Country Dance and Song Society

Celebrating our 75th year at Pinewoods Camp

Folk Music Week at Pinewoods
July 19 - 26, 2008

As of June 3, this week has spaces available.

Timber Ridge	Pinewoods			Ogontz
English & American Family	Early Music Folk Music Community Dance Leaders Family Teachers	English Dance American Dance & Music Contra Dance Callers	Campers' English & American Square Dance Callers	Family Week 1 Family Week 2 Teachers

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Staff

Class Descriptions & Schedule

Folk Music Week at Pinewoods
and
Community Dance Leaders Course
July 19 - 26, 2008

Program Director:
Alistair Brown

Staff:
Colleen Cleveland
Andy Davis
Jeff Davis
Will Fielding
Claude Méthé
Jeanne Morrill
Owen Morrison
Erica Morse
Naomi Morse
Anna Patton
Brian Peters
Tim Radford
John Roberts
Dana Whittle

Advisor:
Steve Howe

Program Description: [Back to Top]

Look up our Adult Programs for some general information; here is more detail about this particular program and staff.

There are many reasons why a visit to Folk Music Week at Pinewoods should be high on every music lover's agenda. This year, thanks to a stellar staff of internationally recognized musicians, and an impressive variety of offerings, there are certainly many attractions to appeal to old hands, as well as to those who have not yet had the satisfaction of spending a week in this parallel universe dedicated to the music and dance they love.

Brian Peters from England, compelling singer, squeezebox ace and guitarist, with traditional songs and who knows what else, will lead a class in ballads and joining masterful song interpreter and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Davis in two classes: one in which traditional singing styles, both English and North American will be taught; and another taking an extended look at songs of the sea. Jeff Davis plays fiddle in many different old-time styles and there will be an opportunity for musicians to learn techniques from him in a fiddle class. Colleen Cleveland is the granddaughter of the famous ballad singer Sara Cleveland. She is an excellent singer and one who takes her role as tradition bearer seriously. She will present two classes on her family's repertoire of songs and stories and join in a session on social songs. Jeanne Morrill returns with her popular warm-up sessions for body and voice at the start of the day, and individual and collective voice coaching sessions. This year she will also lead a class on songs in Scots Gaelic. Québécois singer and fiddler Claude Méthé has been very influential in the rebirth of "folklorique" music in Québec. Along with Dana Whittle, guitariste-chanteuse-podorythmiste, he will teach musicians how to make old tunes, teach a class in guitar backup for fiddle and accordion and a session in ensemble singing. Tim Radford has been at several Folk Music Weeks in the past, but this year he returns as a staff member, to share his encyclopaedic knowledge of Hampshire folk songs (and give us the pleasure of listening to his splendid voice). John Roberts, longtime participant at various Pinewoods weeks, is an institution in folk music circles. It is a pleasure to have him back to Folk Music Week. He will share with us his extensive repertoire of songs from and about the sea, as well as what he calls "sociable songs". This year, we are delighted to have an exceptionally strong group of young musicians to play for dances, and to share their extensive knowledge and experience in other areas as well. Naomi Morse, Erica Morse, and Anna Patton are three-quarters of Housetop. This week, Owen Morrison joins them on guitar and mandolin. Naomi and Erica will lead a participatory workshop on harmony singing from various traditions: shape note, Balkan, Georgian, early American harmony, etc. Anna will join them to lead a session on Balkan song and dance. Anna will also teach a class on how to use basic music theory in harmony singing. Flat-picking ace, Owen Morrison will pass on tips and techniques to participants in his guitar class. As well, he will show all kinds of musicians how to liven up tune sets with his popular class on improvisation. Will Fielding is a builder of fine banjos, and is much in demand among aficionados. He will teach banjo techniques for beginning and intermediate players, as well as give help and dispense valuable advice on banjo care and maintenance. Program Chair, Alistair Brown will once again be much in evidence throughout the week, but in particular, will teach the intricacies of the longsword dance, especially for those who don't usually consider themselves dancers. John Roberts will accompany on anglo concertina. Alistair will take part in the theme session on sociable songs, and will lead the daily afternoon gathering, with its variety of informative and entertaining ingredients for the whole camp. Andy Davis, who is coordinating the concurrent Community Dance Leaders Course (pre-registration required), will call our evening dances and an entertaining dance session for all during the day.

All this, of course, is by no means all. Every evening, there will be a concert where staff members perform, and a dance, called by Andy Davis with Housetop's music. There are late sessions every night -- a pub night/ceilidh, open sings, music sessions, a fundraising auction, camper concert and of course, plenty of room for extra activities if there's a special session you'd like to take part in.

-- Alistair Brown, Program Director

Staff: [Back to Top]

Alistair Brown, Scotsman, has been singing the old songs, and new songs written by people who like the old songs, since he was fifteen years old. He lives in Cornwall, in England's palm-studded southwest, where he sings and plays anglo concertina regularly in folk clubs, festivals, pub sessions and, as a member of Penzance's famed Golowan Band, plays his beloved Castagnari in several ancient seasonal rituals that require the presence of accordions.

Colleen Cleveland is a descendant of Scottish and Irish settlers to upper New York State. Her family's music and stories from the old country included ancient ballads or story-songs, for which the Scots are known. Sara Cleveland, Colleen's grandmother, was a nationally-famous ballad singer of her generation. Colleen takes performing and her role as tradition bearer seriously. She grew up with Sara's songs and tales and knows much of her grandmother's repertoire. She has also inherited her grandmother's sense of telling the story in her ballad singing and the gripping yet unhurried unfolding of the narrative -- and her wicked sense of humour!

Andy Davis is a master dance musician (accordion, piano, banjo) and dance teacher, and a fine storyteller and singer. He is known nationally as one of the finest piano accompanists for contra dance music and is an outstanding performer on piano accordion and banjo. A leader of popular community dances in New England, he is a member of the Nowell Sing We Clear ensemble. In addition to the Nowell recordings, he and guitarist, Sandy Bradley were the accompanists on Laurie Andres' widely praised accordion album, Fantastic Hornpipe. Andy, with New England Dancing Masters, has published a series of instructional books for dance teachers.

Jeff Davis has an unusual and refreshing repertoire that includes songs and music from New England and the West, as well as Southern mountain material. He plays old-time fiddle, is master of frailing banjo in several different styles and is just as good on guitar, mandolin or mandocello. Summing up what makes Jeff unique amongst American folk revival performers, the Chronicle Herald of Nova Scotia said, "When he sings the repertoire of the Appalachian Mountains, he cuts through decades and across borders, sitting us right down in the dirt in front of a weather-beaten shack, at the feet of a hillbilly singer. He combines authenticity and art in a rare way."

Will Fielding is one of that strange bunch of people that cross over between the morris world and the old-time music world. Will has been playing, building and restoring banjos since the mid '70s. Over the years he has worked in camps and schools playing banjo, singing and telling Jack Tales to youth groups. Now building banjos fulltime, his instruments are much sought after and are regarded by many as among the finest in the country. For many of those same years Will was the dance teacher of the Marlboro Morris Men in Vermont when they were a Lichfield side. He was also the founder of the Marlboro Men as a Longborough side. For this, his first visit to Pinewoods, he will be focusing on his old-time music side.

Housetop are Naomi Morse on vocals, fiddle and mandolin, Erica Morse on vocals and upright bass, Anna Patton on vocals and clarinet, with special guest, Owen Morrison. Naomi, Erica and Anna are past members of Northern Harmony, and will share some of the songs they learned there. Regular musicians at dances across the country, they bring energy and virtuosity wherever they appear. Owen Morrison grew up in the thick of the music and dance world and began playing for contra dances as a teenager. He now plays guitar and mandolin for several bands (Morrison Brothers, House Red and Nightwatch, to name a few) at dance evenings, weekends and weeks throughout the country. Owen has also studied guitar in Spain.

Claude Méthé plays and sings traditional Québécois songs and music. A self-taught musician, he has made his mark as both a fiddler and singer on the trad scene in a career that already spans 30 years and includes stints as a member of numerous groups who have influenced the rebirth of "folklorique" music in Québec: Le Rêve du Diable, Manigance, Entourloupe, Dent-de-lion and others. He is a prolific composer, and his music can be heard on recordings by his peers and in jam sessions in his home region of Lanaudière as well as in Montréal. Besides his compositions, his personal repertoire includes many tunes learned from his close friend and mentor Aimé Gagnon, who died in 1997.

Jeanne Morrill received musical training from Boston University, School for the Arts, New England Conservatory, and in Scotland studying both Gaelic language and song. She has received enthusiastic acclaim in concerts, festivals and Scottish and Irish events and performs frequently with Peter Barnes. She has performed with other artists such as Seamus Connolly, Alistair Fraser, Aine Minogue, Kim Robertson, Jean Redpath and Jacqueline Schwab and has two solo recordings. She teaches voice and piano and gives frequent workshops to adults and children.

Brian Peters is one of England’s most accomplished performers of traditional folk songs and music, and has been described as “One of British folk music’s finest ambassadors”. He’s a compelling singer, a top squeezebox player, expert on both anglo-concertina and melodeon and a skilled guitarist. Brian’s repertoire is firmly based in the British song tradition and he's a leading interpreter of Child Ballads, of which he's just recorded a new CD; “Brian Peters plunges deep into the ancient songs, finds their power, mystery, evil, drollery and courage, and brings them to us fresh”, declared one American writer. He also sings some newer songs, plays lively English dance music and occasionally makes wild squeezebox excursions into ragtime and blues. He is known for startling variety, a committed and energetic performance and subtly humorous introductions.

Tim Radford performs as an unaccompanied English singer, and has been living on Cape Cod since 1996. No stranger to Pinewoods, having been here many times mainly at dance weeks teaching morris, Tim was, for more than 20 years the teacher of both the Adderbury and Kirtlington Morris. He has also been to Folk Music Week as a camper, but this will be his first as a staff member. Tim has been singing traditional English song for over 40 years and specializes in songs of the South of England, particularly from Hampshire where he was born.

John Roberts needs little introduction here. A major influence in English folk song in North America, he has performed since the early 1970s with Tony Barrand, later as a member of Nowell Sing We Clear and as a solo singer at festivals and clubs across the country. A master interpreter of song, he is well known as an anglo concertina player and banjo player. His latest recording is Sea Fever, a collection of songs of the sea.

Dana Whittle, former member of Québec bands Jeter le Pont and Dent-de-lion, describes herself as a guitariste-chanteuse-podorythmiste, or guitarist, singer and, er, podorythmiste.

Folk Music Week at Pinewoods
Tentative Class Schedule:

7:45 - 8:15 Breakfast

8:45 - 9:00 Vocal and Body Warm-ups with Jeanne Morrill

9:00 - 10:00 Class Period 1

Traditional Singing Styles Brian Peters, Jeff Davis

How to Make Old Tunes Dana Whittle, Claude Méthé

Harmony Singing Traditions Naomi Morse, Erica Morse

Guitar Owen Morrison

Songs from the Attic Colleen Cleveland

10:15 - 11:15 Class Period 2

Guitar Backup for Fiddle and Accordion Dana Whittle, Claude Méthé

Sociable Songs John Roberts, Alistair Brown, Colleen Cleveland

Songs in Scots Gaelic Jeanne Morrill

Old-Time Banjo Will Fielding

Music Theory for Singers Anna Patton

11:15 - 12:15 Swimming, Bookstore staffed

12:15 Lunch

1:30 - 2:30 Class Period 3

Ballads Brian Peters

Fiddle Jeff Davis

Longsword Alistair Brown / John Roberts

Improvisation for Musicians Owen Morrison

Balkan Song and Dance Naomi Morse, Erica Morse, Anna Patton

Songs from Hampshire Tim Radford

2:45 - 3:45 Class Period 4

Songs of the Sea Brian Peters, John Roberts, Jeff Davis

Banjo: Scoop to Nuts Will Fielding

Ensemble Singing Dana Whittle, Claude Méthé

Songs from Further Back in the Attic Colleen Cleveland

Vocal Technique Jeanne Morrill

Dance Session for All Andy Davis / Naomi Morse, Erica Morse, Owen Morrison, Anna Patton

3:45 - 4:15 Refreshments in the Camphouse

4:15 - 5:15 All Camp Gathering in the Camphouse

5:15 - 6:30 Free time, Swimming, Bookstore staffed

6:30 Dinner

8:00 Staff Concert

9:15 Evening Dance Party

11:00 Late night activities

Class Descriptions: [Back to Top]

Vocal and Body Warm-ups -- Jeanne Morrill
Start your day with some gentle and fun vocalizing and stretching. Get your voice and your body ready for the challenges ahead.

Traditional Singing Styles -- Jeff Davis and Brian Peters
Participants will examine the styles of traditional singers from both North America and England, and will be invited to study in detail the expression, ornamentation and phrasing of an individual singer of their choice, to enrich their own singing style.

How to Make Old Tunes -- Claude Méthé and Dana Whittle
This will be a workshop in composing tunes in the traditional style. For players of all instruments.

Harmony Singing Traditions -- Naomi and Erica Morse
Wake up with a morning sing of harmony traditions from around the world. We will sing songs from the shape note tradition, the Caucasus Republic of Georgia and the Balkans, to name a few. All parts will be taught by ear, although sheet music will be provided for most songs.

Guitar -- Owen Morrison
Established guitarists will benefit from some advanced flatpicking techniques. Both rhythm and lead playing will be addressed.

Songs from the Attic -- Colleen Cleveland
Mainly Child and broadside ballads -- murder and/or tragedy from the Cleveland family repertoire.

Guitar Backup for Fiddle and Accordion -- Claude Méthé and Dana Whittle
Some useful techniques from two longtime band members.

Sociable Songs -- John Roberts, Colleen Cleveland, Alistair Brown
Songs for singing together in some form. If there is a chorus, well and good.

Songs in Scots Gaelic -- Jeanne Morrill
Jeanne has studied the language and the songs. Here's a rare chance to participate in a little understood tradition.

Old-Time Clawhammer Banjo: Beginner and Intermediate -- Will Fielding
Clawhammer banjo playing is a unique blend of rhythm and melody. The banjo, played in this style, is one of the oldest instruments ever used to accompany dancing. The class will concentrate on technique, and will cover the elements that make this type of banjo playing sound the way it does. We will learn a number of tunes and songs that demonstrate these elements.

Music Theory for Singers -- Anna Patton
A basic introduction, gentle, fun and experiential.

Ballads -- Brian Peters
All about the big songs, from a leading authority. Brian will ask "What is a ballad?", perform some of his favorites from the canon of F. J. Child, discuss aspects of lyric, music, history and psychology, and the techniques of assembling a coherent whole from different sources. He'd love to hear some of your ballads, too.

Fiddle -- Jeff Davis
Jeff is a master old-time fiddler. Experienced fiddlers will benefit from time spent here. Participants will also learn how to sing with the fiddle.

Longsword -- Alistair Brown / John Roberts
Wonderful serpentine moves ravelling and miraculously unravelling (hopefully). For those who don't normally consider themselves dancers, but all are welcome.

Improvisation for Musicians -- Owen Morrison
Learn what to play when not playing the melody; subjects will include finding harmonies, playing fills in songs, playing interesting solos and creating variations on a tune. We will explore improvisation in both instrumental and vocal music.

Balkan Song and Dance -- Anna Patton, Naomi Morse, Erica Morse
Simple songs you can dance and sing at the same time.

Songs from Hampshire -- Tim Radford
Songs collected by Dr. George Gardiner a hundred years ago. Tim will talk about Gardiner's collecting methods and collaborators and perform Musical Portraits of some of the singers they collected from, as well as giving an overall view of the county of Hampshire through its songs.

Songs of the Sea -- John Roberts, Jeff Davis, Brian Peters
Each day will focus on a different theme.

The Banjo: Scoop to Nuts. A look at the physical banjo -- Will Fielding
Starting with a mini-history of the world from the point of view of the banjo. Moving on to the parts of a banjo and how they all fit together. How to do basic maintenance, and how to get your banjo to sound the way you want it to. How to change strings, change a head, change a bridge and do basic set-up.

Ensemble Singing -- Claude Méthé and Dana Whittle
A variety of songs from the Québec tradition, including chanson à répondre. There will be a different theme each day.

Songs from Further Back in the Attic -- Colleen Cleveland
The other side of the Cleveland family repertoire. What Colleen describes as, "humorous, maudlin, cowboy or hobo songs, stories and miscellaneous genres that we sang".

Vocal Technique -- Jeanne Morrill
Once again Jeanne will present her popular class to help singers improve their technique and make best use of their voices. In addition there will be the opportunity for a small number of individual coaching sessions.

Dance Session for All -- Andy Davis / Naomi and Erica Morse, Anna Patton, Owen Morrison
A lively and entertaining community dance with some great music.