Mountain Music to Warm Your Winter
From Virginia to Mongolia and back again, a series of January concerts at Virginia Wesleyan College will take you on a history-rich musical journey into the folk traditions of our region and beyond.
January 5, 2011
(NORFOLK/VIRGINIA BEACH, VA) Performances take place Jan. 10-20 in the Blocker Auditorium on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan. All shows begin at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public.
The concerts are happening in conjunction with a unique course offered during Winter Session (held in January) at VWC. “Music and Folk Culture of the Southern Appalachians,” taught by Professor of History Dr. Daniel Margolies, focuses on the region that includes Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. According to the course description, students learn about “rural dance music, social and religious music, and early commercially recorded music, including the old time string band, jug bands, clawhammer style of banjo playing, unaccompanied fiddling, shape note singing, and balladry.”
Performers in the series include champion old time fiddler Mark Cambell, ethnomusicologist and old time musician James Ruchala, nationally known Southern mountain singer Kari Sickenberger, multidisciplinary traditional performers Elizabeth LaPrelle and Anna Roberts-Gevalt and morin khurr player Milo Silva. A morin khurr is a traditional Mongolian stringed instrument also known at the horse-head fiddle.
“This series is a phenomenal opportunity to hear some of the best old time musicians performing today in an informal and even intimate setting,” says Dr. Margolies, “as well as a truly rare chance to listen to the morin khurr played live by a modern day master of the instrument. We are really glad to be able to present these evenings to the campus and to the Hampton Roads community.”
The complete schedule is as follows. All performances are in Blocker Auditorium.:
Old time music performance and discussion
Description:One of the finest old time fiddlers playing today and a Virginia state recognized master musician and touring performer, award winning musician Mark Campbell again presents his unmatched virtuosity on the unique and archaic fiddling styles of Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina.
Music performance and discussion
Description: Blessed with an absolutely astounding singing voice reminiscent of the great Molly O’Day, nationally known singer-songwriter Kari Sickenberger will present a program of old time Southern mountain singing. Kari fronts her own ban, Polecat Creek, which has been featured on “A Prairie Home Companion.”
Music performance
Description: “Snow Is On The Ground” is a new kind of traditional music performance weaving traditional ballads and songs, fiddle and banjo tunes with storytelling and handcrafted images and theatrical elements including marionettes, shadow-puppets, woodcuts, collage, and sewn scrolls called “crankies.” Elizabeth LaPrelle and Anna Roberts- Gevalt are two talented young traditional musicians from southwest Virginia.
Mongolian music performance
Description: Milo Silva is considered the most accomplished morin khurr player in the United States today and was the only Westerner invited to play in the Mongolian national morin khurr festival in 2010. Milo will be presenting a program of traditional Mongolian “long songs” as well as some of his own compositions. The morin khurr is the horse-headed fiddle at the heart of Mongolian traditional music.
Old time music performance and discussion
Description: Ethnomusicologist and old time musician James Ruchala presents his completed dissertation research on the unique old time music played in the Round Peak area of North Carolina in the tradition of masters like Tommy Jarrell, Fred Cockerham, and Kyle Creed. James is an accomplished musician on fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and guitar.
For more information, contact Dr. Dan Margolies at dmargolies@vwu.edu .
Offered each year between the fall and spring semesters, Winter Session is an optional three-week term that complements Virginia Wesleyan’s academic program. Winter Session provides opportunities for students to focus with members of the faculty on a single academic subject and earn course credit. On-campus courses and travel courses are available.