Hank Cramer
Hank Cramer
|
Hank Cramer is a full-time traveling folksinger from Winthrop, WA. His repertoire includes Western, Celtic, maritime, cowboy songs, and sea shanties. Hank is one of the best-loved folksingers in the American West. He is widely known for his booming bass voice, smooth picking on a vintage flat-top guitar, and his wry sense of humor. He has over a thousand modern and traditional songs, spanning genres of Celtic, Appalachian, maritime, cowboy, and plain old folk music.
Hank is more than simply a performer, however. He is a historian and educator who weaves music and history into presentations that bring to life the rich story of America’s westward movement. He also gives his audiences insight into the “folk process” by which traditional songs evolve and change to describe new events. Hank now has nineteen CDs, several movie soundtracks, and music videos to his credit. While he usually performs a regular concert series like most musicians, Hank is strongly drawn to performances in educational settings that enable him to delve into his dual loves of history and music. Contact Hank Cramer: [email protected] Websites: www.hankcramer.com www.reverbnation.com/hankcramer |
Mitchell Frey
Mitchell Frey
Music and dance have always been an integral part of my life. I began dancing regularly in 1975, and since then, I have been involved in various activities related to dance, music, and folk events. These activities include calling dances, producing dance events and camps, organizing concerts, managing sound systems, starting folk-life societies, and much more. It has been an incredible journey, allowing me to meet many amazing people and make wonderful friends along the way.
The Fall Folk Festival is always a fantastic weekend filled with music, dance, singing, jamming, and companionship. I missed the first festival due to a power outage, attended the second, and began participating in the third in 1998. Over the years, I have attended 29 festivals, and this year will mark my 28th year leading dances at the festival.
In 1998, I led contra dance workshops and dances; by 2002, I brought my Renaissance and English country dancing troupe, the Caerleon Terpsichorean, from Moscow, ID, to the festival. We performed a demonstration and would then invite audience members onto the dance floor to teach them a few dances. By 2007, the workshops had evolved to focus solely on English country dance, a format that has continued to this year's festival. In the early 2000s, I joined Ken Glastre's outstanding sound crew, assisting with the sound system wherever needed, including the Mirror Room and Cafeteria Stage, among others.
Around 2015, I started calling English country dances with the Prestwold Players, though we initially experimented with a few other names. The Prestwold Players consist of Emily Faulkner on flute and recorders, Lorna Woelfel on violin, Margie Heller on violin and viola, Steve Riggan on keyboard, and I, Mitchell Frey, who teaches the dances and calls the changes.
As I mentioned at the beginning, it's been a great ride, and it continues to improve each year. Join us this year on Sunday, November 9th, at the Cafeteria Stage at 12:30 PM for an hour of English Country Dance! I teach all dances, and no partner or experience is needed. See you on the dance floor!
Contact Mitchell Frey: [email protected]
The Fall Folk Festival is always a fantastic weekend filled with music, dance, singing, jamming, and companionship. I missed the first festival due to a power outage, attended the second, and began participating in the third in 1998. Over the years, I have attended 29 festivals, and this year will mark my 28th year leading dances at the festival.
In 1998, I led contra dance workshops and dances; by 2002, I brought my Renaissance and English country dancing troupe, the Caerleon Terpsichorean, from Moscow, ID, to the festival. We performed a demonstration and would then invite audience members onto the dance floor to teach them a few dances. By 2007, the workshops had evolved to focus solely on English country dance, a format that has continued to this year's festival. In the early 2000s, I joined Ken Glastre's outstanding sound crew, assisting with the sound system wherever needed, including the Mirror Room and Cafeteria Stage, among others.
Around 2015, I started calling English country dances with the Prestwold Players, though we initially experimented with a few other names. The Prestwold Players consist of Emily Faulkner on flute and recorders, Lorna Woelfel on violin, Margie Heller on violin and viola, Steve Riggan on keyboard, and I, Mitchell Frey, who teaches the dances and calls the changes.
As I mentioned at the beginning, it's been a great ride, and it continues to improve each year. Join us this year on Sunday, November 9th, at the Cafeteria Stage at 12:30 PM for an hour of English Country Dance! I teach all dances, and no partner or experience is needed. See you on the dance floor!
Contact Mitchell Frey: [email protected]
Scottish Program
Angus Scott Pipe Band
Angus Scott Pipe Band
|
The Angus Scott Pipe Band has been bringing the sound of the Highlands to the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene area since 1955, making us one of the oldest and proudest bagpipe bands in the region. We have participated in the Fall Folk Festival for over 25 years, and we're excited to return this year to showcase some unforgettable tunes. If you're interested in learning the art of Highland bagpiping or drumming, we would love to welcome you into our musical family. Visit our website to explore our rich history, community events, lessons, and more. Let's make some noise—Scottish style!
Contact: [email protected] Website: https://aspband.com |
Spokane Scottish Country Dancers
Spokane Scottish Country Dancers
|
The Spokane Scottish Country Dancers came together to perform at Expo '74 and have been dancing ever since. This group is affiliated with the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society and meets weekly to dance, laugh, and enjoy each other's company—after all, country dance is a social activity. Although it is not primarily a performance art, the group showcases Scottish country dance throughout the year to promote and educate others about traditional Scottish heritage and culture. New dancers are always welcome; no prior experience or Scottish ancestry is required.
Contact Anna Guthrie: [email protected] Website: www.inlandnwscots.org/scottish-country-dancers.html |
Steve Schennum
Steve Schennum
|
Steve Schennum is a singer-songwriter from Spokane who has been entertaining audiences for decades, often performing for intimate crowds. He has produced three albums with the Occasional String Band and one with the Vagabonds, as well as numerous other recordings available on his website.
Steve plays acoustic guitar, mandolin, violin, and harmonica, and provides vocals. His music spans a variety of genres, including world, classical, jazz, Irish, and his own impressive original songs. His performances are acoustic and feature no artificial accompaniment, such as loopers, drum machines, harmonizers, or karaoke. He writes songs that explore themes of codependent and dysfunctional love, road rage, self-help, and the ever-expanding police state, among other topics. Typically, Steve plays the guitar, but he might switch to other instruments if inspired—so be prepared for surprises! While most people in Spokane may not have heard of Steve Schennum, if you are reading this, you are among the special few. Contact Steve Schennum: [email protected] Websites: www.schennum.com www.youtube.com/@schennum www.reverbnation.com/occasionalstringband |
Spokane River Tellers
Jennilyn Weight, Savina Darzes, and Constance Holland
SPOKANE RIVER TELLERS (formerly the Spokane Storytelling League)
The Spokane Storytelling League has long played a significant role in the rich tradition of sharing stories and folk tales with people of all ages. Founded in 1903 by a Tennessee literature professor, the first storytelling league marked the beginning of a significant cultural movement. Storytelling leagues experienced their peak popularity during the 1940s and 50s, with over 5,000 members registered with the National Storytellers League. However, due to technological advancements and the aging of the teller community, that number has now dwindled to around 100. Spokane itself was once home to five separate neighborhood storytelling groups, which eventually merged into a single group of approximately 15 members.
For most of the Fall Folk Festival's history, members of the Spokane Storytelling League have enchanted audiences with engaging stories that captivate listeners of all ages. It is an honor to have participated in the Festival since its inception. In recent years, this historic group has evolved into the Spokane River Tellers, consisting of Jennilyn Weight (a longtime member of the original Spokane Storytelling League), Constance Holland, and Savina Darzes. They continue to share tales that transport listeners to new lands or back to ancient times, featuring captivating characters and rich details, both factual and imagined. "What fun it is to experience that window in time where the outside world just stops, and people come together in active listening, feeling the rapture that stories provide."
Storytellers encourage audience participation, fostering a sense of community among like-minded individuals as they collectively learn to navigate the challenges of daily life. I am pleased to report that the purpose of our national league has remained unchanged since its founding. We continue to strive to preserve the fine art of storytelling, presenting positive values and ideals to our children and communities that will inspire and endure for a lifetime.
Contact Jennilyn Weight: [email protected].
The Spokane Storytelling League has long played a significant role in the rich tradition of sharing stories and folk tales with people of all ages. Founded in 1903 by a Tennessee literature professor, the first storytelling league marked the beginning of a significant cultural movement. Storytelling leagues experienced their peak popularity during the 1940s and 50s, with over 5,000 members registered with the National Storytellers League. However, due to technological advancements and the aging of the teller community, that number has now dwindled to around 100. Spokane itself was once home to five separate neighborhood storytelling groups, which eventually merged into a single group of approximately 15 members.
For most of the Fall Folk Festival's history, members of the Spokane Storytelling League have enchanted audiences with engaging stories that captivate listeners of all ages. It is an honor to have participated in the Festival since its inception. In recent years, this historic group has evolved into the Spokane River Tellers, consisting of Jennilyn Weight (a longtime member of the original Spokane Storytelling League), Constance Holland, and Savina Darzes. They continue to share tales that transport listeners to new lands or back to ancient times, featuring captivating characters and rich details, both factual and imagined. "What fun it is to experience that window in time where the outside world just stops, and people come together in active listening, feeling the rapture that stories provide."
Storytellers encourage audience participation, fostering a sense of community among like-minded individuals as they collectively learn to navigate the challenges of daily life. I am pleased to report that the purpose of our national league has remained unchanged since its founding. We continue to strive to preserve the fine art of storytelling, presenting positive values and ideals to our children and communities that will inspire and endure for a lifetime.
Contact Jennilyn Weight: [email protected].
