FFS Board of Directors
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Volume 44 Edition 10 October 2015 Submit articles to: [email protected] By the 15th of each month FFS Board Of Directors President A Non-Profit Corporation for Traditional Arts Denise Sciandra [email protected] Notes from Board President, Denise Sciandra Vice President My new favorite CD is "Harry's Songbook, Early 20th Century Fiddle Paul Starcevich [email protected] Tunes Played by Harry Lackey from 1911-1934 with his family." It is the companion to my songbook of the same name. Following four- Secretary Sue Wirt and-a-half years of gathering songs, researching and writing song [email protected] histories, and recording all 55 songs, listening to this CD is literally Treasurer "music to my ears." Jim Ross [email protected] Who is Harry Lackey? He was my grandfather. He learned his fiddle tunes Concert Master primarily when he lived in Dalhart, Texas, and Enid, Oklahoma. Steve Ono [email protected] How do I know what fiddle tunes Harry played? He played by ear so there was Membership no sheet music but my daughter, an accomplished violinist, was given one of Patty Bennett his fiddles. Inside his fiddle case was a handwritten list of tunes. Some of them [email protected] are still played and sung today. Others were already beginning to be lost to Lifetime Member our consciousness. Two that have become favorites of mine that I had not Alan Hubbart heard prior to putting together this songbook are "Sweet Evelina" and "The Members At Large Ron Bohigian Prisoner's Song." "The Prisoner's Song" recently made its sing along debut to [email protected] an enthusiastic group at the home of Sharon and Gary Rossi. Other songs that Bill Lehr I'm very much enjoying are "Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet" and "Silver [email protected] Threads Among the Gold," that were favorites of my grandmother, and Karen Starcevich "When You and I Were Young, Maggie" and "Where the River Shannon [email protected] Flows," that were favorites of Bernadette Siegel's father. " Ann Lamb [email protected] There are so many things that I love about this CD: Bill Johnson I love that my son, Aaron Sciandra, a New York artist, designed the [email protected] artwork which includes a photo of Harry's fiddle. (An amazing photo taken by Flyer Editor Randy Vaughn-Dotta.) Bill Johnson [email protected] I love that my daughter, Lisa Sciandra, plays "Over the Waves," "La Calendar Editor Cinquantaine," also known as "The Golden Wedding," and "Irish Maria Glover HM 559-322-8677 Washerwoman," the latter on Harry's heirloom fiddle. Cell 559-281-8278 [email protected] I love that we have Harry's fiddle and that it has a presence on the CD. Logo Design by Tom Walzem The Fresno Folklore Society “Flyer” is a monthly publication. at Otto Creative FFS P.O. Box 4617 Fresno, CA 93744 Banjo Frog Art Submit articles for publication to [email protected] by Jon Adams by the 15th of each month President’s Notes continued: I love that 91-year-old Bernadette Siegel sings 26 songs, that she adds authenticity, and that she contributes parody verses to "Red Wing," "After the Ball," and "Let Me Call You Sweetheart." I love that Linda Guerrero was generous with her time throughout this project and was willing to play so many tunes on the CD. I love that I have a presence on the CD playing "Red Wing." I love that what was a dream in 2011 has become a reality. The songbook went to the publisher on September 8th. The CD was ordered at that time as well. Once they are ready, a Launch Party and Sing-Along will be planned. I'm hoping to introduce my new favorite CD in November. The Great Danes and Fresno Danish Dancers performed at the Solvang Danish Days Festival Friday September 18 through Sunday, September 20. They have performed at the annual festival in Solvang for 34 years. Bill Lehr, Robert Larsen, Lennart Kullberg, Jean Clemons, Hazel Olsen Larsen, Linda Guerrero YOSEMITE SONGWRITING RETREAT Songwriting. You do not have to be a performer to write a song. Poetry and music combine to reach others in a most elemental way. The Yosemite Songwriting Retreat is a yearly event geared toward teaching you how to get the words and the music in your head recorded and packaged. Songwriting can be an individual or group activity. You will learn how to look for song ideas and move them from ideas into songs; you will also learn how to collaborate with others in the process. This year's Retreat takes place from Friday, October 9 through Monday, October 12 at the Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort. Check out the website: yosemitesongwritingretreat.com for information on teachers, classes, costs for the program and how to arrange for accommodations and food. Gail Dreyfus can be reached at (209) 628-8786 for answers to additional questions that are not covered on the website. Go Write A Song. (Sue Wirt) FINEGOLD TRUST WINS LAWSUIT--The DEED is recorded! Finegold Trust Court Victory & OctoberFest Party When: Friday – Monday October 9, 10, 11, 12th 2015. Where: Finegold Ranch—for GPS or GoogleEarth (50032 3 Gate Road, Friant, CA 93626); Do not use Mapquest.com for directions! Details: The Finegold Trust invites ALL friends, acquaintances and interested persons to attend the Community Court Victory & OctoberFest Party on October 9, 10, 11, 12, located on the 120-acre Finegold Ranch property in O’Neal’s. FREE admission, participation, camping, acoustic music, etc. Please: No electric music, car stereos, etc.; we would like our visitors to experience nature, while imagining what life on the ranch was like before electricity. Bring water, beverages, food, instruments, and your friends. The crossings are dry and dusty. The Grotto is…um… damp, and the keyhole room, a tiny pool. The place is a mess—vandalized, pilfered, damaged, dry and desolate. It’s very sad. It would be helpful if people stayed off the Footbridge—it needs repair. Also stay out of buildings unless accompanied by a Trustee—some are a public safety concern. Our hope is to preserve and protect the building, while addressing community curiosity. A gas BBQ unit will be available at the stage area— please turnoff the BBQ tank when finished cooking. Remember: Bring adequate supplies, garbage in/out, our trash capacity is limited to two 30-gallon containers—anybody have a garbage can to donate? The old springs are dry. Yes, we need to drill a well soon but only after we finish paying our Attorney, Rob Scholnick. Please. NO Fires. NO lanterns (combustion). Finegold Trust is determined to fulfill its founding goal of “educational, scientific and charitable purposes” to benefitthe community. We welcome your input and assistance; a suggestion and donation box, with input/suggestion forms will be available on the stage. Finegold Ranch is only 30 miles from Fresno, but it takes about an hour due to dirt roads (aprox. 5 miles). Cell phone KFCF ANNUAL BANQUET The annual Fresno Free College Foundation/KFCF banquet will be held this year on Saturday, October 24, at 6:00 pm at the Star Palace Ballroom, Warnors Center for the Performing Arts. The ballroom is the upstairs event center above Frank's Place just north of the Warnors Theater. The entrance is at 1420 N Fulton in downtown Fresno. The guest speaker this year is Richard D. Wolff, host of KPFA's show, “Economic Update.” There will be a silent auction, raffle, Free Speech Awards, and KFCF Programmer of the Year. Dinner starts at 7:00 pm. Tickets through October 12 are $90.00 per person (table of 8 for $600.00) and $125.00 at the door. This is a fundraising event for a very worthwhile non-profit in our area. Many of us listen to KFCF, 88.1, for the music and Richard D. Wolff other programs offered. There will also be a meet and greet with Richard D. Wolff earlier in the day (October 24) at 4887 N Jackson, Fresno, at the home of Mike Beevers. The cost for this is $50.00 and includes wine and hors d'oeuvres. Tickets are available online at http://kfcf.bpt.me, by calling Brown Paper Tickets at 2-800-838-3006, or by sending a check to KFCF P.O. Box 4364, Fresno Ca 93744-4364. (Sue Wirt) KINGS RIVER BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL A SUCCESS Congratulations to Stan Allen and his cohorts for putting on a wonderful day of music at Hobbs Grove in the river bottom southeast of Sanger. The weather was a little warm, but a breeze would come by temporarily every once in a while. It was quite a surprise to wake up and see that there was so much less smoke in the air. Thank goodness for all the shade. I arrived early as I had a table for FFS to set up in the vendor area, next to Lynn's Jams. The morning started off with the Gospelaires singing some wonderful gospel songs and we joyfully sang along. Jack Kinney is one of their number. Other music throughout the day was Lonesome Moon, Uncle Ephus with Linda Dryden's awful jokes and Ann Munson's penny whistle, and Barbara LaRae on the banjo. The Narrow Gauge Ramblers, Two for the Road (Donn Beedle and Two For The Road Karana Hattersley-Drayton), the Poor Valley Band from Merced (whom I had not heard before—great lead vocalist), the Grass Kickers who were the emerging Artists for 2013 (Bob Garcia and Dan Stein, and Jack Kinney who had to keep trading off between fiddle and banjo as the banjo player was not able to be there— he remarked that he did not have any input on the order of the playlist and that kept him busy changing instruments), and Red Dog Ash from Turlock/Modesto who were the 2011 Emerging Artists.