News

 

 

Bridges to Hope will have a booth at Bannerman Park throughout the Festival. Non-perishable food items and barrels of cash will be gratefully accepted !

 

 

Message from the President

 

 

 

Hello folks,

Welcome to our 34th Annual Folk Festival. We hope you will enjoy the performances, activities and concessions we have brought together for you.

The Folk Arts Society has moved to a new office at 204-223 Duckworth Street. We hope you will drop in and visit us if you’re in the area. Our new office manager, Tracey Waddleton, will be glad to help you assist us in the work of promoting our performing folk arts by selling you a membership in the Society.

As we move along, we are continuing to make changes to the annual Folk Festival in Bannerman Park. Please be patient with us as we go through these changes. We are taking up a bit more space in the park every year, and this year we have added a Cultural Diversity Tent in which the 34th festival is focusing on our British traditions; in 2011, we hope to concentrate on our Aboriginal cultures.

Our sessions in the Oral Traditions Tent, the Homemade Jam Tent, the Instrumental Tent and our dance workshops throughout the weekend are wonderful opportunities to see and hear folk traditions in operation, and to participate. The small stage sessions are like mini-concerts presented by tradition bearers who love to share their traditions with you. Come and listen, or take part. Bring your youngsters and show them a slice of their own culture, or take in the activities and performances at the Parks Canada Youth Activity Area or the Neil Murray Stage. We have added two opportunities for evening dances.

We will be asking you how we can improve the Festival through written and in-person surveys as the weekend progresses. Please take time to let us know how you feel. You can write or e-mail us if you have larger ideas that you want to bring to our attention. We want the NL Folk Festival to be your festival; to be an event you are proud to attend and to be a place to which you want to bring your families and visitors. Let us know what interests you, who you’d like to see on stage, what crafts and foods you’d like to be buying and how you’d like to participate. We promise to listen. We can’t promise to do everything you ask, but we will surely try to do as much as we can.

The Folk Arts Society is made up of folks like yourselves, so feel free to join up and give us a hand with our many activities — the weekly Folk Night at the Ship Pub in St. John’s, the Young Folk at the Hall program, which has events all over the province, the annual Folk Festival, the annual Wassail and the various song, dance and instrument workshops that we present throughout the year. Support your local Folk Arts groups and their weekly and monthly events in the various regions around the province. Our local community organizations keep our traditions strong and help future generations to be proud of their roots.

Sincere and hearty thanks to each and every Festival volunteer, whether you worked on site, billeted performers, or stuffed envelopes. We could never do it without you.

And warmest thanks to all of our sponsors. Without your support there’d be no Festival.

Have a wonderful Festival weekend!

 

— Anita Best

 

 

 

Announcing Dr. Peter Narvaez: Recipient of the Folk Arts Society's
2010 Lifetime Achievement Award.

 

Perhaps you marveled at his command of guitar and harmonica when he played on Out of the Fog recently, or noticed his editing credits on publications like Of Corpse: Death and Humor in Folklore and Popular Culture. He might have taught you at MUN or sat in on an impromptu jam session with you and some friends at a downtown bar.

Dr. Peter Narvaez is a singer/songwriter, a respected blues musician, an educator, writer, researcher and dedicated community volunteer. In an effort to honour his tireless efforts to furthering the traditional folk arts of this province, the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Arts Society has named Peter the recipient of the 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award.

 

For more than 30 years, Peter has contributed his time and talent to the provincial folk arts community. Join us to celebrate the hard work and support of Peter Narvaez when he is presented with his award at this year's festival.

 

The 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Peter Narvaez by Folk Arts Society President Anita Best on August 8th, during the Sunday evening session of the 34th Annual Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival.

— T. Waddleton

 

 

 

Caroline Clarke's "St. John's Waltz" to front

the 34th Annual Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival t-shirts.

Caroline Clarke is a St. John's based printmaker and musician who draws much of her inspiration from the local community, especially the camaraderie that develops around the sharing of music. This beautiful image, "St. John's Waltz", is taken from a limited-edition print from a shared exhibition titled "Come All Ye", with work based on traditional songs and the exploration of their themes. Inspired by the well-known Ron Hynes song of the same name, Caroline's image will grace the front of the official t-shirt for the 34th Annual Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival.

 

The opening reception for the exhibit "Come All Ye" takes place at the Craft Council Gallery on August 28, 2010 at 2pm. For more information, visit the Craft Council online, send them an email or give them a call at 753-2749.

 

 

 

Banjo Celebrated in Fine Style at the 2010 Festival

 

The Banjo has been described as beautiful, endearing, “the only wholly American instrument” and “a random noise maker”.
Call it what you will, few devices have ever left so many folks with a smile on their face as the Banjo. Be it played in the “Scruggs” bluegrass style, using the old-time Clawhammer method or in any old way you wish, the banjo has long been a popular favourite in folk music and seems to pop up from time to time in any sort of music you can imagine.

We’ll be celebrating the Banjo in fine style at this years festival with appearances from some of the very best players from home and abroad including Rik Barron, Leroy Troy, Raymond McLain, Fergus O’Byrne, Dave Lush, Mike Hanrahan, Allan Ricketts, and others. Some come on out and enjoy some mighty fine noise!

"The banjo is such a happy instrument--you can't play a sad song on the banjo - it always comes out so cheerful." -Steve Martin
"I want another banjo. Sure, I own two banjos already, but the world is a sad place these days and I think extra precautions are needed." - John Kavanagh

"This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender." -Pete Seeger

 

 

July 1st George Street Performances

 

The Folk Arts Society partnered with George Street Live to present an afternoon of live performance at the bandstand on George Street. It was a free Canada Day 'mini festival' with youth performers, throat singing, Greek and Francophone traditions, blues, ballads, set dancing, and a round of tunes to cap it off! (website) (facebook)

1:00 pm  Chelsea Parsons
1:30 pm  The Crow's Nest Song Circle (Unaccompanied NL Songs and Recitations)

2:10 pm  Colleen Power

2:40 pm  Newfoundland Set Dances

3:10 pm  Blake Sisters (throat singing)

3:25 pm  Larry Foley and Pat Moran

3:55 pm  Forgotten Bouzouki

4:30 pm  Fergus Brown-O'Byrne, Charlotte-Anne Malischewski, Danny Mills, Peter Mills

5:05 pm  Denis Parker and John Clarke

5:35 pm  The Dardanelles

 

 

 

HEY ROSETTA! HEADING TO THE 34th ANNUAL
NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR FOLK FESTIVAL

The Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival is thrilled to add hometown favourites Hey Rosetta! to this year’s exciting roster of performers. The annual festival, which takes place August 6 - 8, 2010 in Bannerman Park, marks the band’s only scheduled summer performance in St. John’s. Hey Rosetta! will take the main stage on the evening of Friday, August 6th to debut some brand new material before heading to China the following morning.

 

The multi-award winning, critically acclaimed six piece indie band from St. John’s, NL are known for their powerful live performances. They have toured extensively, both nationally and internationally, since forming in 2005. Their album, Into your Lungs, was produced by Canadian singer-songwriter Hawksley Workman.

 

Hey Rosetta! will join performers Amelia Curran, Archie Fisher, David Francey, Ennis, Old Man Luedecke, The Irish Descendants, Waterson Carthy & The Wonderful Grand Band at this year’s NL Folk Festival. Tickets are now available at the Holy Heart Theatre box office or online at www.admitix.ca

 

To view the listing of performers, and for upcoming festival announcements, please visit nlfolkfestival.com. For more information on Hey Rosetta!, check out heyrosetta.com

 

Now in its 34th year, the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival takes place in St. John’s on the weekend following the Royal St. John’s Regatta. It is the second oldest continuously running folk festival in Canada. Each year, the NL Folk Festival brings thousands of people together to celebrate the best in traditional and contemporary folk music and dance. The Folk Arts Society promotes Folk Arts in Newfoundland and Labrador and throughout Canada.



For NLFF information, please contact:
Gord Delaney
Marketing Coordinator
Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival
709-746-3023
marketing@nlfolk.com

 

For Hey Rosetta! information, please contact:
Jason Burns - burns@sonicentertaimentgroup.com
Mike Greatorex -mike@sonicentertainmentgroup.com