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]]>SHANTY SESSION
Saturday 12 – 1 pm Gazebo next to Vermilion Stage
In the days of the tall ships sailors used to sing songs called “shanties” while they worked. Shanties provided the rhythm that went with a particular job as well as giving sailors extra “oomph” to raise a sail or haul up the anchor. They’re great fun to sing along with, so join the throng under the gazebo!
IRISH SESSION
Saturday 2 – 3 pm Vermilion Stage
Put a bunch of passionate Celtic fiddlers, guitar players, flautists, pipers, and the like on stage together and see what happens!
FOUR FIDDLES
Saturday 3:30 – 4:30 pm, Museum Stage
The fiddle is the powerhouse of the band and the centrepiece of the session. Today’s fiddlers are Valerie Cohen, Stewart Hendrickson, Athena McKown from Psycho Acoustic Ceili Band and Uncle Ron Gerard.
FIVE BANJOES
Sunday 11 – 12 pm Vermilion Stage
There are many jokes about banjos, but when played well they are a joy to the ear. This session features five banjo virtuosos who will delight you with their frailing and finger picking. Tim Hall, Stuart James, Mike Marker, Jerry Middaugh and Jeff Warner.
TRADITIONAL BALLADS from the Child Collection
Sunday 12:30 – 2 pm Museum Stage
Ballads are songs that tell stories. Traditional ballads are ones that have been passed down over hundreds of years telling stories of love, murder and passion. Today’s balladeers are Laura Bassett, Rosaleen Gregory, Hard Row, Chris Roe and Simon Trevelyan
FREE REED INSTRUMENTS
Sunday 2 – 3 pm Vermilion Stage
We are blessed this year with a wealth of free reed musicians. You will hear concertinas, button accordions, piano accordions and uilleann pipes. Today’s musicians are John Gothard, Brad Reynolds, John Walsh and Jeff Warner.
MINING SONGS
Sunday 4 – 5 pm Museum Stage
Princeton was founded as a mining town with coal, copper, gold and platinum being mined over the past 100 years. This workshop will feature songs from this area as well as from Britain and other parts of North America. Today’s singers are Jon Bartlett and Rika Ruebsaat, The Diggers, Tim Hall, and Stuart James.
PETE SEEGER TRIBUTE
Sunday 4:30 – 6 pm Vermilion Stage
Pete Seeger died in January of this year. He was a giant in the folk music world who married music and participatory singing with social activism. To honour him, this workshop will feature many of the songs that he sang as well as others that focus on making the world a better place. Today’s singers are the Diggers, Jim Edmondson, Tim Hall, Mike Marker and Tom Rawson.
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]]>The post Our history first appeared on princetontraditional.org.
]]>Those who have come to visit, sing, play, and share their culture at Jon and Rika’s home come from far and wide and many are core to the Traditional Music scene. Over a period of forty years these people have attracted more like minded artists and the Princeton Traditional Music Festival is the culmination of this process. It is truly a treasure of musical culture in Canada.
The Festival was started in 2008 and has shown value as both a driver for tourism and as an asset to community development. Many people also enjoy an involvement as volunteers and this contributes to the social gains as well as helping to make the Festival a success.
The focus of the music is oral tradition and history. Although the word “traditional”, when associated with music, is generally used to describe the musical traditions of Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Manx, and Breton cultures, the concept can easily be expanded to include music which centres on the poetry of the human condition. Indeed, in this day and age, it is difficult to not do so. Traditional music then, is an art form which speaks to our history and teaches us something about ourselves.
This music originates from the very people whose lives it chronicles. It is not only an expression of life on the sea, in work camps, mines, and factories, but it also speaks of childhood and family life. This is not the music of concert halls, but rather that of the streets, pubs, picket lines, weddings, funerals, and family kitchens. In short, this is music that belongs everywhere, and to everyone.
In defining this art form it is impossible to ignore the non-verbal expressions which are closely related, inspired by, or directly associated with it. One cannot dissociate dance from the music. In the same vein, where there are musicians there will always be an instrumental narrative, even just for the simple joy of playing. Often too, these non-verbal expressions are inspired by the same environment or events which gave birth to the purely oral traditions. In the end, this art is all about the human condition and tells the story of our cultures and where we came from.
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]]>A Force of Nature from Saltspring Island combines Michaela Cunningham’s virtuoso concertina with fiddle sensation Annie Brown supplemented by traditional songs from Simon Trevelyan.
Linda Allen from Bellingham is a collector of songs as well as a songwriter deeply rooted in tradition. Her songs bring alive the voices of pioneer women, suffragists, Rosie the Riveter, immigrants and so many more. Her passion for politics and history are at the heart of her music but she also sings songs of healing informed by her musical hospice work. Linda will have CDs for sale at the festival. For more information about her work and her many recordings please visit her website at www.lindasongs.com .
Allie and McLeod are Allie Ryser and MacLeod Cushing from Blaine in Washington State. They are an instrumental duo who play accordion, fiddle and guitar and whose repertoire highlights the musical traditions of Canada, England, Scotland and the US. They are regular performers at craft and farmers’ markets and festivals as well as buskers at Robson Square and the Vancouver Maritime Museum. Allie and McLeod will have CDs for sale at the festival.
Alex Atamanenko and Dan Shlakoff from Castlegar have performed together for a number of years in the Castlegar area. Their performance will consist of traditional Russian songs as well as songs from North America.
Graham Baldwin is a founding member of the Vancouver Morris Men and the Rattlebone Band. His performance will include traditional as well as more modern songs from Britain about the seasons and life’s struggles. Graham accompanies himself on guitar and melodeon.
Bevan Bartlett from Vancouver grew up surrounded by traditional songs, of which he says, “One of the magical aspects of these old songs is the container they create for fostering connection in the here and now — the physical and sensory experience of entering a song with another person, the sense of being in communion with something bigger (history? Ancestors? The eternal human condition?) or simply a good reason to gather. Traditional music has brought some wonderful people into my life. This year I will be joined in harmony with some of those people.”
Jon Bartlett and Rika Ruebsaat are the founders of this festival and have been singing together for over forty-five years. Their repertoire ranges from sea shanties and traditional ballads to logging and mining songs. Their particular love is the songs of BC. They have collected songs and history in the Princeton Archives dating as far back as 1900. The result of this research is two books: Dead Horse on the Tulameen: Settler Verse from BC’s Similkameen Valley, and the award-winning Soviet Princeton: Sl im Evans and the 1932/33 Miners’ Strike, and a CD, “Now It’s Called Princeton: Songs and Poems from the Upper Similkameen” which contains 27 Similkameen songs and poems. All of these items will be for sale at the Festival. Visit their website at www.jonandrika.org.
Robert Bertrand from Merritt started playing blues at the age of twenty, first as a vocalist and harmonica player. At twenty-one he began learning delta style blues and American primitive guitar instrumentals. His influences include Robert Johnson, Mississippi Fred MacDowell, John Fahey, Leo Kotke and Brian Jones among others. Robert has CDs for sale at the festival.
Bob Bossin from Gabriola Island founded the iconic Canadian folk group Stringband, with whom he recorded such classis Canadian songs such as “Tugboats,” “The Maple Leaf Dog,” “Show us the Length” and “Dief will be the Chief Again.” Bob’s books, articles and videos have won a shelf full of honours. Bob has been a life-long activist. For many years he participated in and chronicled the campaign to save Clayoquot Sound. His 2023 Earth Day video, “Pass it Along” has been viewed by over 20,000 people. Bob has CD s and a book for sale at the festival. Please visit his website at www.bossin.com.
The British Columbia Regiment Band from Vancouver has been in existence since 1899. They have provided ceremonial music for civic events ever since. They usually perform in house for the Regiment and in a normal year they perform to tens of thousands of people. Their largest audience was 440,000 people at the Appledorn Parade in the Netherlands.
Bushy Park from Vancouver is an all-woman country band that flips the gender on traditional favourites in a fun and sassy way. Their songs tell stories of real people that live outside the lines. The group is a collaboration between four accomplished independent musicians who are completely blessed out to be in an all-woman band together. They express their joy through harmony and humour by singing country old time classics together with a sprinkling of original songs. Bushy Park has CDs and T-shirts for sa le at the festival. Please visit their website at www.bushyparkmusic.com
Linda Chobotuck from Burnaby grew up surrounded by folk music with a mother who came from a parlour singing tradition and was an early disciple of the folk revival. Back then everyone Linda respected as a musician was also a songwriter, so from an early age she also wrote music. She says, “I’m not very prolific but I’ve been doing it for a long time so it adds up. After sleeping, people spend most of their time at work so I am perhaps best known as a singer and composer of labour songs, the most widely reco rded of which is ‘Canning Salmon,’ which I wrote just out of high school while working in a Richmond cannery.”
Barry Cole from Bellingham is self-taught on autoharp, recorder, tin whistle, dulcimer, fiddle mandolin. Banjo, saxophone, guitar and six other instruments. He is also a singer and collector of ballads. He likes to sing with fiddle and autoharp and to jam with other musicians. He is also a dance musician and caller.
Countercurrent, a contra dance and folk music band from western Washington, consists of Alex Sturbaum and Brian Lindsay. The duo features driving guitar, foot percussion, lyrical fiddle and harmony vocals. In over ten years of playing together Brian and Alex have developed a style that brings forth the joy and nuance in the music they play. The combination of Brian’s tasteful tune-smithing and Alex’s punchy rhythms and gifted songwriting is not to be missed. As they spread their music cross the northwest an d beyond, Countercurrent continues to push their own boundaries with new compositions, lively arrangements, lush harmonies and driving grooves to keep you dancing along. Countercurrent has CDs for sale at the festival.
Digitary Dos are a seven-piece band from Vancouver. Their ever-changing personnel includes new and old performers from the British Isles and other countries. They have been performing English Country Dance music in various guises (and disguises) for ten years. They play dance tunes and airs from the 16th to the 20th Centuries.
John Gothard from Brackendale is a singer and multi-instrumentalist who has been performing traditional music for many years. Born and raised in Liverpool (“The Capital of Ireland”), John’s style is a mixture of English and Irish traditional songs together with other songs he acquired after making a new life in Canada. John is well-known in singing circles throughout the Pacific Northwest. John’s performance includes both a capella songs and songs with guitar accompaniment.
Rosaleen and David Gregory from Nelson have an extensive repertoire of traditional songs, which they love to share. They met at Keele University in England in the 1960s and brought their varied heritage to Canada shortly thereafter. They have been active in the Canadian Society for Traditional Music for many years. Rosaleen contributed a regular column to the Society’s magazine introducing readers to the power, beauty and relevance of traditional ballads. Rosaleen and David love the Princeton Traditional Mu sic Festival for its integrity and spirit of camaraderie. Rosaleen has CDs for sale at the festival. Please visit her website at www.rosaleengregory.ca.
Tim Hall from Seattle is a singer of songs from hither and thither – from old-time to maritime to ragtime. He is an accomplished instrumentalist on guitar, banjo and concertina and a collector of wonderfully clever and fun songs.
Larry Hanks and Deborah Robins from Portland perform old American songs with stringed accompaniment and eclectic harmonies. Their repertoire includes songs of the American west, work songs, blues and sentimental songs of times past. Larry Hanks is known as an “American Treasure,” and has been performing to international audiences for over 55 years. He is the composer of the beloved “Apple Tree Picker’s Reel.” Larry and Deborah have CDs for sale at the festival. Please visit their website at www.larryhanks.com,
Hard Row from Armstrong — the father and daughter team of Kaila and Kim Sinclair – are lovers of the richness of traditional music. Throughout the year they each perform on their own and perform together whenever they can. In the folk tradition they sing old songs to tell today’s stories. The songs in their repertoire have survived through time,sometimes changing rhtthm and often morphing lyrics to become relevant for today. They are excited to be performing again at the Princeton Traditional Music Festiva l. Hard Row has CDs for sale at the festival. Please visit them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/A.Hard.Row.
Steward Hendrickson from Seattle will be performing Nordic fiddle tunes from Finland, Sweden and Norway. He studied classical music as a kid but gave it up to play guitar and sing. About twenty years ago he came back to playing fiddle.
Hercinia from Seattle is named for a mythical glowing bird that travels through the mountains. The group brings the same otherworldly quality to their music. They first played together at the 2019 Vachon sessions and have since created a sound both innovative and timeless, driven by Laura Bassett’s clear vocals and thoughtful song selection, Richard Reeve’s powerful bass and the textures and arrangements of Alex Sturbaum and Brian Lindsay. Together Hercinia aims to bring to life old and new songs that you m ight not have heard before.
Jaeger and Reid are from Oakland, California. Some of the best discoveries are made by accident. That’s what happened with the fusion of musical talents of Judith Jaeger and Bob Reid. They unexpectedly found perfect harmony while standing next to each other at a music camp in 2015. Their musical spark caught fire, was noticed by those around them and a wonderful collaboration was born. They combine Judy’s Canadian roots, striking vocals and intelligent songs with Bob’s California upbringing and his own orig inal, engaging songs. Their artful blending of guitars, ukulele and rich harmonies deliver an intimate experience of meaningful music. Jaeger and Reid have CDs for sale at the festival. Please visit their website at www.jaegerreidmusic.com.
Jasmine Fiona from Aldergrove is an a capella singer enchanted by the melodies of many traditions but with a special affection for Appalachian ballads and laments. Her performance will focus on the ancient songs carried by Irish, Scottish, Welsh and English immigrants to the Appalachians. These songs have survived and evolved through the generations with the musical influence of indigenous and enslaved people giving their melodies a depth more haunting than those left behind in the old country.
The songs David Kessler sings are surrounded by the odd stories of how and where he learned them and what he had to trade for them. He uses these stories to explain where in his brain the songs live. With memories of growing up in New England, living in Israel, hiking in Scotland, marching in Basel, sailing in various countries, drinking in various bars, opening various books, etc. He has co-founded a shantysing, a rum cruise and the Single Malt and Song Society. He co-produced the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony and created The Child Book of Etiquette, which will be for sale at the festival. Visit David’s website at www.ouphrontis.com.
Lyn Pinkerton from Vancouver will be sharing European and North American traditional ballads. Some of these are funny and some are tragic. Lyn will be joined onstage by musical friends.
Lynn and Michael from Vancouver have been singing together for decades. The marriage of Lynn’s Quebecois background and Michael’s British/Irish roots, together with their rich voices creates beautiful music. They will be singing a combination of traditional and more modern songs. Lyn and Michael have CDs for sale at the festival. Please visit their website at www.opendoormusicschool.ca.
How great to sing with you again! Come and join us for a rip-roaring singalong of traditional folk songs.
My American Boyfriend consists of Ellen Van der Hoeven from Vancouver and Tom Rawson from Orcas Island, Washington. Ellen and Tom are song collectors who love to sing, especially when there are lots of other folks who want to sing with them. Join Ellen and Tom for some humorous stories, user-friendly songs and acoustic folk philosophy that’s guaranteed to leave you smiling. Armed with banjos, penny whistles, mandolins and other weapons of mass delight, Ellen and Tom will have you singing along in no time. T une up your vocal cords; you’ll need ’em.
Tania Opland and Mike Freeman from Suquamish, Washington have spent the last couple of decades touring together with an eclectic mix of songs in several languages together with acoustic music played on more instruments than any sane person would travel with: hammered dulcimer, guitar, recorder, fiddle, ocarina, hurdy-gurdy, djembe. Their performances draw from many traditions with wit and style, guaranteed to provide entertainment for all, especially those seeking something a little off the beaten track. The duo has CDs for sale at the festival. Please visit their website at www.opland-freeman.com.
Oxygen Orkestar says, “We are back for a good old party in Princeton! Join us for tantalizing tuba and truba beats as we play top Balkan hits for the beautiful people in the festival audience. Now with 100% more euphonium than ever before! We are brass buddies from over the mountains in Nelson.”
Rattlebone Band plays for English ceilidh, English country and contra dances. However, it also performs concerts with an eclectic selection of songs and tunes, usually with a strong British Isles influence but also some reflecting our Canadian heritage. Besides a regular concert, Rattlebone Band will also be playing and dance calling for the Festival’s Friday evening street dance. Visit their website at www.rattlebone.weebly.com.
Relative Miners are Bevan Bartlett, Morgan Bartlett and Stephen Ruebsaat. Coming from a family with a rich musical tradition, these three have been involved in music since childhood, with outputs ranging from hip hop to Balkan brass to heavy metal. This will be their fifth year performing mostly traditional songs from North America. And, as usual, expect rich harmonies, sweet slide guitar and wholesome family dynamics.
Brian is perhaps best known for writing well-crafted songs about his beloved west coast. He has two CDs for sale at the festival – Saltchuck Serenade, and his latest, Times and Places, which features songs about love, work, travel, BC history and even some blues numbers. Apart from leading his own trio, Brian is a noted singer of shanties, appearing on occasion with Princeton Porch Party, and frequently provides backup guitar to fiddlers at sessions and performances. Please visit his website at www.brianrobertson.ca.
Chris Roe comes to Princeton from Olympia, Washington, with a smorgasbord of songs and tunes from wide ranging sources. Her choices range from medieval to contemporary, including some original songs, but the emphasis is always on the power of a song to convey a good story. Chris has CDs for sale at the festival. Please visit her website at www.folkhosts.com.
Savoir Faire from Vancouver performs traditional folk tunes and songs from Europe and Canada. Led by an old-fashioned button accordion, other instruments include fiddle, flute, tambura, guitar and percussion. And, of course, vocal cords.
Shanghaied on the Willamette from upstate Oregon is the lively musical duo of Jonathan Lay and Gordy Euler. They perform songs and tunes “plundered from land and sea” including traditional Celtic, English and old-time American music with an emphasis on songs of the sea. They accompany themselves with a “fleet” of instruments including fiddle, bodhran, guitars. Mandola, tin whistle, harmonica and banjo. Shanghaied on the Willamette have CDs for sale at the festival. Please visit their website at www.shanghaied.biz.
Helen Shilladay from Gabriola Island says she was “a relative newcomer to the world of folk. My first memories are of the voices of the folk revival heroes Maddy Prior, June Tabor and others. Only much later in a cozy pub in Deryshire did I finally join the folk family by plucking up the courage to sing. In folk songs I find friendship, community, joy, and a connection to our ancestors that gives us resilience for future hard times – just what we need right now!”
Penny Sidor says that “There is a song for everything. Songs inhabit me and I inhabit them.” A singer since childhood, a songwriter since the age of 55, Penny was inspired by the folk revival of the 1960s. She traveled, played festivals and coffeehouses, then settled in Toronto to do a music degree at York University. “That experience fed my life – musically, intellectually and in every other way. Everything I learned turns up in my music.” In 1985 she moved to Vancouver, living in the lively musical commun ity near Commercial Drive and finding a home in the Vancouver Folk Song Society. In 1998 she moved to Gabriola Island where dogs and gardening took over her life. But the songs are still alive. Her performances are warm, heartfelt and full of fun. Penny has CDs for sale at the festival.
Patrick Spearing began singing at the Bristol Troubadour Club in Britain in 1967. He came to Canada in 1969 and sang in Irish pubs around the US and Canada and ended up at the Vancouver Folk Song Circle. He performed with Jon Bartlett at the Medieval Inn in 1971, followed by a singing residency at the Blarney Stone in Gastown. Over the past number of years he has participated in folk and Celtic gatherings in Victoria before moving “off the grid” in the near Lumby. He continues to sing and play traditional s ongs from the UK, Canada and Australia.
Alex Sturbaum from Seattle is a one-of-a-kind performer. Steeped in musical traditions from both sides of the Atlantic, Alex’s love for the music and joy in playing it is evident in every note. He is a powerful instrumentalist, a gifted songwriter as well as an interpreter of traditional songs He puts on an engaging show, accompanying old and new songs on guitar and bouzouki and getting the audience involved as much as possible. Alex has CDs for sale at the festival.
Introducing Tradpoles! For the first time ever Princeton is hosting a children’s open mic session. Are you under eighteen and would like to perform a traditional song? If so, you are invited to perform it at the festival, and if you have a backing band, bring them along to support your performance. The way this works is that during the festival Kris and Naomi will be recruiting under-eighteen kids who are at the festival. There will then be a Saturday run-through/rehearsal to get ready for Sunday’s performa nce. On Sunday at noon the “Tradpoles” will perform the songs they have chosen and practiced. Kris and Naomi will be circulating so if you’re interested, please ask festival organizers, your parents and friends to help locate us.
The Vancouver Morris Men were formed in 1982. Their goal was to maintain English folk traditions, specifically Morris dancing. The group uses its performances to celebrate the changing of the seasons throughout the year. Spring and summer is when they perform South Midlands (Cotswold) Morris while Welsh Border Morris and Molly are performed during the autumn and winter. Watch for their waving handkerchiefs and hear their bells as they perform guerrilla dances in the street during the Festival. Please visit their website at www.vancouvermorrismen.org.
Without a Net from Mesachie Lake on Vancouver Island consists of David and Mary Lowther. They play (among other things) Klezmer music, that is, the music of the Ashkenazy Jews of Eastern Europe. They have also been known to stray into satire and outright sedition. David sings and plays guitar, banjo and bouzouki. Mary sings and plays clarinet, flute and Zen castanets. Without a Net has played at the Princeton Traditional Music Festival many times and are always glad for the opportunity to visit Princeton an d soak in the river under the brown bridge. Without a Net has CDs for sale at the festival.
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]]>The banjo is usually associated with country, folk, Irish traditional and bluegrass music. It was also central to African American traditional music before becoming popular in the minstrel shows of the 19th century. Slaves were central to the origins of much American traditional music and the banjo was part of this phenomenon. The instrument is said to have evolved from an earlier African instrument. Banjos resembling today’s instrument with fingerboards and tuning pegs are known from the Caribbean as early as the 17th century. Early, African-influenced banjos were built around a gourd body and a wooden stick neck. These instruments had varying numbers of strings.
Banjos first appeared on the stage in the US in the 1830s and by the 1840s they were popular in British Music Hall performances. Historically, the banjo was played “claw hammer” style by the slaves who brought their version of the banjo with them. In old time Appalachian mountain music, there is also a style called two finger up-pick, and a three finger version that Earl Scruggs developed into the famous “Scruggs” style picking, nationally aired in 1945 on the Grand Ole Opry.
This year’s banjo workshop will be hosted by Princeton’s own Stuart James, who will be introducing the other participants as well as talking a bit about the history of the banjo and describing different styles of banjo music. Stuart has been playing banjo for many years and uses the instrument to play tunes and to accompany himself on both Appalachian and British songs. Joining Stuart onstage will be four other banjo players.
Tim Hall from Seattle is a singer of songs from varied traditions – from old-time to maritime to ragtime. Besides playing banjo he is also an accomplished instrumentalist on guitar and concertina and a collector of wonderfully clever and fun songs. He plays guitar as well as the banjo and writes songs. Jerry Middaugh is originally from Ohio and has deep roots in Appalachian music. He sings and plays guitar, banjo and mandolin. Tom Rawson is a folksinger and storyteller from Orcas Island in Washington, strongly influenced by Pete Seeger’s banjo playing and his passionate commitment to honest music. Bryn Wilkin of the duo, Vazzy, comes from Grand Forks and is an accomplished banjo player and multi-instrumentalist.
The banjo workshop is just one item on the rich menu of music available at the Princeton Traditional Music Festival. The Festival begins at 6:15 pm on Friday 14 August with an opening ceremony and a participatory dance on Veterans’ Way. On Saturday and Sunday there is music from 10 am until 6 pm right in downtown Princeton. It’s all free and everyone is welcome. If you would like to find out more, visit the Festival’s website at www.princetontraditional.org. If you’d like to help out at the Festival or billet a performer the committee would love to hear from you. You can email princetonfestival@telus.net or phone 250-295-6010.
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