|
|
2008 RECAP:
The 2008 festival program brought together a tantalizing mix of
entertainment under the Main Tent and in the Workshop Tent (see
line-up below). Read on for
more about this year’s great line-up of performers.
View the complete
2008 Schedule of Events here!
2008 LINE-UP
View
descriptions of individual performers:
Accordion Warrior, Gary Sredzienski
Akwaaba Drum and Dance Ensemble
African Drumming Workshop
Blue Hill Brass Quintet
BrandyLeif Duo
Children's Musical Medley
Chinese Folk Art Workshop
Captain Fiddle, the Strolling
Minstrel
Extreme Air Jump Rope Team
Family Sing-Along and Rhythm
Workshop
Fiddler Brendan Carey Block
Fiddler Bruce Cobb
Fiddler Molly Trayner
Grupo Fantasia Latin Band
Dick Kaplan’s Excellent Jazz Band
Harpsichord Concert with R.P.
Hale
Indian Dancers
Irish Dancers
Juggling with Brett and Jenny
King Ludwig's Bavarian Band
The Reminisants
Stranger Than Fiction
Strolling Minstrel Ryan Thomson
The Thomsons
TWO: High-Energy Juggling
Voices from the Heart
Washboard Minstrel Leif Gerjuoy
Mr. YooWho and the Art of Clowning
friday, september 19, 2008
King Ludwig’s Bavarian Band
This five-member band is led by Ludwig himself, aka Lenny Holmes, a
jovial entertainer who has been in the business for 24 years. Four
of the band members met back in the late 1970s when they attended
the University of Lowell and played at a local ski area on weekends.
Before long, the invitations to play other venues were rolling in.
Now King Ludwig and his crew play every weekend from July to
mid-November, entertaining enthusiastic audiences with waltzes,
polkas and other traditional German mountain music. Decked out in
Lederhosen shorts, white shirts, suspenders and Alpine mountain
hats, the band comes complete with a genuine yodeler, Switzerland
native Mike "Fritz" Kaelin.
more
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2008
Extreme Air JUMP ROPE DEMO AND WORKSHOP
The Extreme Air Competition Jump Rope Team performs nationally
competitive single-rope, pairs, and double-dutch freestyle routines,
original long-rope routines, and group choreographed routines, all
to high-energy music. The team has brought home gold medals from a
number of competitions and has performed at many charitable and
community events, thrilling audiences of all ages. Founded in 2003,
Extreme Air of New Hampshire is a nonprofit group dedicated to
promoting the sport of jump rope by training amateur athletes for
national competition and educating the public about the benefits of
jump rope as a fun, physically challenging, and rewarding activity
for individuals of all ages and abilities.
more
fiddler Brendan Carey Block
TTwenty-three year-old Brendan Carey Block, the fiddler for the new
acoustic quartet, Annalivia, began playing fiddle at age ten and has
been performing professionally for the past twelve years. Brendan,
whose solo festival and concert appearances have consistently led to
rave reviews, also formerly played with The Glengarry Bhoys of
Ontario, Canada. Brendan has been called one of the finest and most
dynamic young fiddlers in the country. (Beware, warned one reviewer,
“He plays the paint off the walls!”) He was the only American
musician invited to perform at the famed week-long 25th Anniversary
Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, Colorado. He also headlined for
several years at the North Georgia Celtic Festival in Gainesville,
as well as appearing at numerous concerts and events throughout New
England, including opening for Natalie MacMaster at the Lebanon
Opera House and repeat appearances at the New Hampshire Highland
Games.
Brendan is accompanied by Flynn Cohen, the superb guitarist from
Annalivia who is formerly of the John Whelan Band. He is also
occasionally accompanied on bass by his father, Rich Block, who has
been performing and recording folk, Celtic, and jazz since the early
1970s and was Brendan's guitar accompanist for many years.
Brendan's energetic and passionate playing most strongly reflects
the Cape Breton tradition but also incorporates Scottish, Irish, and
Southern fiddle styles. He studied initially with Mary Lea (of Bare
Necessities and Yankee Ingenuity) from Brattleboro, Vermont, and
continued his studies and musical research for many years on Cape
Breton Island, Nova Scotia, most notably with the great fiddlers
Natalie and Buddy MacMaster. Several years ago Brendan completed an
apprenticeship under a grant from the New Hampshire Council on the
Arts with Rodney Miller, a National Endowment for the Arts Master
Fiddler. Also under apprenticeship grants, Brendan studied Highland
pipes for two years with Gordon and Lezlie Webster of the New
Hampshire School of Scottish Arts, where he is on the faculty as a
fiddle instructor. This past year Brendan served as a Master Teacher
in the New Hampshire Council on the Arts apprenticeship program.
Brendan was the 2000-2001 US National Junior Scottish Fiddle
Champion, three time New England Champion, as well as winner of many
other New England fiddle contests. In addition to the many hours he
devotes to music each week, Brendan works as a BMW mechanic and
helps maintain and race his family's team of Siberian Husky sled
dogs.
more
INDIAN DANCErs
Neha Parikh is a native of Bombay, India and currently lives in
Nashua. She is an accomplished Indian classical dancer, specializing
in two styles known as Bharatanatyam and Mohini Attam. The movements
of classical Indian dance are often symbolic of ancient mythology
and have been handed down carefully through the generations. Hand,
feet, and facial gestures are elegant and timed precisely to the
complexities of classical Indian music. The costumes, often lavish
in color and texture, are an important part of the tradition. Parikh
began learning to dance in Bombay when she was six years old. She
has a Masters in Fine Arts in Classical Indian Dance and Philosophy
from Nalanda University and is active in the Indian Association of
NH and has a small dance school based in Nashua.
more
THE THOMSONS
Newmarket’s own father and son duo, Ryan and Brennish Thomson play
Celtic, French Canadian, Appalachian, and other ethnic music on
instruments including twin fiddles, flute, whistle, rub board,
banjo, wooden spoons, jaw harp, and more.
more
ACCORDION WARRIOR: GARY SREDZIENSKI
Better known as the accordion warrior, Gary Sredzienski has had a
life-long love affair with the accordion. His professional career
began at age 9, when he made his debut traveling around New England
performing with a vaudeville act called The Hog Hollow Hooters. He’s
been hooked ever since. Owner of more than 50 accordions, Gary
demonstrates the diversity of the instrument with a wide variety of
styles representing several continents. His solo recordings on his
own Bellows Music label have landed him national performances with
various cultural organizations. In May of 2000 Gary represented NH
in a performance at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. In July of
2000 he performed throughout Romania on a tour sponsored by the
Smithsonian Folklife Center and the State Department. He is
continually involved in recording projects. In addition to
performing for choral and dance groups, Gary performs 1960s surf
rock, traditional ethnic music, and his accordion compositions with
the Portsmouth based group, The Serfs. He was awarded an Arts
Fellowship from the NH State Council on the Arts in 1997 and
received the Artist Achievement Award by Seacoast Newspapers in
2002. Gary represented New Hampshire at the Smithsonian Folklife
Festival in 1999 and the Lowell National Folk Festival in 2003. Gary
also hosts a 1950's style ethnic radio show, "Polka Party" weekly at
WUNH-FM in Durham. more
IRISH DANCErs
Murray Irish Dance Academy in Stratham, the Seacoast’s only school
for Irish step dancing, is home to over 160 students, from beginners
to championship level dancers. Murray Irish dancers are skilled at
performing a variety of dances, from traditional to more modern
choreography exclusive to the academy. Its students have
successfully competed at numerous “feisanna” (Gaelic for
competitions) throughout New England and have received top awards in
a variety of dance and age categories. In addition, Murray dancers
attend many local festivals and special events, delighting audiences
with a range of team and solo dances performed in both soft,
ballet-like shoes called ghillies and “hard” shoes that create a
tapping sound.
The academy’s owner and director, Anne Murray MacRitchie, began the
dance school in September of 2005 in an effort to bring the fun,
fitness and excitement of Irish dancing to the seacoast. Anne
started her Irish dancing career in Cleveland, Ohio, at the age of 7
under the direction of well-known and respected Theresa Burke, TCRG,
ADCRG. There she was an open champion level dancer with extensive
competitive and performance experience, as well as an instructor.
While dancing competitively, she earned top five placements,
including first, in all regional championships she attended and
placed fifth at the national level as well. Anne obtained her
teacher’s certification from the Dublin, Ireland-based international
Irish Dancing Teacher’s Commission and is currently a member of the
Irish Dancing Teachers Association of New England and the Irish
Dancing Teachers Association of North America.
more
MR. YOOWHO AND THE ART OF CLOWNING
Kosovo, Tokyo, Rio, Jerusalem, Barcelona, San Francisco, El Bosque,
Katmandu, Brooklyn. Theaters, festivals, concert halls, circus,
varieté, schools, coffee houses, cultural centers, parks, town
squares, cafeterias, clinics. In more than 1000 performances in more
than 30 countries, Moshe Cohen (a.k.a. Mr. YooWho) has developed an
approach to humor that crosses all borders. Children laugh. Adults
laugh. Even serious people laugh. They laugh a lot. What's so funny?
Perhaps, it’s simply his way of doing things, choices he makes,
objects he transforms. Maybe it’s the way he dances flamenco with
oversized plastic bags. Or the way he plays a sonata with twirling
plastic tubes. Maybe it’s his fascination with Japanese kazaguruma
(pinwheels) or oversized orange sunflowers. Whatever it is, it’s
universal. There are no words. Mr. YooWho’s language is one of
expressions and actions, rhythms and emotions.
Mr. YooWho brings an old school, European clown perspective to his
performances, steeped in a Yiddish absurdist sense of humor and
spiced with a taste of Japanese Kyogen and Butoh dance.
more
Chinese FOLK ART WORKSHOP
The Chinese Folk Art Workshop is a non-profit organization based in
the Boston area. The workshop aims to promote interaction with and
understanding of Chinese culture. Its members range in age from 12
to 18, and they perform a variety of traditional Chinese folk arts
such as Dragon Dance, Lion Dance, Taiwanese Drums, Chinese yo-yo and
Folk Dance. The purpose of the Chinese Folk Art Workshop is to
highlight the beauty of Chinese Folk Arts and to help a new
generation of American-born Chinese showcase their talents and
gifts. The workshop completes its mission by organizing lessons in
traditional Chinese arts as well as public performances in the New
England area. We conduct more than thirty performances a year.
more
HARPSICHORD CONCERT with R.P. HALE
R. P. Hale is an interdisciplinary artist and musician from a
Mexican family noted for its long involvement in the arts. Born in
Tucson, Arizona, he is a sixth-generation master calligrapher and
illustrator, fifth-generation musician and third-generation wood
engraver, printer and gilder. Mr. Hale is a harpsichordist,
organist, builder of early keyboard instruments and period-design
hammer dulcimers. He also makes and supplies marbleized papers for
bookbinders, other artists and of course harpsichords. Hale took his
degrees in microbiology and organic chemistry and minored in
scientific illustration at the University of Arizona, Tucson, and
taught courses there in scientific illustration and technical
photography for six years and also worked as a medical illustrator.
He studied harpsichord at the University of Arizona with Dr. James
Anthony for several years and then worked with a succession of
mentors, including and especially the late Igor Kipnis. Hale built
his first harpsichord in 1976. In 1980, he resigned from the
university to work as a carriage-smith and harpsichord maker and as
a touring concert harpsichordist, finally moving to Concord, NH, in
1982. Hale was recently cited by the Smithsonian Institution as one
of this country's premier harpsichord/dulcimer makers and was the
sole harpsichord maker featured in an Institute exhibit devoted to
American instrument makers. The two dozen early-keyboard instruments
he has built are all Zuckermann models originating from the
Stonington shop.
more
DANCE PARTY WITH THE REMINISANTS
The Reminisants have been entertaining audiences of all ages
throughout New England since 1973. Although primarily categorized as
an Oldies act, the band's repertoire features dance music that
appeals to a variety of musical tastes across several generations.
The Reminisants have performed for just about every type of function
imaginable. Their Oldies routines are a favorite at car shows and
rallies, and each year they entertain on a weeklong cruise to
Bermuda (on Norwegian Cruise Lines). During the summer, the band
performs at over 45 concerts and festivals throughout New England.
The band also entertains regularly in restaurants, nightclubs, and
at the Seashell Stage at Hampton Beach. The Reminisants are also
actively involved in raising funds for many local charities.
The Reminisants have performed with many Rock N' Roll legends: Felix
Cavaliere with his Rascals, Danny & the Juniors, BJ Thomas, Johnny
Rivers, Chubby Checker, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Bill Haley's
Comets, Shirley Reeves and the Shirelles, Herb Reed and the
Platters, The Belmonts, The Marvellettes, The Tokens, The Contours,
Charlie Thomas' Drifters, Norman Wright's Del Vikings, Bobby Lewis,
Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, Poco and country music stars
Gretchen Wilson, Josh Turner, and Patty Loveless.
Formed in 1973, the Reminisants are proud of their reputation as one
of Boston’s most enduring and popular stage acts. Dom "Rocky"
Viscione, vocalist and guitarist, co-founded the band with lead
singer and high school best friend Mike "Teen Angel" Joyal. They
have nurtured the act over many years to its current five-man
compliment. Featured keyboard player "Bobby John" Spitaleri provides
creative orchestrations distinctive to the group's sound. Bass
player, Mac Hayes is The Reminisants' third solo vocalist and an
important ingredient to the band's harmonies. Drummer Peter Veneto
provides not only downbeats, tempos and rhythms, but also a
refreshing sense of humor and a fifth vocal to the band.
more
sunday, september 21, 2008
Voices from the Heart
Voices from the Heart is a 200-voice women's alternative chorus
located in Portsmouth, NH. The chorus sings a rich mix of soulful
music from many cultural and musical traditions. Women of all ages
and all walks of life attend weekly rehearsals at South Church in
downtown Portsmouth. Women come from New Hampshire, Maine, and
Massachusetts to sing and to share the joy that comes from making
music together. The powerful and eclectic songs range from
African-American spirituals to Korean songs for unity, South African
anti-apartheid songs to Macedonian love songs. The songs are
powerful testaments to the triumph of the human spirit. Sung with
the strength of 200 voices, the songs delight and inspire audiences.
more
AFRICAN DRUMMING WORKSHOP
See Akwaaba Drum and Dance
Ensemble, below.
FAMILY SING-ALONG AND RHYTHM WORKSHOP
Music teachers Jeanne Russell, Sharon Morton, and Sally Hirshberg offer some musical fun for
all ages, based on Music Together, an internationally recognized
early childhood music program for babies, toddlers, preschoolers,
kindergarteners, and the adults who love them. The idea behind the
program is simple: All children are musical and all children can
learn to sing in tune, keep a beat, and participate with confidence
in the music of our culture. Music Together classes build on
children’s natural enthusiasm for music and movement.
more
CHILDREN'S Musical Medley
Newmarket’s Elementary School chorus and band perform a selection of
American classics.
AKWAABA DRUM AND DANCE ENSEMBLE
Theophilus Nii Martey of Manchester is originally from Ghana in West
Africa. Martey began his drumming and dancing studies in Accra as a
child of six. Today he is a master of West African drumming and
dance, a heritage that has many subtle variations in rhythmic
patterns, dance styles and clothing, all specific to a wide variety
of tribal groups from the region. Martey started his drumming and
dancing studies in Accra at the age of six, working under master
drummers and dancers. As a young man, he journeyed to London and
Australia where he studied with other master artists. Since moving
to Manchester, he has founded the Akwaaba Drum and Dance Ensemble,
which offers weekly classes to people of all ages. Martey has become
increasingly active in community settings, giving demonstrations,
performances and school workshops. He is part of a network of
musicians who love West African music and dance and who sometimes
perform together.
more
BLUE HILL BRASS QUINTET
The Blue Hill Brass Quintet has been delighting audiences throughout
New England for over twenty years. Whether playing a formal concert
or wedding, strolling the grounds of a country fair, or ensuring the
success of a special party, a Blue Hill Brass Quintet performance is
guaranteed to make you smile! Members of the group, five of Maine’s
most prominent and active musicians, perform wherever fine music is
heard. Group members have played with the foremost musical ensembles
in the state including the Portland Symphony Orchestra, the Bangor
Symphony Orchestra, the Al Corey Orchestra, and the Maine Chamber
Ensemble. Performances by the Blue Hill Brass Quintet feature music
of the past five centuries, but even more importantly, they feature
a great time for all. This talented group of versatile musicians
makes any event exciting, memorable and most important, FUN!
more
TWO: HIGH-ENERGY JUGGLING
Dubbed “one of the hottest juggling acts in the country,” Jason and
Matthew Tardy have created a high-energy performance that captivates
audiences everywhere they perform. Their innovative, funny show
features everything from high-tech juggling and fire eating to
physical comedy and full body contortion—all choreographed to
up-beat, original music. TWO has performed at the Atlantis Resort in
the Bahamas, the International Juggling Festival and the White
House. They have also been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and Inside
Edition.
more
GRUPO FANTASIA
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Angel Wagner began his
career making music with a cheese grater and a fork. Today he is
musical director of Grupo Fantasia and master percussionist, and he
plays more than 30 instruments. Angel has studied at the Harbor Arts
Academy in New York and at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
His performance career, which began at age eleven when he went on
tour with a Merengue band, has included performances with groups
such as "Aramis Camilo," Orquestra Café," "Luis Ovalles," and "Manguito."
In 1993, Angel formed Grupo Fantasia with musicians from all over
the world. Over the years, Fantasia has performed at the "Calle Ocho"
festival in Miami and toured extensively throughout the Northeast.
The band provides traditional island entertainment and much of the
music is performed on original, handmade, indigenous instruments.
The band’s repertoire includes original and cover songs from the
Caribbean and Latin America. Also represented: Cuban, Dominican
Merengue, Puerto Rican Bomba and Plena, Colombian Cumbia, Mexican
Mariachi, Calypso, Reggae and Salsa music.
Angel and Grupo Fantasia have performed for the Tall Ships Boston
2000 and Tall Ships Newport, RI 2007 and for the January 2003
Inauguration Gala of Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney at the World
Trade Center. On October 2005, at World Trade Center, he opened up
for The Counting Crows and in 1998 at the Tsongas Center in Lowell,
he opened up for Marc Anthony. Fantasia has won many awards in Latin
categories, including Boston's 1993 Expose Award for Best Spanish
Band and the 2003 Boston Music Award Nominee for Best World Class
Act. The band also has accumulated several television and film
credits.
more
STROLLING ENTERTAINMENT 2008
BLUE HILL BRASS QUINTET
The Blue Hill Brass Quintet
has been delighting audiences throughout New England for over twenty
years. (Strolling time: Sunday: 12-5)
BRANDYLEIF DUO
Brandy Irish has been working as a professional musician since the
age of 13. Accomplished on both piano and organ, she has worked in
the Boston jazz scene both as a solo pianist and singer and as a
featured vocalist with big bands and with top Jazz pianists Mike
Shea and Tony Zano. Brandy has a voluminous repertoire of classic
standard songs from the heyday of tin pan alley including the works
of George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Richard Rogers and many more.
Brandy is also the choir director and organist for Saint Mary's
Catholic Church in Dover. Together with her husband Leif Gerjuoy on
percussion (drums, vibes, washboard, congas) they form the
BrandyLeif Duo. (See Leif’s
bio below.) (Strolling time: Saturday, 11-2, waterfront)
FIDDLER BRUCE COBB
Bruce began violin lessons when he was eight years old, playing in
school orchestras and eventually in the New Haven Youth Symphony
Orchestra. He later discovered fiddling, playing in various bands in
a variety of styles. He has been an active member of the Strathspey
and Reel Society of New Hampshire since 2000, and studied Scottish
and Cape Breton music at the Boston Harbor Scottish Fiddle School
for two of their annual week-long sessions. He plays for contra
dances, English and Scottish dances, as well as other venues. Bruce
is also an accomplished glassblower, and has been a juried member of
the League of NH Craftsmen since 1985. His work is available in many
fine craft stores nationwide. (Strolling time: Saturday, 12-4)
more
FIDDLER MOLLY TRAYNER
Molly Trayner began playing the fiddle at the age of 11. In 2006,
Molly received an apprenticeship grant from the New Hampshire State
Council on the Arts for Traditional Contra Dance Music, studying
with Carolyn Parrott. Molly is an active member of the Strathspey
and Reel Society of New Hampshire, as well as a Board Member.
Competing at the NH Highland Games, Molly has received "Best Slow
Air.” During the summer of 2008, Molly studied at Berklee College of
Music in Boston, Mass. (Strolling time: Saturday, 11-4)
JUGGLING WITH BRETT and JENNY
With almost 20 years combined experience, this friendly duo dazzles
audiences with their juggling tricks—and then shares a few trade
secrets. Brett Constantine works as a teacher; Jenny Boas
has been juggling since she was ten years old. Their performances
come complete with flying balls, twirling bowling pins, a unicycle,
and more. (Strolling times: Saturday and Sunday, 11-4)
DICK KAPLAN’s EXCELLENT JAZZ BAND
Dick Kaplan’s Excellent Jazz Band performs happy uplifting
music guaranteed to appeal to people of all ages. They specialize in
the finest traditional jazz, swing and classic rock—and promise a
most excellent good time! (Strolling time: Sunday, 11-2)
STRANGER THAN FICTION
Stranger Than Fiction is dedicated to spreading the art of
improv theatre and comedy through quality performance and education.
Along with comedy performances and workshops around the Granite
State, the cast hosts a yearly improv retreat called Camprov that
attracts performers internationally. Newmarket resident John Herman
is artistic director of Stranger Than Fiction. He has performed
and/or directed for more than a dozen groups, including The Tribe
Players, Theatresports, Thomas in Wonkyland, CIA, and Doo-prov. He
has taught improvisational theater to students more than 40 schools
and colleges. He is also a filmmaker, host of the Energy Smackdown
(an energy conservation reality TV series), and the creator of
Gravityland. (Strolling time: Sunday, 1-3)
more
Strolling minstrel RYAN THOMSON
Ryan Thomson, a.k.a Captain Fiddle, is a 30 year Newmarket
resident and a multi-instrumentalist who performs on and teaches
fiddle, banjo, flute, piano, accordion, pennywhistle and traditional
folk dances. He performs often with his son Brennish at contra
dances and with his cajun/zydeco band. He is a designated master
artist on the roster of the New Hampshire Council on the Arts, and
is a past winner of the Northeastern USA regional award at the
National Fiddle Contest. (Strolling time: Saturday, 2-5)
more
WASHBOARD MINSTREl leif gerjuoy
Leif Gerjuoy is a multi-instrumentalist who has lived in the
seacoast area of New Hampshire for the past 25 years. He has
performed on percussion—including drums, vibes, congas, and
washboard—with a number of area bands, as well as playing solo on
keyboards and guitar. One of his favorite instruments is the
washboard. He has played at washboard concerts, at jazz festivals,
and has been a featured performer at the International Washboard
festival in Logan, Ohio. Leif is a native of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania and has been a Newmarket resident since 1988.
(Strolling time: Saturday, 10-1)
Sound for the Heritage Festival is provided by
Rampant Audio
Productions.
|
Blue Hill Brass Quintet
Fiddler
Brendan Carey Block
Akwaaba Drum
Ensemble
King Ludwig's
Bavarian Band
Extreme Air
Jump Rope Team
Mr. YooWho and
the Art of Clowning
Gary Sredzienski
Accordion Warrior
Indian Dancers
Chinese Folk Art
RP Hale on
Harpsichord
The Reminisants
Leif Gerjuoy
Washboard Minstrel
Murray Irish
Dance Academy
Voices from
the Heart
Ryan Thomson
Stranger Than Fiction
Bruce
Cobb
The
Thomsons
|
