Our new Open Mic Night is now monthly! On this first Sunday of April, spend the evening at the lovely West Shore Theatre in New Cumberland, enjoying some fine local music and maybe taking center stage yourself. For April, your host is Joe Cooney. Be there at 6:15 to sign up to play! FREE Open Mic Night on
Sunday, April 2 at the West Shore Theatre.
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A contagious groove and feel-good melting pot of raging fiddle tunes, saxophone solos and unrequited love songs. We get a whole weekend with this hot trio! Saturday evening contra dance at St John's in Lancaster with caller Caroline Barnes, and a Sunday evening concert at Fort Hunter in Harrisburg.
Join us for a FREE evening coffeehouse in the lovely historic Fort Hunter Centennial Barn. Please be generous in supporting local musicians!
Two very different singer / songwriters start us off: genre-jumping psych-folk from Scott Fagan and the emotive original songs of Michael Arthur.
After a brief intermission, The Chestnuts cover great old artists from the 40s to the 80s, and
Nothin’ Ta Plunder wraps up the evening with classic rock, blues and 60s music, plus a few country and original numbers.
The word été in French means "summer" — a fitting tribute to this trio's original, lively take on Québec's traditional music. With lovely vocal harmonies, deep groove, and rich instrumentation, their shows transform the nostalgia of a kitchen party into an unforgettable celebration of the joie de vivre of Québecois culture.
Thu, April 27 at UUCY.
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“With one foot steeped in tradition and the other focused on fresh songwriting, Golden Shoals are helping to further the narrative of American Roots music and introducing the traditions of our past to a whole new generation of listeners.” Two Baltimore-based roots musicians join this Nashville-based duo, along with special guests Tanjo & Crow Project, for the concert on
Sun, April 30 at Fort Hunter.
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Are you curious about how to incorporate your artistic work into educational
experiences for children and/or adults? This FREE and engaging workshop will give you tools and resources to help you succeed. Presented by our Susquehanna Folk Arts Center in partnership with BrightNow! and the Capital Area Intermediate Unit.
Live on Zoom on Tuesday, May 2.
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We're delighted to be collaborating with the Harrisburg Harp Orchestra to present Máire Ní Chathasaigh & Chris Newman.
photo by Simon Mayor & Hilary James
The Irish Harp
It's not an understatement to say Máire Ní Chathasaigh revolutionized how the harp is viewed in traditional music circles. The Irish Times says, “[Máire] takes one of the most effete instruments in traditional music and breathes a fire into its belly”.
You'll explore what makes Irish dance music sound authentic, and learn a pretty tune with specific fingering techniques to make your own harp playing dance. This one-hour workshop is for all levels, and no music reading is required. Recording devices are welcome.
Their evening concert will be a treat too. The Belfast Telegraph (Ireland) says: “This celebrated duo took the place by storm. Stately Carolan tunes, jazzy Django-ish numbers, dazzling Doc Watson style flat picking fliers, driving Irish dance tunes — this pair can nonchalantly do the lot. Guitar players applauded and went sadly home to burn their instruments!”
For SFMS events, we follow CDC recommendations on the event date,
adding any additional precautions required by the venue or the artist.
Details on our COVID policy page.
BRING THE FAMILY!
Traditional arts often embody what is most important to a community: the things each generation wants to pass on to the next. And so by its very nature, much of traditional art is intended for the whole family.
Ed Stockton plays his beloved custom "New Christy Mistrels commemorative" Martin 12-string guitar. (courtesy of the artist)
This month we're spotlighting performances from two very different genres of traditional art: a concert by folksinger Ed Stockton (March 24) and a production of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book including Bharatanatyam dance (March 31 - April 2). Both represent art that is deeply rooted in the traditional, while also innovative, appealing and relevant for today’s audiences.
The board and staff of the Susquehanna Folk Music Society are committed to celebrating and affirming diverse cultures through programming which explores the music, dance, craft and stories of many people. We stand in complete solidarity with the Black community and all marginalized communities to speak out against injustice, bigotry and racial violence.
Susquehanna Folk Music Society
185-326 Newberry Commons, Etters, PA 17319(717) 745-6577
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