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.