Virginia Folklife Program http://virginiafolklife.org A program of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities Fri, 21 Oct 2011 20:21:38 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 A program of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities Virginia Folklife Program no A program of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities Virginia Folklife Program http://virginiafolklife.org/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://virginiafolklife.org We Support In Your Ear on WCVE http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/10/inyourear/ http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/10/inyourear/#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:57:35 +0000 tlt8a http://virginiafolklife.org/?p=1600 In Your Ear is a new series presented by JAMinc and hosted by Tim Timberlake on WCVE Public Radio. For 10 years, the Richmond non-profit JAMinc has brought musical artists to Richmond concert halls and schools. Most of the performances have been within the intimate and acoustically pristine confines of In Your Ear Music and Recording in Shockoe Bottom, where they were carefully recorded on state-of-the-art multi-track equipment. Now many of those performances will gain a wider audience, as WCVE Public Radio will air 13 hour-long sessions of In Your Ear, featuring a compilation of the best of JAMinc’s continuing monthly concert series. Tune in to the show Saturdays at 1:00 p.m on WCVE.

]]> http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/10/inyourear/feed/ 0 Richmond Folk Festival Recap http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/10/rffrecap/ http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/10/rffrecap/#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:06:33 +0000 tlt8a http://virginiafolklife.org/?p=1585

What an incredible weekend on the Virginia Folklife Stage at the Richmond Folk Festival! Record crowds watched from the edge of their seats as some of Virginia’s most talented musicians and artists competed in a wide range of folk traditions. This year’s Virginia Folklife Area at the Richmond Folk Festival, curated by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities’ Virginia Folklife Program, showcased diverse contest traditions from across the Commonwealth.

The contestants were chosen based on their previous success in their field, as well as through years of fieldwork by the Virginia Folklife Program. The results were nothing short of dazzling. Sunday’s Old Time Fiddle contest featured contestants ranging in age from 10 to 87. The Step Competition brought members of six fraternities and sororities from Virginia colleges and universities, who nearly took down the stage with their powerful, athletic, highly coordinated syncopated steps. Oysters were shucked, hot dogs were scarfed down, and turkeys were called. And, as entertaining as these contests were, they weren’t simply exhibitions­—the contestants battled for some serious prizes, including homemade instruments built by some of Virginia’s finest luthiers: Wayne Henderson, Gerald Anderson, and Richmond’s own Don Leister.

Virginia’s material craft traditions were in fine display as well. A colossal quilt show, featuring seven chapters of the Richmond Quilters Guild, invited visitors to offer their “Viewer’s choice.” The Virginia Folklife Area was also home to one of the festival’s greatest attractions, the spectacular homemade Caribbean Carnival Costumes of Earl Blake and his family, which, when paraded around the sunshine of the Tredegar Bluestone on the beautiful RFF waterfront site, stood more than 15 feet high and 25 feet in diameter.

For great coverage on the Virginia Folklife Area and the Richmond Folk Festival, please visit,  The Richmond Folk Festival and the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Winners of the Virginia Folklife Area Contests were:

Mandolin Contest:
1. Chase Johner, Marion
2. Aaron Williams, Blacksburg
3. Ryan Blevins, Chilhowie

Guitar Contest:
1. Eric Hardin, Jefferson, N.C.
2. Brandon Davis, Independence
3. Aaron Williams, Blacksburg

Step Contest:
1. Delta Sigma Theta, Virginia State University
2. Sigma Gamma Rho, James Madison University
3. Alpha Phi Alpha, Virginia Union University

Fiddle Contest:
1. Nate Leath, Natural Bridge
2. Erika Godfrey, Mt. Airy, N.C.
3. Erynn Marshall, Galax

Viewer’s Choice: Quilt Show
Shelia Harlin, Quilt # 3 titled “Stars Around My Garden,” Hospitality Quilters

Hot Dog Eating Contest:
Bobby Stultz, Mechanicsville – 11 hot dogs

Oyster Shucking Contest:
Deborah Pratt defeated Clementine Macon

]]> http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/10/rffrecap/feed/ 1 Apprenticeship Showcase Recap http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/09/apprenticeshipslideshow/ http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/09/apprenticeshipslideshow/#comments Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:56:37 +0000 tlt8a http://virginiafolklife.org/?p=1468 The Virginia Folklife Program celebrated its eighth annual Apprenticeship Showcase on September 11. Festival-goers were treated to the food, music, and crafts of the Commonwealth. We congratulate all graduating Virginia Folk Masters and welcome the new class of masters and apprentices. View the slideshow below to see the wonderful images captured from the afternoon.


Video: Northern Neck Chantey Singers

]]> http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/09/apprenticeshipslideshow/feed/ 0 Virginia Folklife Program Celebrates Contest Traditions at Richmond Folk Festival October 15 and 16 http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/09/virginia-folklife-program-celebrates-contest-traditions-at-richmond-folk-festival-october-15-and-16/ http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/09/virginia-folklife-program-celebrates-contest-traditions-at-richmond-folk-festival-october-15-and-16/#comments Sun, 11 Sep 2011 20:10:32 +0000 Jeanne Siler http://virginiafolklife.org/?p=1441 When asked how he became a world famous guitarist, Wayne Henderson answered simply, “I wanted to win blue ribbons.”

Oyster shuckingFiddlers, banjo players, and guitarists are just a few of the musicians who regularly attend competitions – such as the annual Old Time Fiddlers’ Conventions in Galax, Virginia – for ribbons, cash prizes and the bragging rights that come to the winners. More than just fun and games, these contests often are fiercely competitive, motivating participants to constantly improve their skills.

Contests span broad reaches of Virginia’s traditional art forms and help keep many of these traditions strong and vibrant, re-energizing old masters and encouraging new generations. This year’s Virginia Folklife Area at the Richmond Folk Festival, curated by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities’ Virginia Folklife Program, showcases and highlights these diverse contest traditions. Some of the state’s finest musicians, oyster shuckers, dancers, and crafts people will be competing for coveted prizes.

“The contestants have been chosen based on their previous performances – these are folks that we’ve met over the course of ten years of fieldwork in the Valley, in Southwest Virginia, from the Piedmont, really from all over the state,” noted Virginia Folklife Program Director Jon Lohman. “Like an invitational, these contests allow them an incredible forum for their talents – and a chance for some exceptional prizes.”

Henderson GuitarWayne Henderson built his first guitar using wood from the bottom of a dresser drawer, but has since built more than 400 on his way to becoming a world-renowned guitar maker. A sunburst-style Henderson guitar will be the prize young hot-shot players Travis Starkey, Aaron Williams, Thomas C. Coleman, Seth Taylor, Brandon Davis, and Eric Hardin will be competing for during their 3 pm Saturday afternoon  performances.

Gerald Anderson, a blue-ribbon winning musician himself, has create an F-model mandolin as the top prize for the Saturday mandolin contest featuring Chase Johner, Ryan Blevins, Aaron Williams, and Andy Thacker at 1 pm on the Richmond Times-Dispatch Virginia Folklife Stage.

Cremona, Italy, is the birthplace of the violin inspiring Virginia instrument maker Don Leister to follow the old masters’ patterns. He uses his own oil varnishes, stains and sealers in creating hand-built Southwestern Virginia fiddles. Either Scott Freeman, Jason Phillips, Erika Godfrey, Danny Knicely, Erynn Marshall, Mike Ford and Lovell Coleman will go home with a Leister fiddle after Sunday afternoon’s 3 pm contest.  This and all instrument contests will be emceed by Galax native Harold Mitchell, the famed voice of the Galax Fiddlers’ Convention for the last 40 of the convention’s 75-year history.

Step dancingSaturday’s events kick off with a flat-footing contest and workshop at noon on Saturday, and will be followed by competitions between hot-dog eaters, oyster shuckers, turkey callers and Caribbean Carnival costume makers during the course of the weekend.   A special marquee event will be a Step Competition, featuring members of various chapters of fraternities and sororities from historically black colleges and universities from throughout Virginia.Harold Mitchell

For more information about these traditional contests, all taking place Saturday and Sunday afternoon, October 15 and 16, see www.richmondfolkfestival.org

or Sunday, Oct. 9th’s feature stories in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

 

]]> http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/09/virginia-folklife-program-celebrates-contest-traditions-at-richmond-folk-festival-october-15-and-16/feed/ 0 Folklife Showcase Presenter Sammy Shelor Named Steve Martin Prize Winner http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/09/folklife-showcase-presenter-sammy-shelor-named-steve-martin-prize-winner/ http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/09/folklife-showcase-presenter-sammy-shelor-named-steve-martin-prize-winner/#comments Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:16:52 +0000 Jeanne Siler http://virginiafolklife.org/?p=1438   Patrick County banjo player Sammy Shelor, a Virginia Foundation for the Humanities Master artist, learned this week he has been chosen as this year’s winner of The Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. As a result, Sammy and the Lonesome River Band will perform with the comedian and actor on the “Late Show With David Letterman” on November 3, 2011.

Shelor and his banjo-playing apprentice Ashley Nale appeared in Charlottesville September 11 as part of the VFH Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase.

Fans of the Virginia Folklife program may have heard Shelor’s talents in 2007 when VFH produced “Taking the Crooked Road Home” featuring Shelor and Linda Lay; the CD is one of a series of Crooked Road music CDs promoting Virginia artists.

Shelor joined the Lonesome River Band in 1990 and has led the band since 2000, continuing to influence banjo players everywhere with his traditional blue-grass style, part of the reason Martin and others selected Shelor as this year’s prize winner, according to the New York Times.  Nominees for the Steve Martin Prize are chosen by a board that includes Martin, Earl Scruggs, Pete Wernick, Tony Trischka, Béla Fleck and others musicians appreciative of the distinctive American roots genre.

“Sammy is, without question, one of our favorites. Virginia has always been fertile ground for banjo players, from old time to bluegrass, and in the latter category, nobody is stronger than Sammy Shelor,” declared Jon Lohman, director of the Virginia Folklife program, upon hearing of Shelor’s latest award.

Shelor and other members of the Lonesome River Band are nominees for a variety of upcoming International Bluegrass Music Association awards that will be announced September 29 in Nashville.  This month also marks the 30th anniversary of the Lonesome River Band, according to Rural Rhythm Records, which released the band’s most recent CD, “Still Learning” and the IBMA nominee for album of the year, “The All-Star Jam: Live At Graves Mountain” that features Shelor’s banjo playing, too.

In addition the opportunity to appear on the Letterman show, the Martin prize comes with an Eric Fischl sculpture and a $50,000 award.

For more information on Sammy Shelor and the Lonesome River Band, visit LonesomeRiverBand.com.

 

]]> http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/09/folklife-showcase-presenter-sammy-shelor-named-steve-martin-prize-winner/feed/ 0 Announcing New Virginia Folk Masters and Apprentices http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/08/newmasters/ http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/08/newmasters/#comments Wed, 24 Aug 2011 19:30:09 +0000 tlt8a http://virginiafolklife.org/?p=1373 Apprenticeship ShocaseThe Virginia Folklife Program is pleased to announce the ninth class of Master Artists and Apprentices in the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program.

Please join us in welcoming the 2011-2012 class at the Apprenticeship Showcase on Sunday, September 11 from Noon to 5pm at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (directions).

  • Master Banjo player Sammy Shelor of Patrick County and apprentice Ashley Nale
  • Master Cobbler David Young and apprentice Yvonne Young of Waynesboro
  • Master of Oyster Aquaculture Dudley Biddlecomb of Northumberland County and apprentice Peter Hedlund
  • Master Cheesemaker Gail Hobbs-Page of Albemarle County and apprentice Kyle Kilduff
  • Master Shape Note Singers John del Re and Kelly Macklin of Clarke County and apprentices John Alexander and Diane Ober
  • Master Autoharp maker and player John Hollandsworth and apprentice Sam Gleaves of  Montgomery County
  • Master Mongolian Mask Maker Gankhuyag Natsag and apprentice Zanabazar Gankhuyag of Arlington County
  • Master Caribbean Carnival Costume Maker Earl Blake and apprentice Scotie Blake of Hampton

The Apprenticeship Showcase also will recognize the graduating class of master artists and their apprentices:

  • Master Menhaden Chantey Singers Elton Smith Jr., Edward Taylor, William Muse, Lloyd Hill, Christopher Harvey, and James U. Carter and apprentice Lewis R. Blackwell Jr. of King and Queen County
  • Master Clawhammer Banjo player Emily Spencer and apprentices Amanda and Kilby Spencer of Grayson County
  • Master of Galax-Style Dulcimer Phyllis Gaskins and apprentice Blue O’Connell of Rockingham County
  • Master Grist Miller Bill Savage and apprentice Bob Savage of Accomack County
  • Master of Persian Classical Music Nader Majd and apprentice Ali Analouei of Fairfax County
  • Master Flatpick Guitarist Steve Kilby and apprentice Leah Hall of Grayson County
  • Master Instrument Maker Randal Eller and apprentice Drew Plowman of Smyth County
  • Master of Traditional Forestry Jason Rutledge and apprentices Melanie Carrier and Adam B. Greene of Floyd County

Please join us for this free festival featuring the music, food, and crafts of the Commonwealth. This year’s Showcase also sees the return of Frances Davis, the “fried apple pie lady,” and the Brunswick Stewmasters. The stewmasters will make 300 quarts of their delicious Brunswick stew on site, and new this year, they will offer take-home quarts for sale, with all proceeds benefiting the Virginia Folklife Program.

The event is free and open to the public. Children and families are welcome. RSVPs are encouraged.

The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities is located next to the Boar’s Head Inn, 145 Ednam Drive, off Route 250 West in Charlottesville. For more information, call 434-924-3296.

The Folklife Apprenticeship Program, which is funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, helps to ensure that Virginia’s treasured folkways continue to receive new life and vibrancy, engage new learners, and reinvigorate master practitioners.

]]> http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/08/newmasters/feed/ 3 Floydfest 2011 Recap http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/08/floydfest-2011-recap/ http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/08/floydfest-2011-recap/#comments Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:12:54 +0000 VFHwebdev http://virginiafolklife.org/?p=1237 Virginia state folklorist Jon Lohman hosted the Virginia Folklife Workshop Porch at Floydfest the last weekend of July.

The Porch, as it’s affectionately known, featured workshops conducted by Jon with Sam Bush, Jorma Kaukonen and Larry Keel, Del McCoury, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Peter Rowen, Dirk Powell, and performances by some of Virginia’s finest musicians including Sammy Shelor, Linda and David Lay, the Whitetop Mountain Band, the Crooked Road All-Stars, Heather Berry, Jay Pun and Morwenna Lasko, Nate Leath, and Maggie Ingram and the Ingramettes.

The Porch was a rocking good time, and many thanks to all who attended and helped out.


]]> http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/08/floydfest-2011-recap/feed/ 0 8th Annual Apprenticeship Showcase: Sunday, September 11 http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/08/folklifeshowcase/ http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/08/folklifeshowcase/#comments Thu, 04 Aug 2011 20:42:48 +0000 tlt8a http://virginiafolklife.org/?p=1346 Join the Folklife Program at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities on Sunday, September 11th, from Noon to 5:00 p.m. for the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase. We’ll celebrate the eighth graduating class of folklife apprentices and introduce the incoming Virginia Folk Masters, with musical performances, crafts, and great food.

This year’s showcase will feature masters of a wide range of Virginia traditions, including:

  • Legendary banjo player Sammy Shelor
  • Brunswick Stew Masters
  • Work songs of the Northern Neck Chantey Singers
  • Old time dance music of the Whitetop Mountain Band
  • Cheese made by Gail Hobbs-Page of Caromont Farm
  • Traditional instruments made by Randal Eller and John Hollandsworth
  • Persian music by Nader Majd and Ali Analouei

Also, there will be draft horses worked by traditional forester Jason Rutledge, a traditional grist mill run by Bill Savage, oyster aquaculture by Dudley Biddlecomb, and much more!

The event is free and open to the public. Children and families are welcome. RSVPs are encouraged.

The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities is located next to the Boar’s Head Inn, 145 Ednam Drive, off Route 250 West in Charlottesville. For more information, call 434-924-3296.

]]> http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/08/folklifeshowcase/feed/ 1 Remembering Frank Paschall Jr. http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/07/frankpaschall/ http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/07/frankpaschall/#comments Mon, 25 Jul 2011 20:33:45 +0000 tlt8a http://virginiafolklife.org/?p=1203 With heavy hearts we share the news of the passing of Frank Paschall Jr., a dear friend of the Virginia Folklife Program and the eldest brother of the beloved Tidewater gospel quartet, the Paschall Brothers. Frank was the namesake of his father, the late Reverend Frank Paschall Sr., a great gospel singer and contemporary of the Golden Gate Quartet, and the one who raised Frank Jr. and his ten brothers and sisters alone, with love, compassion, and grace. By the 1960s, the Tidewater style of a cappella gospel had all but disappeared. But Frank Jr. and his brothers faithfully carried on this singing tradition of Hampton Roads. “Our father would always ask us, ‘What’s your pitch?’” Frank once told us. “And he kept us on our toes. We never thought twice about carrying this on.” Thanks to Frank and his brothers, this dazzling vocal tradition continues to lift spirits by making a joyful sound.

Frank Paschall Jr. was a deeply spiritual and soulful man, who lived the life he preached. He was a remarkably talented singer, taking turns at singing bass, tenor, baritone, and soprano in the group, often seamlessly moving from one to another within the same song. His powerful leads can be heard on signature Paschall Brothers numbers including “Final Edition” and “On the Right Road Now,” the title track of the 2009 IMA Gospel Album of the year, produced by the Virginia Folklife Program for Smithsonian Folkways.

Frank’s passing came as shocking news to his family and all of us at the Virginia Folklife Program, and we will miss him dearly. Virginia has lost one of its greatest voices, but what we will miss most of all is Frank’s generous smile and exuberant laughter. He was, simply, a joy to be around and we feel blessed to have known him.

]]> http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/07/frankpaschall/feed/ 2 Elder Frank Newsome Wins National Heritage Fellowship http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/07/elder-frank-newsome-wins-national-heritage-fellowship/ http://virginiafolklife.org/2011/07/elder-frank-newsome-wins-national-heritage-fellowship/#comments Sat, 16 Jul 2011 18:57:40 +0000 VFHwebdev http://virginiafolklife.org/?p=1177 Frank NewsomeWe announce with great pleasure that The Reverend Frank Newsome, a dear friend of the Virginia Folklife Program, is the recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor that the United States government bestows on a traditional artist.  Past recipients include the likes of Doc Watson, Ralph Stanley, and B.B. King.

Elder Newsome, of Little David Old Regular Baptist Church outside of Haysi, Virginia, is one of the great living masters of the Old Regular Baptist singing style, which he uses to inspire his small but spirited congregation every Sunday.

The singing of the Old Regular Baptists is one of the oldest and deepest veins in American spiritual singing traditions. This hymnody, with its elaborate, lined-out, unaccompanied singing, is prevalent throughout the coalfields region of central Appalachia, but barely known outside this area. Old Regular Baptist singing cannot be heard on television or radio and has been largely unavailable on recordings, until the issue of our recent CD of Elder Newsome entitled “Gone Away with a Friend.”

One of 22 children, The Reverend Newsome began attending Old Regular Baptist church services as a child with his mother.  He worked in the coal mines for eighteen years before contracting coal worker’s pneumoconiosis, or black lung disease.  Elder Newsome had his experience of Grace in 1963 while working in the mine.

Fellow National Heritage Recipient Dr. Ralph Stanley frequently attends Little David Baptist Church, and has become so enamored of Newsome’s singing that he regularly invites him to sing at his annual music festival.

The Reverend Newsome has performed at numerous festival presentations by the Virginia Folklife Program, including the Richmond Folk Festival, Bristol Rhythm and Roots, Floydfest, and many others, and has been a Master Artist in our Folklife Apprenticeship Program.

The Reverend Newsome was honored with the first ever Virginia State Heritage Award in 2009.

The Reverend Frank Newsome’s singing has touched many hearts, and we extend our congratulations to the entire Newsome family for this greatly deserved honor.
Frank-and-Family

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