singing together, square dancing is one of ways most liable to spread coronavirus germs.  So until we can dance again together, we will be offering concerts as long as possible and on-line special presentations later in the fall-winter when concerts may become less do-able.

The Tremperskill Boys have been playing together for over a decade, at first backing up Hilt Kelly and the Sidekicks at Catskills Folk Connection dances. At the same time the Tremperskill Boys developed a solid reputation playing for social occasions and concerts.  They have perpetuated the square dance tradition by playing and calling square dances on a regular basis (pre-Covid), ensuring that existing and future generations of Catskills residents - once the virus completely retreats - will be able to enjoy this age-old pastime.  

Today's Tremperskill Boys consist of John Jacobson, founder, fiddler and caller; Dane Scudder, fiddler and caller, and occasional banjo player; Chris Carey on banjo, Sheila Addison with guitar, and Amy Lieberman plays bass.  Catskills Folk Connection's folklorist, Ginny Scheer, often sits in as flutist at square dances and gets to play with the band for other occasions.

Dirty Girl Farm, run by Cyndi Wright and her husband, Lester Bourke, is first and foremost a goat dairy farm, but the couple goes way beyond mere milk production. They specialize in on-farm creation of goat dairy products like yogurt and cheese, available with other products in their all-refrigerated farm store, and they run a farm stand featuring local foods.  

Visit Dirty Girl Farm's Facebook page where Cyndi posts beautiful photos of local foods, both from her farm and from nearby producers. Dirty Girl Farm, 114 Delaware Ave., Andes  NY  13731, is the best place around to dip into and then connect with the western Catskills farm-to-table network. 

Watch this blog for announcements of future Catskills Folk Connection events and presentations.  We are planning an outdoor concert in October in Stamford for Roxbury Arts Group, and possibly a dance in November, Covid-willing.  Other possibilities include more on-line speakers about local and regional music and dance traditions, and other kinds of gatherings in-person and on-line.  Stay tuned!

Catskills Folk Connection is sponsored by the Roxbury Arts Group and is funded in part by the NYS Council on the Arts Folk Art Program; by Gov. Hochul and the NYS Legislature; by Action and Vision grants from Humanities NY; and by the O'Connor Foundation. 

In Person Concert September 4, 2021, at 5 pm

TREMPERSKILLL BOYS IN-PERSON FIRST TIME SINCE 2019! Covid Update: After declining from a high earlier in August, the rate of positive tests and Covid cases has recently started to rise. Therefore, Catskills Folk Connection has stayed with its alternative plans for a concert, not a square dance, on Saturday, September 4 with Covid precautions. See below. NOTE THE NEW STARTING TIME 5 P.M. We will continue to try to plan dances in the future.

Tremperskill Boys put on a square dance at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts a few years ago. The Tremperskill Boys, will offer a lively free outdoor concert of Catskills tunes, original songs, plus Irish and Scottish melodies, on Saturday, September 4 at 5 pm, sponsored by Catskills Folk Connection. Please note the time change to 5 pm. This way you can get supper from the food truck, Health on Wheels, which will be there even after the concert begins. The concert will take place under a tent on the lawn at Dirty Girl Farm, 114 Delaware Avenue, Andes, NY 13731. Some chairs will be provided, but for your comfort bring your own lawn chairs. Should rain interfere, the concert will be postponed. Covid precautions are planned. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available at the gate, and the audience area will indicate social distances. Originally, Catskills Folk Connection had planned to offer on this date its first in-person square dance since 2019. But the Delta variant made us change our plans, and we will hold the concert instead. As soon as the infection rate falls sufficiently, even if it is in the depths of winter, CFC will offer in-person dances on short notice. The Tremperskill Boys band was founded in 2008 by John Jacobson with several string players, and was named for the creek that runs past John's home in Andes. In addiiton to John's fiddle the band included a guitar, banjo, and mandolin – later adding string bass, button accordion and flute, and an occasional keyboard. The current group has been together for many years: John Jacobson fiddle and calling; Dane Scudder fiddle, banjo and calling, Chris Carey banjo, Sheila Addison guitar, Amy Lieberman string bass, and Ginny Scheer silver flute. Though the genders are evenly divided, the band decided to keep their “Boys” name. They say “We’re an old-time string band – but we’re not all strings; and we’re the Tremperskill Boys – but we’re not all boys!” The concert will include a wide variety of tunes – some fast and toe-tapping and others more mellow. They will be drawn from a repertoire of Catskills tunes, especially ones learned from Hilt Kelly, Irish and Scottish jigs and reels common in northern and southern regions, and original songs by John Jacobson. John Jacobson's songs are thoughtful. "Red Hill" reflects the experience of Catskills farmers in the face of “progress,” and "We'll Say a Prayer" is a meditation on on the prevalence of personal loss. If you enjoy traditional music there is something for everyone to like in this concert: danceable tunes, engaging melodies, and wonderful songs. Join us on Sept. 4 at 5 pm. Dirty Girl Farm is going all out to make this Labor Day event memorable.

See us on Facebook

For more information visit CFC’s blog www.catskillsfolkconnection.blogspot.com or contact Ginny Scheer at 607-326-4206 or gscheer.mcs@gmail.com.

Catskills Folk Connection is sponsored by the Roxbury Arts Group and is funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts, by Action and Vision Grants from HumanitiesNY, by Gov. Hochul and the NYS Legislature, and by the O'Connor Foundation

LINK Wednesday August 25 at 7 pm "Diversity iin Square Dance"

Tony Parkes

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4140851861

Meeting number 414 085 861

Tony Parkes, the nationally and internationally known caller from Massachusetts, will present an on-line talk for Catskills Folk Connection on Wednesday, August 25 at 7 p.m. Tony and his wife Beth Parkes have presented dances and offered workshops in 35 US states and in several countries in Europe, and Tony has written two books on calling and dancing. According to the Square Dance History Project, Tony’s calling has “specialized in old and new contra dances, traditional and contemporary New England squares, and squares from the 1950s (arguably the Golden Age of recreational square dancing).” He has long been interested in square dance history and has unearthed “long-forgotten dances and developed an appreciation for the breadth and depth of American dance traditions.

Tony’s current research has focused recently on inclusiveness in the square dance tradition, especially by people of color in North America, from the Caribbean to above the Arctic Circle. His talk, entitled “Diversity in Square Dance,” will review the influence of African and African American music in the history of American traditional dance – and especially the development of calling dances – and then will use lively videos to visit a wide variety of living traditions of square dance. Among them will be Jamaican dancers, US Western club square dancers, community dances in far north indigenous communities, and dance performances by First Nations people in Canada.

Join Catskills Folk Connection on August 25 at 7 p.m. for this review of the vibrant living tradition of square dancing in unexpected places. The link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4140851861 For those who can attend Zoom meetings with just the meeting number it is 414 085 1861. 

 For more information, contact Ginny Scheer gscheer.mcs@gmail.com or 607-326-4206.

Catskills Folk Connection is sponsored by the Roxbury Arts Group and is funded in part by NYSCA Folk Arts Program, by Gov. Cuomo and the NYS Legislature, by Humanities NY and by the O’Connor Foundation. 

LINK: Old Time Music and Dance in Rural New York July 28 at 7 p.m.

September 4 is on the horizon when we can get "back in the swing" of in-person square dancing. Meanwhile, you can join Catskills Folk Connection's in-depth talk by Jim Kimball revealing his intimate knowledge of traditional music and dance from Geneseo to the Catskills. It will take place on Wednesday, July 28 at 7 pm, presented by Catskills Folk Connection's series "Catskills Folk Lyceum." 

The talk is free and the link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4140851861

The meeting ID is 414 085 1861, in case you need it and the link is also on our FaceBook page.

"Old time Music and Dance in Rural New York" is the second in a series of free on-line talks about traditional music and dance presented by our Catskills Folk Lyceum series. The talk will be given by Jim Kimball who teaches at SUNY Geneseo and has made a study of historical and current music and dance traditions in central and western New York State, and as far east as the Catskills. His presentations are spiced with entertaining and informative quotes from newspapers and other publications; from diaries, tune books and dance cards in his collections; and from interviews with living tradition bearers who play and call for traditional dances in western New York.  Here's a newspaper article about young people enjoying riding to a dance in the 1870s:

DANSVILLE ADVERTSER  FEB.1 1877

On Friday evening last, a party of 24 young ladies and gentlemen seated themselves in a huge sleigh    box on a pair of bobs and started for Mt. Morris in merriest mood.  Arriving at Mt. Morris at 8:30,        they stopped at the Eagle Hotel, and half an hour afterwards were enjoying one of [Mr.] Scoville's best suppers. . . .and at 10, commenced keeping time with dancing feet to the good music of  Sedgwick's fiddle, assisted by McArthur and Chilson of Mt. Morris. They were assisited in this delightful amusement by another sleighing party from Geneseo.  The dancers were not ready to start for home until 4 a.m. Saturday and looked somewhat weary when they rode into Dansville at 7 a.m.

Jim Kimball teaches music history, world music and folklore, and directs the Geneseo String Band in the Music Department at SUNY Geneseo. He plays several traditional instruments, including fiddle, button accordion and concertina, calls square dances and frequently lectures on many musical subjects. Jim has collected tunes and stories from several old time musicians and callers, written articles and performed in museum venues where he specializes in 19th century popular and folk music traditions. The Geneseo String Band is made up of SUNY Geneseo students, alumni and local residents and plays a variety of old-time American popular and folk music, especially music that is characteristic of central and western New York.

Join us on Wednesday, July 28, at 7 p.m. to learn more about the history of traditional music and dance in upstate New York and to see and hear Jim Kimball’s collection of traditional music recordings, publications and diaries from the rich heritage of traditional music and dance in rural New York.  The free talk will be presented live on Zoom, Meeting ID 414 085 1861. The link is  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4140851861  For more information contact Ginny Scheer, folklorist, at 607-326-4206 or gscheer.mcs@gmail.com.  

If you also receive Catskills Folk Connection's e-blast, your e-mail provider may be marking it as "spam."  So check there if you think you've missed an e-mail and if possible notify Catskills Folk Connection about the problem at gscheer.mcs@gmail.com.  Thank you.  

Coming Up from Catskills Folk Connection:

• The third talk in this Catskills Folk Lyceum series will take place on August 25 at 7 p.m.  In "Diversity in Square Dancing" Tony Parkes will talk about African and African- American influence on square dancing and square dance calling, and he will share his research about past and present participation in square dancing by communities of color in North America and from the Caribbean to the Arctic Circle!
• On September 4 at Dirty Girl Farm in Andes, we are presenting our first in-person square dance with the Tremperskill Boys, John Jacobson and Dane Scudder calling.  Buffet dinner at 6 pm or earlier and dancing at 7 p.m.  On a wooden dance floor under a tent.  Watch here for exact times, location and Covid precautions.
• Catskills Folk Connection is planning several in-person square dances this fall, Covid permitting.  These may be as often as every two weeks!  If Covid restrictions return, we may be able to present a socially-distanced concert by the square dance band.
• If you attend Andes Community Day on August 14 you may find members of the Tremperskill Boys playing pop-up sets of tunes.  Still tentative. 

Catskills Folk Connection is sponsored by the Roxbury Arts Group and is funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts, by Action and Vision Grants from HumanitiesNY, by Gov. Cuomo and the NYS Legislature, and by the O'Connor Foundation.

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LINK:______________________Square Dance: An American Medley

To attend David Millstone’s on-line talk, presented by Catskills Folk Connection’s Catskills Folk Lyceum on June 23 at 7 p.m., go to this link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4140851861

No password is required. Please wait for the host to admit you. To make sure you receive announcements of future speakers on traditional music and dance, and notices about live, in-person dances beginning in September (Covid permitting), please fill out Catskills Folk Connection’s form in the CHAT, during David's presentation, with your name and e-mail address.

David Millstone (Paul Ross photo) 

David Millstone is a preeminent dance caller and historian of American traditional dance, especially contra dance and square dance in the Northeastern U.S. David has been a dance caller for more than 40 years—squares, contras, English country dance, and family-friendly events. He has appeared at venues across North America, including the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and in eight European countries. With the band Northern Spy, he hosted a monthly dance from 1980–2015. He is past President of the Country Dance and Song Society, and co-ordinates  the Square Dance History Project. David is co-author of Cracking Chestnuts, a book about classic American contra dances; he wrote the contra dance history chapter of Dance a While; he created video documentaries about Bob McQuillen, Dudley Laufman, and Ralph Sweet and he has presented numerous talks on dance history at weekends and dance camps - and now on-line. David has made virtual presentations about traditional music and dance for regional dance presenters, such as the Mt Airy Contra, and for major festivals such as The Flurry. And on June 23, at 7 p.m. he will join Catskills Folk Lyceum on traditional music and dance with his talk about the origins and development of square dancing in the United States.

David’s Catskills Folk Lyceum Talk “Square Dance: An American Medley”

From the Quadrille ...

How did square dancing originate? How did the dancing change over centuries? What are some regional variations found in North America? What created the square dance boom of the 1950s? Eastern and western, traditional and modern, today's square dances are a blend of many cultural influences. Using historic movie footage, audio clips, and photographs in this hour-long presentation, David will explore the complex history of this dance form that is a vital part of American culture. Following the presentation, there will be an opportunity for questions and discussion.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4140851861

June 23 at 7 p.m.

To "Bird in the Cage" ....

Join us for an enlightening talk and discussion, and watch for opportunities to dance in-person in September.

                                                            Ginny Scheer, Folklorist

                                                            Catskills Folk Connection

                                                            gscheer.mcs@gmail.com

Catskills Folk Connection is supported by the Roxbury Arts Group and is funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts Folk Arts Program, by Gov. Cuomo and the NYS Legislature, by Action and Vision Grants from Humanities NY, and by the O'Connor Foundation.

SAVE THE DATE: June 23 at 7 pm David Millstone

If you miss square dancing, plan to immerse yourself in an informative talk by David Millstone about the history of this traditional dance in North America.  It will take place on Wednesday, June 23 at 7 pm, presented by Catskills Folk Connection's series "Catskills Folk Lyceum."  The talk is free and the link will be announced here on Catskills Folk Connection's blog after June 5.  

David Millstone                             Photo by Paul Ross

In Millstone's presentation, "Square Dance: An American Medley," the dance caller and historian will talk about the European sources of square dance's traditional form and figures, regional variations in North America, and the 20th century revival of square dancing,  Using historic movie footage, audio clips, and photographs in this engaging hour-long presentation he will explore the complex history of this dance form that is a vital part of American culture. 

An author and video documentarian, David Millstone has called dances in New England for over 40 years, coordinates The Square Dance History Project, and is a past president of the Country Dance and Song Society.  

Watch here on Catskills Folk Connection's blog to obtain a link to the free presentation, which will be posted after June 5.

Pinkster Resources from WIOX Radio Program May 25, 2021

 I'm happy that so many of you listened to my radio program, Catskills Folk, about the African American festival of Pinkster on WIOX Tuesday night.  Everyone I talked to enjoyed the African drumming and the tradition of "hambone." They wondered where to hear more.  Here are all the resources I offered to share, including the link to the African drumming group you heard on Catskills Folk.  --Ginny Scheer, Folklorist, Catskills Folk Connection.

The Pinkster Festival:

Pulse of the Planet     www.pulseplanet.com

Listen to the series of short podcasts on Pulse of the Planet, a nationally distributed program about the natural and cultural environments.  Under "Daily Programs" look for 2021 and choose the free podcasts for May 13 "Pinkster", May 14 "Hambone", and May 17 "The Slave King".  These were the transcripts I read with the quotes from the SUNY New Palz professor Albert James Williams Myers, and from Keith Johnston and Ron McBee, musicians with Children of Dahomey.

Jalikunda   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZHfmgIb4mc

The group is shown playing at the Monserrat African Music Festival 2013.  I chose this video to represent African drumming because it sounded the most like the drumming on Pulse of the Planet's podcasts.

"Patting Juba"   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BCzIjY-taY&t=307s

A video from the 2009 ACTA Apprenticeship featuring  Danny "Slap Jazz" Barber demonstrates Hambone  for apprentice Sekani Thomas.  His demonstration includes basic rhythmic patterns as well as the song "Juba," which had special meaning among slaves.

Pinkster at Philipsburg Manor  www.hudsonvalley.org

The Pinkster festival is re-enacted every spring at Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, NY.  The virtual presentation from 2020 includes five short videos which show the festival, its history and its cultural context.  You can watch these directly on the website or find them and more on YouTube.

    A History of Pinkster

    Embracing Tradition

    Music, Dance & Celebration

    [Food:]  Make Your Own Akara Black-eyed Pea Fritters 

            Recipe: download from video.

    [Textiles:] Make Your Own Adinkra Stamps  

            Instructions: download from video.

Dyckman Farm Pinkster Festival   https://dyckmanfarmhouse.org/events/ 

A re-enactment of Pinkster in New York City at 4881 Broadway at 204th Street, Manhattan. It takes place live in-person on May 27 from 6 to 7 pm.  It is free.  Bring your own blankets.

Announcements on Catskills Folk:

Canal Street String Band   www.canalstreetstringband.com

The Grant Rogers Project and the Ogden Library in Walton, NY, are co-sponsoring a virtual concert on Saturday, June 5, at 7 pm featuring the Canal Street String Band with Dave Ruch, Phil Banaszak, and Jim Whitford. They will present a program of Grant Rogers songs and tunes, plus music from Delaware County NY and American favorites.

Catskill Folk Lyceum: The History of Square Dancing   www.catskillsfolkconnection.blogspot.com

The history of square dancing in the northeastern U.S. will be the subject of a virtual talk on June 23, 7 pm, by David Millstone, noted expert on traditional music and dance.  For more information about the link to the virtual talk, consult Catskills Folk Connection's blog after June 5.  

 

 

 

Tonight, 7 pm Tuesday May 25 on WIOX: An African-American Festival

Annual Pinkster Festival at Philipsburg Manor, Sleepy Hollow, NY no on-line.

On tonight's edition of Catskills Folk on WIOX 91.3 FM or www.wioxradio.org, host Ginny Scheer will share information about Pinkster, an important African-American festival held in the Hudson Valley as far north as Albany and as far south as New York City, from the 17th century through the early 19th century.  These days it is re-enacted every year at Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, NY.

Join Ginny as she explores the history, traditions, and folk art associated with Pinkster, explains its unusual name, and tells where you might find a Pinkster Festival this spring.         

 

The Tulsa Race Massacre this Thursday on WIOX

 On May 27, at 7 p.m., Ginny Scheer will join Harry Anifantakis on his WIOX program, Wingin' It, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, one of the most destructive and deadly white riots in the U.S. and one of the least known historical events of the 20th century.  This is the first of a two part program.   On Thursday the hosts will discuss the events of the massacre on May 31 - June 1 one hundred years ago when white gangs stormed the prosperous Black neighborhood of Greenwood, burned it to the ground, killed many residents, and herded others into detention camps. Why did it happen?  In pursuit of this question Harry has researched and will describe the "culture of massacres," a string of white riots in the years that led up to the Tulsa massacre, especially the year of 1919 called "The Red Summer."  

The second part of the program at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8, concerns the aftermath of the massacre and the cover up.  Harry will join Ginny on Catskills Folk to examine the events that followed the so-called riot in Tulsa. the suppression of news and written records about it, Greenwood residents' attempts to re-build and where things stand today in the community.  

Please join us for both parts of the program, May 27 and June 8 at 7 p.m.  It will be broadcast live on WIOX 91.3 FM and streamed live at www.wioxradio.org.  

David Millstone Will Speak on June 23

For an on-line presentation of Catskills Folk Lyceum, David Millstone will talk about the history of traditional dance in the northeastern U.S., especially square dancing.  He is the founder of the square dance history project and is also a contra dance caller in New Hampshire.  The talk will take place on Wednesday June 23 at 7 p.m. on Zoom, and the link will be available by registering at gscheer.mcs@gmail.com.  Watch for more in this space.   

Mary Ann's Potato Wild Leek Soup

 

Potato Wild Leek Soup

Wild leeks before trimming and cleaning.

Tonight, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 27 on WIOX 91.3 FM and wioxradio.org, Mary Ann Warren - the caterer well-known as "Mary's Cookin' Again" - joins Ginny Scheer on her regular radio program Catskills Folk to talk about harvesting  wild leeks.  Here is Mary's recipe for Potato Wild Leek Soup. 

Potato Wild Leek Soup

10 peeled Russet potatoes - cubed

2 lb. wild leeks - cleaned and chopped with tops if they are young

1/2 lb. chopped bacon (optional )

Chicken or Vegetable stock to cover potatoes

1 cup cream

1/2 cup flour

Salt & pepper to taste

Cover potatoes with stock. Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are tender

In a different pot cook bacon until it is nicely browned and remove from pot reserving the bacon fat in the bottom of the pot.  Add the leeks and cook until wilted, just a few minutes.  Add the flour and cook another 2 minutes. Add the stock from the potatoes a little at a time stirring constantly. season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the bacon to the pot along with the potatoes and cream and cook until hot. 

Potatoes can be mashed up if you like a smoother soup. Flour can be omitted if you are gluten free. Just add a few more potatoes.

If you choose to omit the bacon, Olive oil works to cook the ramps.

Enjoy

Mary

Mary's Cookin' Again

ReplyForward

April Update

A bountiful harvest of wild leeks.

Since our last blogpost, the September dance has been set for Saturday, September 4.  It will be an in-person dance if COVID restrictions - and our own abundance of caution - allow it.  It will take place at Dirty Girl Farm in Andes, NY, where we had one of our most successful dances in late summer, 2019.  

Also since the last blogpost, the program for next week's WIOX broadcast of Catskills Folk: it will be an interview with Mary Ann Warren, the well-known caterer "Mary's Cookin' Again."  She will share her experiences digging wild leeks, a multi-generation family tradition she learned from her father.  Tune in at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 27 on the air at 91.3 FM or on-line at wioxradio.org.

Video editing has hit another roadblock, so on-line postings of interviews with tradition bearers, folk artists and musicians, plus the promised mini-videos of dance instruction are still on hold.  Live presentations of speakers will be announced here first, then by e-mail and finally by post card and print sources.

Mary Ann Warren of Mary's Cookin' Again, 

at the 2019 Meredith Dairy Fest.

shares soup she made with Catskills wild leeks

Upcoming Programs from Catskills Folk Connection

 

Usually at this time of year, Catskills Folk Connection announces its first spring square dance.  But not this spring.  Again.  Social dancing, it seems, is one of the last activities that will be opened.  We're hoping we can schedule a live in-person square dance for Labor Day.  Until then, we will focus on virtual presentations about folklore topics, especially Catskills traditional music and dance and Catskills foodways.  We will also use our on-line and radio platforms to present interviews with tradition bearers, folk artists and folk musicians, and will discuss issues of concern, nationally and in our region, that especially affect folklore organizations and the cultures and communities they work with.

What to expect:

In April-May-June:

An on-line speaker about African and African-American influences on American traditional music and dance. The link will be on this blog and in e-mail announcements.

Mini-videos teaching basic square dance figures, demonstrated by a couple who are long-time dancers from the Catskills.  Find the link here on the blog.

On-going monthly interviews on our radio program, Catskills Folk, with Catskills tradition bearers, folk artists, and folk musicians.  The next one is being scheduled for April 27 at 7 p.m., broadcast on WIOX 91.3 FM and streaming on wioxradio.org.  Topics this spring will include digging wild leeks, sapping, and more presentations by Kelli Huggins about Catskills recipes. 

Mini-videos are starting production soon. These and the date for the speaker will be posted here first, followed by an e-mail announcement.  There will be bi-monthly post cards during this time period, beginning with one toward the end of April.  

July - August:

Another on-line speaker, most likely talking about the development of square dancing in the Northeast US.

More mini-videos, perhaps with two couples, not just one.  They'll tackle traditional square dance figures that are difficult for beginners, such as the ladies' chain and right-and-left-through.

We are trying to arrange a program about step-dancing in the Catskills and neighboring areas.  Check back later.

Ginny will be working on photographing stone houses in Roxbury, exteriors for sure, and possibly interiors if Covid restrictions permit.

September-October-November-December:

Possible in-person square dance on Labor Day.  If so, watch for monthly dances thereafter, and maybe more often.  There is pent up demand for all the dances we've missed in the past year!

More monthly interviews with tradition bearers, folk artists and folk musicians on WIOX.

An in-person exhibit, most likely in December, of the Roxbury stone house documentation.

And in November or December, a Symposium on Catskills Traditional Music and Dance that will bring together performers and professionals to engage in discussions with the region's musicians, dancers, and culture workers about the future of traditional dance and traditional music in the Catskills.  Whether the Symposium is offered on-line or in-person, the public is invited to attend and to join in the final round of the discussion.  We hope this event will set a course for music and dance that will sustain them for many years to come.  

The link for the Symposium will be here in the blog and shared via e-mail.  Members of the postal mailing list will be encouraged to join our e-mail list and if that is not possible to call Ginny Scheer (607-326-4206) to find out how to attend.  If the Symposium is in-person the discussion will be followed by a jam, a pot luck supper, and a public square dance.  If it is on-line only we may be able to offer break out groups for smaller, more focused discussion.  And a ticket coupon for our next in-person dance!

Watch this space.  Announcements will be made here on the blog first, then in an e-mail, with post cards bi-monthly during the summer, and joined by ads in the County Shopper before each in-person dance.  

For more information contact the folklorist, Ginny Scheer, at gscheer.mcs@gmail.com or 607-326-4206.  We can't wait to get us dancing again! 

   

We're Back!

 Kicking Off Catskills Folk Connection's 

2021 season with Kelli Huggins 

on WIOX Tuesday, March16 at 7 p.m. 

On Tuesday night at 7 p.m. on WIOX 91.3 FM or wioxradio.org, Kelli Huggins will join Ginny Scheer on her bi-weekly program, Catskills Folk.  Kelli is the Visitor Experience Coordinator at the Catskills Visitor Center, and she writes on a variety of topics for the Catskill Center's publications.  She is especially interested in the history of cooking in the Catskills and shares her experiences with old family recipes and historic recipes she finds in her research. 

On Tuesday night she will share a Cinnamon roll recipe from her family, and will tell us about two recipes associated with sites in the Catskills.  The first of these is a recipe for Fleischmanns yeasted waffles; the second is for yeast rolls from the famed Catskill Mountain House.

For the Catskill Mountain House rolls, Kelli updates an historical recipe.  Here's the original recipe with its long wait times and its estimated amounts of ingredients.  

 Set a thin sponge with wheat flour at about four o’clock as follows: Stir into a quart of water flour enough to make a thick batter, adding half a cake of compressed yeast dissolved. Let this sponge stand till nine o’clock and then knead up thoroughly; add a piece of butter the size of a large egg. Let the rolls stand till morning, then roll them out as thin as your hands, handle the dough as little as possible, cut it into narrow strips and lay in a pan to rise for three-quarters of an hour. Bake in a quick oven ten minutes. 

For the modern recipe, listen in to Catskills Folk on Tuesday night.  And watch this space.  We may be able to share all three updated recipes.

--- Ginny Scheer, Folklorist