Mid-Winter Singing Festival

singing tradition of the copper family
For over 200 years, one family in a small English farming village has passed down an extraordinary group of traditional folksongs. The Copper Family of Rottingdean, Sussex, has been singing for at least seven consecutive generations. Their songs, and their unique a cappella harmony style, have influenced many other folksingers throughout England and America. At this workshop, the Canadian trio
Finest Kind will perform some of their favorite songs from the Coppers' repertoire. WKAR Radio's Bob Blackman (who wrote a comprehensive article about the family for Sing Out! magazine in 2001) will talk about the Coppers and play a few of their recordings.

Bob Blackman &
Finest Kind

giving life to the
spoken word
Want to make words jump off the page, stand up and shout? This workshop will show you how to infuse a poem, story or speech with vital energy, how to catch and hold the attention of your audience. Together, poet Ruelaine Stokes and singer/storyteller Claudia Schmidt will teach basic oral performance techniques that will bring a jolt of authentic soul power and verbal magic into any spoken word performance. This workshop will be interactive and allow participants to practice a variety of spoken word techniques. Fun!
Ruelaine Stokes &
Claudia Schmidt

finding your voice
Learn to huck out, rain down on and comingle with a poem. Take on a poem & a mike by hailstorm & hurricane!
Zack Chartkoff

open mic poetry
Now it's your turn to use the spoken word techniques you have been learning. Experiment! Practice! Dazzle your audience!
Hosted by
Zack Chartkoff

barbershop tags
Can you hear those exciting, climbing
harmonies at the end of barbershop songs? The Sidekicks Quartet will walk you though those "tags."
Sidekicks Quartet

songs for children
Parents and Teachers, Do you ever find yourself wishing you could encourage your children to enjoy music more, or provide some new musical experiences for your children to explore? Enjoy singing to your son, daughter, grandchild, or student? Wish that music could help solve some of the behavior problems that sometimes arise with young children? This is the workshop for you. Betsy will take you through a wide range of songs and music, showing techniques to invigorate, calm, focus, or just enjoy music at it's most basic levels. Bring a tape recorder, and expect to sing along. Children are welcome and encouraged, but the workshop is actually designed for the adults wishing to use music more in children's lives.
Betsy Clinton

yorkshire pub
caroling
For over a century, villagers in Yorkshire, England, have gathered at Christmas in the cheery warmth of local pubs to sing magnificent, old, four part harmony carols—mostly Victorian-era treasures heard no longer in mainstream churches, seldom in mass media, never in elevators or shopping malls! Singing these carols is now also a cherished local Christmas tradition in a neighborhood pub in Ottawa, Canada, thanks to Finest Kind’s Shelley Posen. Join him at the festival as he teaches some of these highly singable, unclichéed hymns of yuletide cheer. You just might want to start a pub caroling tradition of your own next Christmas. Music provided.
Shelley Posen

shape note singing
The hymn-singing style you heard in the movie Cold Mountain dates back to the early 19th Century, but shape-note singers carry on the tradition all over the country today. Find out how shaped notes can help you learn to read music and discover the delights of singing four-part harmony "in the square." Samuel Sommers of Elkhart, Indiana, is our Singing Master. Copies of The Sacred Harp will be available for purchase.

songs in spanish

In the workshop, we will experience the richness of Spanish-Speaking musical traditions. We will learn some basic Spanish pronunciation, and learn the harmonies and rhythms of popular songs in Spanish such as “Guantanamera,” “Viva la gente,” “Somos el barco,” “Eres tú,” “Gracias a la vida,” “Te recuerdo, Amanda.” These songs from Spain and Latin America tell stories of people’s hopes and sorrows, their dreams and experiences.

for pete’s sake
This workshop will explore the amazing contributions of our Mid-Winter Singing Festival hero, Pete Seeger. Pete has devoted his life to putting songs in the ears and, more importantly, on the lips of millions of singers throughout the world. The problem will not be which songs to sing, but which ones to leave out.
Matt Watroba

claudia's cornucopia Claudia's favorite introduction ever was from a presenter in Rochester, Mn.,
who said, Claudia Schmidt brings honor to the word "Hodge-Podge". Let this
workshop celebrate that ongoing tradition by including a little jazz and
blues, a taste of original, novelty, and poignant gems. From "Fever" to
"While I Live" to "Everybody Eats When They Come To My House", an emotionalm roller-coaster ride is guaranteed.
Claudia Schmidt

riding the
orphan train
Traditional folk music has long focused on death in its various forms. In this workshop, we'll examine the experience of orphanhood, from early British and American tunes such as "Poor Little Sailor Boy" and "Wayfaring Stranger" to contemporary songs such as Utah Phillips' "Orphan Train", Tim
O'Brien's "Lost Little Children" and Gillian Welch's "Orphan Girl." We know it sounds depressing, but these songs are beautiful and fun to sing, with lots of room for good harmony. Over-the-counter anti-depressants will be
available at the door, and we'll vote on which song is most pathetic.

this is my song
All are welcome to join Pat Madden in singing the songs and sharing the sentiments that inspire and unite us in our desire to make a difference in a world of war and injustice.
Pat Madden

harmony singing
Join Canada's favorite folk music trio and weave your way through fabulous
harmony lines of
popular songs.
Finest Kind

a second look
Can you laugh and sing at the same time? With a little help from her Second Opinion friends, Sally Potter and Betsy Clinton, Pat Madden will lead us through an hilarious hour of parody, revisiting old melodies with new lyrics.
Pat Madden

children’s
concert
with
Julie Austin

festival choir 3-5 pm
Join us for a fun and stimulating exploration of choral singing and sight-reading basics. We will learn two song (Spiritual by Ysaye M. Barnwell and Ain't No Power by Laura Love, arranged by Rachel) to perform after the intermission at Saturday’s evening sing (participants need to purchase Saturday evening sing tickets). Sheet music will be handed out at the workshop. All welcome – no previous choral singing or sight-reading experience required.
Rachel Alexander