A Stage for Young Folk

I first sang on the Neil Murray Stage when I was four years old. Since then I’ve sung at the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival nearly every year. The Neil Murray Stage is devoted exclusively to young performers. The type of song I usually sing is an unaccompanied ballad – a long song that tells a story -- but many other kinds of music appear on the stage as well. This year there was someone performing First Nations songs. There were two brothers who performed a variety of folk and folk rock music. And there were lots of young performers playing traditional Newfoundland jigs and reels. Many of us have performed at Young Folk at the Hall concerts and participated in other Folk Arts Council activities, but for some this is one of the few chances they get to be exposed to traditional performances.

Performing on the Neil Murray Stage is a much different experience than singing on the main stage. The main stage is high and separates you from the audience. The Neil Murray Stage is closer to the crowd, so singing there is almost the same as singing to your relatives in the living room. This year it rained on the day I was singing. All the performances for that day were moved to a tent near the main stage. It was very different from the open stage I was used to. First of all, the music in our tent was nearly drowned out by the combined sounds of the main stage and a nearby generator. Secondly, instead of seeing many families sitting around on the grass, I saw about twenty adults all crammed together in small rows of chairs. It’s amazing how much the atmosphere can change the fun of performing.

Another thing that was different this year was the Youth Invasion. It was a chance for young performers to get up in the main stage to show what they could do. The invading army was mostly made up of fiddle players, but there were accordion players, tin whistlers and singers as well. (It was strange that the invasion was planned by the “other side” – the adults on the main stage!)

My mom works in the instrument check tent behind the main stage, so I hang around backstage a lot during the festival. Since the backstage tent is right next to the Neil Murray Stage, I am usually listening to the young performers all day. The wonderful thing about the Neil Murray Stage is that it introduces me to other kids who have the same thing in common – a love for traditional music.

For my family, going to the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival is an important yearly tradition. My parents met at the festival and they have both sung on the main stage. When I get up on the Neil Murray Stage I am keeping up that tradition and doing my part in passing the music on.

Ellen Power is a veteran performer on the Neil Murray Stage.

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	A Stage for Young Folk at the Newfoundland & Labrador Folk Festival by Ellen Power The Broadside Vol 10. No. 2 October 2006

	I first sang on the Neil Murray Stage when I was four years old. Since then I’ve sung at the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival nearly every year. The Neil Murray Stage is devoted exclusively to young performers. The type of song I usually sing is an unaccompanied ballad – a long song that tells a story -- but many other kinds of music appear on the stage as well. This year there was someone performing First Nations songs. There were two brothers who performed a variety of folk and folk rock music. And there were lots of young performers playing traditional Newfoundland jigs and reels. Many of us have performed at Young Folk at the Hall concerts and participated in other Folk Arts Council activities, but for some this is one of the few chances they get to be exposed to traditional performances. Performing on the Neil Murray Stage is a much different experience than singing on the main stage. The main stage is high and separates you from the audience. The Neil Murray Stage is closer to the crowd, so singing there is almost the same as singing to your relatives in the living room. This year it rained on the day I was singing. All the performances for that day were moved to a tent near the main stage. It was very different from the open stage I was used to. First of all, the music in our tent was nearly drowned out by the combined sounds of the main stage and a nearby generator. Secondly, instead of seeing many families sitting around on the grass, I saw about twenty adults all crammed together in small rows of chairs. It’s amazing how much the atmosphere can change the fun of performing. Another thing that was different this year was the Youth Invasion. It was a chance for young performers to get up in the main stage to show what they could do. The invading army was mostly made up of fiddle players, but there were accordion players, tin whistlers and singers as well. (It was strange that the invasion was planned by the “other side” – the adults on the main stage!) My mom works in the instrument check tent behind the main stage, so I hang around backstage a lot during the festival. Since the backstage tent is right next to the Neil Murray Stage, I am usually listening to the young performers all day. The wonderful thing about the Neil Murray Stage is that it introduces me to other kids who have the same thing in common – a love for traditional music. For my family, going to the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival is an important yearly tradition. My parents met at the festival and they have both sung on the main stage. When I get up on the Neil Murray Stage I am keeping up that tradition and doing my part in passing the music on. Ellen Power is a veteran performer on the Neil Murray Stage. (back to table of contents)