Susquehanna Folk Festival...…………...…………...Page 2 Brass Tacks.………………………………....6 Highlights from our second Susquehanna Folk Festival, held Upcoming Coffeehouses……………….6 July 26-28 at Roundtop Mountain Resort. SFMS Membership................................ Bulgarian Folk Dancing With Bulgarika…….…......Page 2 Fri, Sept 6, at Williamson Pavilion, Lancaster County Central Park • Join us for an exciting evening of Bulgarian dance with transatlantic folk band Bulgarika. Resource List Subscribe to eNews Soundwaves: Rue de la Pompe with Kevin Neidig Sponsor an Event Wed, Sept 11, aboard the Pride of the Susquehanna riverboat • The musical river cruise series’ final performance of the season. Don’t miss it! Fort Hunter Day….…………………….......................Page 3 Sun, Sept 15, at Fort Hunter Park • This annual autumn festival is packed with activities and music to celebrate our local folkways — fun for the entire family. Genticorum….………………………….......................Page 3 Advance Tickets: Fri, Sept 20, at Millersville University’s Ware Center • www.brownpapertickets.com Add together intricate fiddle, flute, and accordion playing, Directions to Venues at gorgeous vocal harmonies, energetic foot percussion, and www.sfmsfolk.org guitar accompaniment—seasoned with a dash of humor—and you have a band known for its artistry, energy, and stage presence. • Fort Hunter • Lancaster County Central Park Old Blind Dogs………………...……….…...................Page 4 Thurs, Sept 26, at Fort Hunter Centennial Barn • Old Blind • The Movement Center Dogs’ repertoire and virtuosity over a 27-year career have earned • Unitarian Universalist the band a place at the forefront of the Scots roots revival. Congregation of York Jane Rothfield & Allan Carr..…..………………..….Page 5 • Ware Center Fri, Oct 11, at Fort Hunter Centennial Barn • This duo • Williamson Pavilion brings a unique blend of Appalachian music with traditional and contemporary Celtic tunes on fiddle, clawhammer banjo, and guitar, punctuated by resonant and moving vocals. Jam Session Sun, Oct 13, at Fort Hunter Centennial Barn, 1 pm to 4 pm • The Franklin H. and Ruth L. Wells Foundation Our first regular jam of the season. All musicians, singers, and listeners are welcome, and it's free! Bulgarian Dance Workshop….….…………….……..Page 5 Sun, Oct 27, at The Movement Center, Harrisburg • Learn Bulgarian dance with dance master and singer Iliana Bozhanova and accordionist Todor Yankov. Tim O'Brien & Jan Fabricius….…………….……....Page 6 Sun, Oct 27, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of York • Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Tim O’Brien pairs his Grammy-winning style with the exquisite vocals of his musical and life partner, Jan Fabricius, for a very special evening. Central Pennsylvania Traditions, the Newsletter of the Susquehanna Folk Music Society page 2 www.sfmsfolk.org 2019 Susquehanna Folk Festival a Success! The second edition of the Susquehanna Folk Festival was held on July 26-28, 2019, at beautiful Roundtop Mountain Resort in Lewisberry. We were fortunate to have three days of absolutely gorgeous weather as a backdrop for a fantastic festival, which featured such main stage performers as Hot Club of Cowtown (the act voted #1!), BeauSoleil with Michael Doucet, Dom Flemons, Cherish the Ladies, Pride of New York, Kittel and Co. featuring John Doyle, and the Faux Paws. The Emerging Artist Showcase was again an audience favorite, and this year’s winning act, The Quixote Project, earned a spot on the main stage and studio time at Radio Vibe Recording. The festival’s Liars Contest was also well received, and the winners were Gary Buchanan, 1st place; Robin Moore, 2nd place; and Sandy Schuman, 3rd place. However, the big hit of the festival was the dance hall, where there was a packed floor of enthusiastic dancers during nearly the entire 32 hours of festival programming. All in all there were 77 events including 27 performances, 11 workshops, nine dances, nine jams, six family activities, five storytelling events, four interviews with master musicians, four traditional craft demonstrations, and four “Country Music” talk-backs with musicians. The festival drew 1,400 attendees from all over Pennsylvania; 16 other states (CA, DC, DE, FL, KY, MA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, SC, VA, VT & WV); and Norway and Germany. We’d like to thank all our wonderful sponsors and also our honored guest, Tony Chauveaux, the National Endowment for the Bulgarian Folk Dance, Friday, September 6 Arts’ deputy chairman for programs and partnerships. The Susquehanna Folk Music Society, in partnership with World Dance Lancaster and Harrisburg Folk Dance, is bringing the transatlantic folk band Make sure to mark your Bulgarika back to Central Pennsylvania for an evening of Bulgarian folk calendar for next year’s dancing on Friday, September 6, 2019, at Lancaster County Central Park’s festival to be held July 24- Williamson Pavilion, located off South Duke Street (just past the Conestoga 26, 2020! River) in Lancaster. The dancing begins at 7 pm. ~ • ~ Bulgarika comprises New York-based Nikolay Kolev (gadulka) and his wife, Donka Koleva (vocals), plus three musicians from across the Atlantic: Marin Many thanks to our 2019 Chalamov (tupan), Temelko Ivanov (kaval), and Nikolay Kodzhabashev Festival Sponsors! (tambura). The dances are of the easy “follow-the-leader” variety, and no partner is See the complete listing required. Tickets are $22 for general admission and $18 for SFMS members. at our festival website: All tickets will be sold at the door. www.susquehannafolkfestival.org Central Pennsylvania Traditions, the Newsletter of the Susquehanna Folk Music Society page 3 www.sfmsfolk.org Genticorum, Friday, September 20 Having performed more than 1,000 concerts in more than 15 countries over the past 18 years, Genticorum is a well-known fixture of the international world, trad, folk, and Celtic music circuit. The Quebec-based group returns to Central Pennsylvania for a Susquehanna Folk Music Society concert at 7:30 pm on Friday, September 20, 2019, at Millersville University’s Ware Center, 42 North Prince Street, Lancaster. Genticorum is known for its energy and stage presence, often being mistaken for a larger ensemble. Sing Out! Magazine says the band “makes a very full and glorious noise, both instrumentally and vocally (with) a compelling sound that retains its joy.” Firmly rooted in the soil of their native land, this energetic and original “power trio” also incorporates the dynamism of today’s North American and European folk cultures in their music. They weave precise and intricate fiddle, flute, and accordion work, gorgeous vocal harmonies, energetic foot percussion, and guitar accompaniment into a big and jubilant musical feast. Their distinctive sound, sense of humor, and stage presence make them a supreme crowd pleaser. Pascal Gemme is a leading light in Quebec’s traditional music scene. Known as much for his original compositions as for his fine interpretation of traditional tunes, he is the band’s fiddler, singer, and arranger, helping to produce six Genticorum CDs that have won worldwide critical acclaim. From a young age, the fiddle music and songs of Gemme’s native province have captivated him. After graduating from Montreal’s St. Laurent College with a degree in composition and band arrangements, he immersed himself in the traditional music around him, playing, collecting, and recording music found all over Quebec. The Susquehanna Folk Music Society is pleased to join with Dauphin County Parks and Recreation in presenting the musical entertainment at the annual Fort Hunter Day celebration on Sunday, September 15, 2019, on the grounds of Fort Hunter, 5300 North Front Street, Harrisburg. Musical performances will take place at the Corn Crib Stage, located beside the Fort Hunter Centennial Barn, at the following times: Session Concert tickets are $25 for general admission, Troy Engle & Southern Skies - 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm $22 for SFMS members, and $5 for students www.troyengle.com ages 3-22. Advance tickets are available for purchase from the Ware Center box office at For more information about Fort Hunter Day, please see (717) 871-7600. This concert is presented in the Dauphin County events page at www.tinyurl.com/ association with Millersville University and the FtHunterDay2019. Ware Center. Central Pennsylvania Traditions, the Newsletter of the Susquehanna Folk Music Society page 4 www.sfmsfolk.org Old Blind Dogs, Thursday, September 26 Since forming in 1992, a strong, shared musical vision has helped Old Blind weather the inevitable lineup changes (one founding member remains) so that each incarnation of the band brings the polished vocals, soaring fiddle, stirring pipes, and dynamic percus- sion that have long thrilled fans. Old Blind Dogs have released 13 studio albums; their latest CD, “Room With a View,” was shortlisted for Album of the Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards in 2017. The band has twice won the prestigious title of Folk Band of the Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards. Aaron Jones (bouzouki, vocals, guitar) is one of the most in-demand accompanists on the traditional music scene today. He tours worldwide and records with some of the biggest names in traditional music, including Kate Rusby, Siobhan Miller, Emily Smith, and Robyn Stapleton. He was voted Instrumentalist of the Year in a public vote at the 2005 Scots Trad Music and for 10 years has been an official accompanist for the BBC Young Traditional Scottish Musician of the Year Award. Donald Hay (percussion, vocals) has the exceptional