This Stage is devoted to young performers at the Festival. Neil Murray (1943-1988) was a Rhodes Scholar, poet, writer, historian, volunteer and bon vivant who passionately promoted Newfoundland's culture. He was Editor of the Newfoundland Herald, host of the popular Jigg's Dinner radio show on CBC Radio and served on the boards of the Newfoundland Arts Council and the SJFAC. As a great admirer and friend to musicians, Neil would be particularly pleased to have his name associated with this stage devoted to young performers.

1:00 pm start

 

 

Performer Biographies
(in order of appearance)

SATURDAY

Michael Scheeler-Breen
Michael (11) is a student at St. Mary’s Elementary in St. John’s. He has been playing violin for six years, and fiddle for three. Michael was awarded first place in violin and second place in fiddle for his age category at this year’s Kiwanis Music Festival. This is Michael’s first performance at the annual Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival.

Jesse English
Jesse (15) is an accordion player from Branch in St. Mary’s Bay. Being the great-nephew of the late great John Joe English, Jesse carries on the rich traditions of Branch with his accordion playing. He has participated in the Folk Arts Society’s Young Folk at the Hall workshops and concerts as well as the Vinland Music Camp and in 2007, he travelled to Ireland to perform at the Newfoundland-Ireland Festival of the Sea. Jesse has performed on the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival’s Neil Murray and main stages.

Jenna Kelly
Jenna (16) is a French Immersion student from Spanish Room, on the Burin Peninsula. She enjoys singing a diverse repertoire of music and playing different instruments. Jenna was awarded Arts and Letters award for a song she composed in 2007 and she was a Rose Bowl winner at the Kiwanis Music Festival in 2010. Having performed at a wide variety of venues, including local and provincial folk festivals, Jenna is looking forward to performing again at the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival.

Katrina and Keely Boland
Katrina (13) and Keely (10) have enjoyed Newfoundland and Irish folk music their whole life and have been performing for several years. Katrina sings and plays the bodhran and guitar and Keely sings and plays the fiddle. These sisters perform with their dad for seniors and veterans in the St. John‘s area and are yearly participants both in the Kiwanis Music Festival and the Folk Arts Society’s Young Folk at the Hall workshops and concerts.

Jenna Maloney
Jenna (7) has been singing and performing for friends and family since she was 18 months old. She sings and plays violin and piano and has a love of various genres of music, including Newfoundland and Irish traditional music, opera, and musical theatre. Jenna has participated in the Folk Arts Society’s Young Folk at the Hall workshops and concerts and performed in festivals, Shamrock City’s Open Mic for Young Musicians , the Kiwanis Music Festival, and Our Divas do Christmas on Broadway.

William Corbett and Sarah Harris
William (14) and Sarah (13) Corbett have been playing tunes together at parties and events for the past few years. William sings and plays piano, guitar, and cello and Sarah plays violin and saxophone. William sings with Shallaway Children’s Chorus and Sarah plays with the STEP Fiddlers. Sarah and William are yearly participants in the Folk Arts Society’s Young Folk at the Hall workshops and concerts and, since 2008, they have been filling the Neil Murray Stage tent with an enthusiastic following for their performances.

Emily Andrews
Emily (16) performs country and blues with versatility on the guitar and powerful vocals. In 2008, she was the youngest of 101 contestants from Atlantic Canada selected to audition for David Foster's Ovation Star Search and, in 2009, she placed second in Shamrock City’s 2009 Young Peoples Open Mic. She produced her first demo in 2008 and is currently in preproduction for a debut CD of original material.

 

Annie Warner
Annie (15) is a student at Brother Rice Junior High in St. John’s. She has been singing since she was very young, and playing guitar since she was twelve. Since the age of twelve, Annie has been composing songs. In both 2008 and 2009, she was awarded junior musical composition awards at the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters Awards for her songs ‘Something with a Little in it’ and ‘One Too Many Times’.

Vinland Music Camp
Eric is a guitarist, composer, arranger and author from Ladle Cove, Newfoundland. He has composed music for concert, stage, film, radio and TV, and has performed with many of the province's prominent musicians. The Vinland crew are an assortment of students who have attended Eric's annual music school at Killdevil Camp, Lomond, in Gros Morne National Park.

 

SUNDAY

By the Sea Dancers
The By the Sea Dancers are from the communities of Branch, Point Lance, and Cuslett on the Cape Shore. With dancers as young as six years old, they are a new group this year, but have already been showcased at the St. Paddy's Day weekend celebration at the Branch Community Centre, the Gannet Festival at Cape St. Mary's, and the Branch Cultural Festival in Branch. Dancing "The Lancers” at this year’s festival are Hailey Power, Emily Morrissey, Angelia Careen, Sheyenne Gardiner, Hayleigh McGrath, T.J. Careen, Braden Careen, and Johnny Careen.

Ellen Power
Ellen (16) has been singing all her life. Daughter of the late Pius Power Jr. and granddaughter of the late Pius Power Sr. who were both well-known traditional singers from Placentia Bay, she hopes that someday she will pass her songs to her children and grandchildren. Ellen is a member of the St. Bonaventure’s College Treble Choir and a regular participant in the Folk Arts Society’s Young Folk at the Hall workshops and concerts. She has been performing for ten years most notably at the Burin Folk Festival, the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival, and across Newfoundland at the March Hare festival.

Hayleigh McGrath
Hayleigh (13) is a singer and dancer from Branch. She started singing when she was only eight and now sings a variety of music. Hayleigh is involved with the Folk Arts Society’s Young Folk at the Hall workshops and concerts and the Kiwanis Music Festival and has sung at many concerts and festival including the Gannet Festival in Cape St. Mary's, the Cape St. Mary’s Performance Series, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival. She enjoys singing songs from Gerald Campell, Ernestine Power, Eugene Mooney and many others who have so greatly contributed to the Newfoundland Song Tradition.

Russells in the Corner
Russells in the Corner are sisters Naomi (12) on fiddle, guitar, tin whistle and vocals and Tamsyn (13) on accordion, piano and vocals. Often accompanied by their dad, Kelly Russell, on guitar and mom, Tonya Kearley Russell, on bass and bodhran, their repertoire includes Newfoundland tunes and songs as well as contemporary songs. The girls are also storytellers, who enjoy performing their Poppy Russell’s famous ‘Smokeroom on the Kyle’ and stories from Emile Benoit.

Chelsea Parsons
Chelsea (15) is a singer from St. Phillips. She started playing guitar when she was eight, and started singing shortly after. She has performed at local regattas, fundraisers, and Major Junior hockey games, has entertained passengers on the Bell Island Ferry, has participated in the Folk Arts Society’s Young Folk at the Hall workshops and concerts for the past four years, and has been playing Open Mic sessions at O’Reilly’s Pub and Shamrock City for the last three. Chelsea has recorded three demo CDs and this is her fourth appearance at the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival.

Valerie Hewson
Valerie (16) has been studying violin since the age of 5 through the Suzuki method under the expert teaching of Christina Smith and Jennifer Johnson. In 2008 she made her solo debut at the Newfoundland Folk Festival on the Neil Murray stage. She has traveled to London, England and Guelph, Ontario, to perform both classical and fiddle music. This year, Valerie traveled to New York to compete in the Heritage Music Festival with Gonzaga choirs.

Rosemary and Keith Lawton
Rosemary (15) is a student at Gonzaga High School who has been studying violin since she was seven and Keith (14) is a student at MacDonald Drive Junior High who has been studying guitar since he was seven. Rosemary is a member of the Celtic Fiddler and both she and Keith are members of the STEP Fiddlers. They have both participated in the Folk Arts Society’s Young Folk at the Hall workshops and concerts as well as the Vinland Music Camp.

STEP Fiddlers
The STEP Fiddlers were founded in 1982 by Christina Smith to give young Newfoundlanders an opportunity to learn their own traditional music. Sponsored by the Suzuki Talent Education Program of St. John’s, the group currently has 15 talented members, ranging in age from 9 to 17. They perform at concerts, festivals, benefits and events. They have one CD entitled Galing for a Storm and are currently working on another title Fiddling in the Fog.

 

Vinland Music Camp
See bio from Saturday.