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By Jill Yesko, University Relations
Contact (336) 334-3890
Posted:3-31-08
GREENSBORO, N.C. – A day-long event honoring the diversity of North Carolina’s home-grown vocal styles and traditions, from gospel to shape note singing, will be held at the School of Music.
The North Carolina Music Festival: A Celebration of NC Vocal Traditions will be held from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, at the School of Music. The event will focus on performing, discussing, participating and appreciating popular vocal styles native to North Carolina. The festival features workshops, panel discussions and concerts. All events are free and open to the public.
Performers, speakers and workshops include:
• The UNCG Old Time Ensemble. The 10-person ensemble plays folk song favorites and traditional dance tunes performed on traditional instruments including fiddle, mandolin, autoharp, button accordion and banjo.
• The Shape Note Singers of the NC Research Triangle with Lynda Hambourger. A sacred American tradition rooted in the South, shape note singing uses simple musical notations found in the Sacred Harp songbook. The notation is based on shapes that correspond to musical syllables?the do, re, mi of the song. Participants are invited to learn this vernacular form of Southern harmony.
• Songwriting workshop using traditional sources. Led by Greensboro’s award-winning singer-songwriter and playwright Laurelyn Dossett, the workshop addresses the techniques songwriters can use to create new compositions using musical and lyrical motifs of Appalachian folklore and folksong. The session is sponsored by UNCG’s Center for Creative Writing in the Arts. North Carolina singer-songwriter Alice Gerrard will also participate.
• Ballad singing with Appalachian singer, performer and folklorist Sheila Kay Adams. Adams comes from a long line of North Carolina ballad singers. She specializes in unaccompanied ballad singing.
• Sacred music with traditional gospel singer Sister Lena Mae Perry. Perry is a recipient of the North Carolina Arts Council’s Heritage Award for her contributions to preserving traditional gospel music.
The festival concludes with concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall featuring Sister Lena Mae Perry, Alice Gerrard, Laurelyn Dossett and Sheila Kay Adams.
The event is sponsored by the UNCG School of Music and the North Carolina Humanities Council.
For more informaition visit www.uncg.edu/mus.
University Relations
Location: 500 Forest Street
Mailing Address: PO Box 26170, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
Telephone:336.334.3783
Fax:336.334.4602