| 2007 Performances |
Sept. 15
Michael Troy/Mark Purcell
~ First, the engaging, blues-oriented
Mark Purcell, who captivates us with his expressive guitar and harmonica
playing, full-bodied songs, and warm, easy interaction with the audience.
Mark is followed by Fall River’s Michael Troy, who continues to gain
recognition for his gruff but gentle ballads. His wisdom and his
experiences as a mill worker, fisherman, laborer, and carpenter, as well as
a husband and father, echo through his music. A magical storyteller with a
gift for melody, a deep, rich voice, and great finger-pickin’ skills, he lets
the emotion drive the music.
www.folkmichaeltroy.com ;
www.myspace.com/mwpurcell
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Oct. 20
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Eric Cornetta and friends ~ This Hingham singer-songwriter is
an open microphone legend from Harvard Square to Greenwich Village
and back again. His imaginative and sensitive songs are presented with
irrepressible spirit and joie de vie. Eric goes on to reveal a new side of an
old folk song while getting everyone to join in on the chorus. To add to
the liveliness of the evening, he’s asking Jane Gilmartin, some Old
Shippers, and a few flexible folk friends to join him in a song or two.
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Nov. 17
Susie Burke and David Surette
~ Susie’s beautiful, complex
voice and David’s graceful, nimble-fingered string playing combine with
extraordinary results. She has “one of the finest, purest ballad sopranos
heard . . . today [with] phrasing unerringly devoted to the lyric [and a] gift
for pulling honest emotional chords,” according to the Boston Globe’s
Scott Alarik. Folk Roots magazine finds David’s
playing “exemplary.” They use their talents to interpret their
own songs and some of the finest contemporary and traditional material.
www.burkesurette.com
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Dec. 16 (Sunday, 4 p.m.)
Aine Minogue Christmas Concert ~
Aine’s renowned harp playing, her beautiful, nearly ethereal voice, and
her oft-times enchanting guests have made this sell-out event the high
point of four recent seasons. From her time as a harpist in residence at
Ireland’s Bunratty Castle to her playing and teaching here, Aine only
gets better. www.minogue.com
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| 2008 Performances |
Jan. 19
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Kevin Connolly ~
Marshfield native Kevin Connolly has carved out
his own way of writing “real life” American songs, including ones
reflecting his childhood on the South Shore, and has earned a reputation
as a passionate performer. His songs have appeared on network television
in episodes of NBC’s “First Watch” and in films like Danny Aiello’s
“Mojave Moon.” Early influences like John Prine, Tom Waits, and Bob
Dylan remain inspirations and guiding forces.
www.kevinconnolly.com
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Feb. 16 
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Jake Armerding ~
After growing up with Vivaldi and bluegrass,
Jake was playing in his father, Taylor’s, cutting-edge bluegrass band,
Northern Lights, by the 7th grade. He has gone on to develop his own
“seamless blend of folk and bluegrass.” The Boston Globe’s Scott Alarik
finds him “the most gifted and promising songwriter to emerge from the
Boston folk scene in years [with] a timeless folk-pop melodicism.” He is
also a first-rate fiddler and mandolinist.
http://www.jakearmerding.com/
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March 15
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Aoife Clancy
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This marvelous mezzo just keeps growing, as shown
on her triumphant CD “Silvery Moon.” Though one of the celebrated
Clancys, Aoife has a distinct repertoire and artistry, and her music is all
her own. She goes from a traditional ballad to a classic cabaret song to a
beautiful lament in Irish. Aoife’s voice, guitar, and bodhran fill a room.
www.aoifeclancy.com
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April 19
Skip Gorman ~ Skip’s music is not that of the Hollywood cowboy,
but rather the simple, yet beautifully poignant music that was performed
around campfires by cowboys and westward settlers in the 19th century.
He has performed on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home
Companion”
and at bluegrass festivals and cowboy gatherings. He frequently presents
programs and concerts at schools and museums dressed in authentic
cowboy garb while playing period instruments.
www.skipgorman.com
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May 17
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Geoff Muldaur ~
One of the great voices and musical forces to
emerge from the Cambridge folk, blues, and folk-rock scene, Geoff has
composed scores for film and television, even garnering an Emmy. He
was a founding member of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, which performed
during the 1960s and 70s. He also collaborated with then-wife Maria
Muldaur and other notables (Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Garcia, Eric Von
Schmidt . . .) The New York Times noted that Geoff succeeds “not
because he copies the timbre and inflections of a down-home
African-American but because his voice - reedy, quavering, otherworldly
- is so unusual that [his music] becomes little more than a context, a
jumping-off point.” British songwriter Richard Thompson says: “
There are only three white blues singers, and Geoff Muldaur is at least two of
them.”
www.geoffmuldaur.com
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