Shape Note Singing – Peter Ross, Dan Harper, Leigh Cooper Mark Godfrey Sacred Harp singing, or shape note singing, is participatory, a cappella, four-part harmony sung with full voices–and it’s fun! Words to songs were taken from biblical sources and 18th century English hymn writers, while the melodies and arrangements were created by itinerant singing masters in the eastern US, who taught them to the enthusiastic but musically illiterate congregations. The shapes can be a little challenging at first, but sit next to someone who knows what they’re doing and you’ll be fine. The workshop will start with a brief singing school introductory lesson, then we’ll jump right in to singing. Loaner tune booklets will be provided, with songs selected from the Sacred Harp 1991 Edition. Visit our website for more info and a singing schedule: www.bayareasacredharp.org Peter Ross originally got hooked on shape note singing when he attended workshops in the 1990s at the San Francisco Free Folk Festival, where the gorgeous harmonies and the inspiring music captivated him. He sings twice a month with the Palo Alto Sacred Harp group, and has been a member of the San Francisco Folk Music Club since the late 60s. When he travels, he now checks https://fasola.org/singings/ for singings to attend, both here and in other countries. Dan Harper did a workshop on Sacred Harp singing at the 2008 New England Folk Festival, and realized that he needed to sing this amazingly powerful music on a regular basis. He is one of the leads for Harmonic Circle, a singing jam session in Palo Alto, and also sings with a conventional choir and an unconventional quartet. Leigh Cooper and Mark Godfrey have been Sacred Harp singers for 9 years, having started singing in the Atlanta area. They have organized numerous all-day singings and conventions, as well as workshops and singing schools. Leigh is currently the president of Bay Area Sacred Harp (BASH). They are married, parents of two young boys, and live in San Francisco. Leigh and Mark Dan Peter
Transcript
Shape Note Singing – Peter Ross, Dan Harper, Leigh Cooper Mark Godfrey
Sacred Harp singing, or shape note singing, is participatory, a cappella, four-part harmony sung with full voices–and it’s fun! Words to songs were taken from biblical sources and 18th century English hymn writers, while the melodies and arrangements were created by itinerant singing masters in the eastern US, who taught them to the enthusiastic but musically illiterate congregations. The shapes can be a little challenging at first, but sit next to someone who knows what they’re doing and you’ll be fine. The workshop will start with a brief singing school introductory lesson, then we’ll jump right in to singing. Loaner tune booklets will be provided, with songs selected from the Sacred Harp 1991 Edition. Visit our website for more info and a singing schedule: www.bayareasacredharp.org
Peter Ross originally got hooked on shape note singing when he attended workshops in the 1990s at the San Francisco Free Folk Festival, where the gorgeous harmonies and the inspiring music captivated him. He sings twice a month with the Palo Alto Sacred Harp group, and has been a member of the San Francisco Folk Music Club since the late 60s. When he travels, he now checks https://fasola.org/singings/ for singings to attend, both here and in other countries. Dan Harper did a workshop on Sacred Harp singing at the 2008 New England Folk Festival, and realized that he needed to sing this amazingly powerful music on a regular basis. He is one of the leads for Harmonic Circle, a singing jam session in Palo Alto, and also sings with a conventional choir and an unconventional quartet. Leigh Cooper and Mark Godfrey have been Sacred Harp singers for 9 years, having started singing in the Atlanta area. They have organized numerous all-day singings and conventions, as well as workshops and singing schools. Leigh is currently the president of Bay Area Sacred Harp (BASH). They are married, parents of two young boys, and live in San Francisco.
Join Jim Tepperman in a Beatles songfest. This workshop will be for all singers who love harmonizing to the Beatles’ classic songs. No guitars please – just bring your lovely voices. Lucy, Eleanor, Martha, Taxman, Revolution??? Old favorites and obscure treasures. Bring a wish list. We’ll spin the bottle and you might get lucky.
All you need is love. And a little help from your friends
ITALIAN MANDOLIN TUNES Gus Garelick
I will teach some fun Italian tarantellas, polkas, and mazurkas, in the tradition known as Ballo Liscio. These are not difficult tunes. You can learn them by ear, or by the printed music which will be available. I have been playing Italian music for over 40 years and I conduct a mandolin orchestra in Sonoma County. I recorded three CDs of traditional Italian, French and Mexican tunes (CDs will be available), and I continue to play this style of music at the Caffe Trieste in San Francisco twice a month.
Gus Garelick
Political Song Swap Rob Katz Songs have been part of every social movement. In these times, new political songs are needed, and the old ones take on a new resonance In this political song swap people are invited to share new (& original) songs as well as old ones, whatever they feel speaks to the moment we are in. Whether a song is “political” will be your call. Come to raise your spirits and maybe have a few laughs.
Rob Katz has led political song swaps at
various folk festivals and camps. He has
written many political songs, and his song
“Don’t Vote” was one of the winners of
Imagine then Vote’s 2018 get-out-the-vote
song contest. He was co-leader of the Pete
Seeger Sing-Along at the Freight & Salvage
& SF Free Folk Festival. He has written or
co-written over a dozen political, satirical
musicals performed at Ashkenaz and
other venues. He recently retired from his
day job as a lawyer at the California
Supreme Court.
Composing Instrumental Breaks – Bill Trainor Instrumental breaks take place in a song when the vocalist stops singing and someone plays an instrument for awhile, usually the length of a verse or chorus. You will find this on recordings, in live performances, and at jam sessions. Many times this is improvised, but it can also be composed ahead of time. This workshop will show you how to compose one type of instrumental break. The examples will be played on the ukulele, and ukulele tablature will be provided. A guitar with a capo at the fifth fret will be able to play the examples by ear or from the tablature. Bill Trainor is a lifelong musician and has
been teaching music since 2005. He
currently teaches violin, fiddle, and
ukulele at his studio across from the best
ice cream place in Sacramento. Ukulele
was probably Bill’s first instrument. He
has taught classes, as well as individual
lessons, to students of all ages, and has
presented several workshops at the San
Francisco and El Cerrito Free Folk
Festivals. Bill has recently been singing
his original songs at Barrio Cafe in
Sacramento.
Swing Song Sing Along Karen Broder
Come and croon together to catchy old tunes usually sung alone in the car or the shower. Swing songs, also known as jazz standards usually feature one vocalist or a small vocal ensemble with tight harmonies. This workshop will break that rule; attendees will sing out loud together. Instrumentalists are welcome to accompany songs, but the emphasis will be on singing. Lyrics will be provided. Singing and ukuleles are a great match.
Since taking up ukulele, that fire has
fueled Karen’s passion for singing and
playing swing songs from the 30’s and
40’s, blues, folk, pop and more. Karen can
regale you with stories, songs, and her
inimitable comic timing. However, she’s
most happy fulfilling her 3rd grade
teacher’s observation noted on a very old
report card -- “Karen likes to sing, and
lead the class in song.” After all these
years, this still rings true.
Moveable Chords For Guitar Mike Simpson
A first look at movable chord shapes .This is for intermediate or higher skill levels and gives a method and examples to interpret and play "jazz chords".
I have taught at the California Coast Music
Camp, The San Francisco Free Folk
Festival, years of private and group
instruction at Gryphon Stringed
Instruments and elsewhere. I move within
folk, jazz, blues, fingerstyle, singer
songwriter and pop oeuvres. I teach voice,
performance techniques, guitar, mandolin,
bass, music theory and songwriting.
Jug Band Jam
This was our jam at the San Francisco
Free Folk Festival. Let's see what the
East Bay can do!
Jug-band music evolved busking on the street corner and in rent parties. In either case, the idea was to make people so happy that they would gladly part with their money. We promise to keep our hands off your cash, but our goal is to make people happy playing and or singing fun music. The California Jug Band Association Fakebook will be provided. It contains a choice of about 20 classic jug-band and string-band blues songs, with words & chords. We will pick from among them to play. Most of the songs are either 3-chord blues forms, or ragtime circle-of-fifths numbers. Most are in the keys of C or G. All are welcome. Bring your voices, guitars, fiddles, banjos, kazoos, harmonicas, musical saws, gut-bucket bass, what have you… and of course, don't forget jugs! California Jug Band Association https://www.facebook.com/CJBA2/
Russian Folk Songs & Beyond - Jonnie Pekelny & Zina Pozen Folk and pop-folk songs from Russia. Attendees will learn songs that originate in the culture of the Russian village and city working class, with forays into composed music with a similar sound. No previous knowledge of Russian necessary. Jonnie Pekelny is a native of St. Petersburg, Russia. Although she spent her childhood in the big city, Jonnie’s mother made it a point to learn the songs of the Russian villages and to teach them to her daughter. A singer from an early age, Jonnie grew up with the sweet, fiery, humorous, irreverent and honest songs of rural and working Russia. Although she later went on to study and sing other genres (obtaining a minor in music from U.C. Santa Cruz and performing solo and in group ensembles that included classical and pop and other folk traditions) that first musical love has stuck. Jonnie still loves and performs the songs of this disappearing cultural treasure.
Zina Pozen is a familiar face in the Bay Area and Seattle Balkan music scene. Originally from Ukraine, she grew up in a family of classical musicians, playing piano from a tender age. As an adult, Zina picked up the accordion and stared playing traditional Eastern European repertoire. She is a founding member of Seattle’s infamous Bucharest Drinking Team. Since moving to the Bay area in 2015, Zina has been playing klezmer with Orchestra Euphonos.
Songs from Rise Up Singing or Rise Again Ed Hilton
We will go around the room, taking turns leading songs found in these popular songbooks
curated by Annie Patterson and Peter Blood. If you do not feel ready to lead a song, request
one. There may be someone who knows it and can lead it.
Ed Hilton, like many San Francisco Folk Music Club members, has been enjoying learning
and singing songs from these songbooks for years. He is a retired elementary school
teacher and has been president of SFFMC for the past 14 years.
The Philadelphia Mummers Parade Ed Silberman
The Philadelphia Mummers Parade, one of the longest running folk festivities in the US, takes place on New Year’s Day in the City of Brotherly Love. It is marked by fantastical costumes, its' own brand of string band music, and a dance step unique to itself. While it has deep British and European roots, much of its character and costumery is unique to Philadelphia. Using dvd, still photos, and readings Ed Silberman will explore all the color and quirkiness of this beloved local tradition.
Simultaneous Workshops 2019
Large classroom D-107 Small Classroom D- 103
12PM Sing the Beatles Jim Tepperman
12PM (no workshop scheduled)
1PM Shape Note Singing Peter Ross, Dan Harper, Leigh Cooper Mark Godfrey
1PM Philadelphia Mummers Parade Video Ed Silberman
2PM Political Song Swap Rob Katz
2PM Composing Instrumental Breaks Bill Trainor
3PM Swing Song Sing Along Karen Broder
3PM Italian Mandolin Tunes Gus Garelick
4PM Rise Again Song Swap and/or Rise Up Singing - Ed Hilton
4PM Moveable Chord Shapes for Guitar Mike Simpson
5PM CJBA Jug Band Jam Christopher Richard Miller Wise
5PM Russian Folk Songs and Beyond Jonnie Pekelny and Zina Pozen
