For the season, Lilith has sent us from Southern California some information on Wassailing:
Webster says "Wassail was an early English toast to someone's health, a drink made of ale or wine with spices drunk on
festive occasions or to sing carols from house to house at Christmas". Bands of beggars and orphans used to dance their way
through the streets of England offering good cheer and good fortune if a householder would give the singer a drink from his
wassail bowl or give them a penny or a pork pie or let them stand for few minutes beside the warmth of his hearth.
A good non-alcoholic Wassail recipe:
2 quarts apple juice or cider
1 quart pineapple juice
2 cups orange juice
l cup lemon juice
2 cups sugar
l teaspoon whole cloves
1 stick cinnamon
Combine and simmer. Yields 20-25 cups.
Jazz pianist and composer Denny Zeitlin has recorded over 20 critically acclaimed albums on labels such as Columbia, ECM, Windham Hill Jazz, United Artists, and Concord Jazz. According to the Los Angeles Times, "He is the jazz world's most visible Renaissance man-a full-time practicing psychiatrist, a medical school teacher, and a world-class jazz musician." Saturday, December 11, 8:00 p.m.; $12 general, $10 seniors, $5 teens and kids
This bilingual concert version of the traditional early California procession of music and dance, performed by schoolchildren, local residents, and professional musicians, is presented by Mother Lode Musical Theatre. Las Posadas is a holiday ceremony in which local people act out a musical version of the biblical story of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter for the birth of the infant Jesus. Traditional and classical songs are combined to create an interpretation of old California's culture. Saturday, December 18, 2:00 p.m.; free
Join the West Marin Festival Singers and Orchestra, led by Carol Negro, in a sing-along of the most glorious and exciting choral masterpiece ever written. Scores furnished by West Marin Music Festival. Sunday, December 19, 3:00 p.m.; $10 general, $8 seniors and students, $5 kids and youth up to 18.
All events are at the Dance Palace, corner of 5th and B Streets, Point Reyes. (P.O. Box 217, Point Reyes, CA 94956)
Phone (415) 663-1075, FAX (415) 663-1475, www.svn.net/dance
The folknik got a pat on the back in the Summer, 1999, issue of Sing Out! Pete Seeger says in his Appleseeds column: ... "I'm surprised and delighted at the wonderful quality in little journals everywhere, such as...the Folknik (the bi-monthly newsletter of the San Francisco Folk Club..." Many thanks to everyone who makes the folknik possible—the regular contributors , the occasional contributors, our on-line crew, the membership secretary, our printer, Leo Lichtman; and the fold-in and mailing elves who put it all together and get it mailed. It takes all of us to get the folknik to our readers, and we can all share in the credit. Phyllis Jardine, Editor, folknik
Items left at Boulder Creek over Labor Day, are now at 885 Clayton), waiting for you to claim them: black hooded sweatshirt, large T-shirt with coyote picture, a blouse under construction, child's spotted inflatable pool toy, gray bath towel, and a water bottle with an attached lid
Judy Small is embarking on her first tour of the USA and Canada in two years, and has two new releases available on CD: a retrospective collection of songs from some of her earlier albums, titled Never Turning Back, ,and a brand new recording titled Let The Rainbow Shine: Judy Small Out & Proud.
Holly Tannen, whose CD Rime of the Ancient Matriarch is reviewed elsewhere in this issue, has two area concerts coming up.
Bruce Molsky will be at The Adelphian (corner of Walnut and Central in Alameda) on November 4, at 8 PM. Tickets are $14. Bruce is an influential old-time fiddler, and a remarkable guitarist, banjoist, and singer. The Adelphian will be closed in December and January for renovation and construction, but they’ll be back! They’ve already garnered an impressive reputation.
Mockingbird Books in Aptos Village began hosting a semi-regular acoustic folk music series in August. Their schedule through December includes the following SFFMC members (!):
Mockingbird Books is located at 8045 Soquel Dr. in Aptos Village at the corner of Trout Gulch Rd next to the historic Bayview Hotel. All shows start at 7:30 and reservations are suggested. No cover, but admission donations requested. Contact phone number is 831-689-9113.
Tenth Annual Festival of Harps This ongoing celebration of multi-cultural harp music, including contemporary harp and dance; medieval harp ensembles; traditional Celtic harp; a children's harp group; and African, Latin, and classical harps, will be at Cogswell College in Sunnyvale on 11 November, at the Dorothy Spreckels Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park on 13 November, and has its grand finale at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on November 14. For more information, call 415-759-1028.
Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center (a nonprofit, tax-exempt arts organization in Berkeley) is looking for a new Program Manager, who will share management with the new Business Manager (Jane Barker). This is a 3/4-time salaried job, eventually full-time. If interested, contact Suzy Thompson at <Cleoma@aol.com>. Resumes will be considered on a first come basis. Deadline was October 15, 1999, but contact Suzy anyway, if you’re interested, as the position may still be open.
The Oakland Youth Chorus is looking for a Director of Development. This performing ensemble and pre-professional music training program trains has a mission is to train Bay Area singers between the ages of 14 and 21 to perform an American multi-ethnic choral repertory in a way that promotes individual discipline and self-confidence. This position will require about 25 hours a week, but the hours are negotiable. The Director's primary responsibilities will be the coordination of proposals to potential funders and organization of special events. The primary areas of responsibility are foundation and corporate giving, special events, and public relations and media. If you have knowledge and experience with nonprofit arts fundraising, excellent communication and writing skills, and the ability to execute projects in a timely manner and work successfully with a wide variety of people, send a resume and cover letter to Bea Andrade, Managing Director, Oakland Youth Chorus, 2619 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612.
The Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival is looking for a Coordinator. This part-time job involves fundraising, audience building, creative input and the coordination of diverse, committed volunteers. The Festival program includes workshops and concert performances and is held in the San Francisco Bay Area on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in January. They’ll pay a negotiable $800 per month with a guaranteed minimum of 4 months. To apply, send a statement of interest and 3 references to: Western Workers Festival, Shelley Kessler, President, c/o San Mateo County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, 1153 Chess Drive #200, Foster City CA 94404; Fax: 650-572-8848.
The California Coast Music Camp (CCMC) is looking for a General Administrator. This contract position requires about 25-45 hours per month. Weekly tasks include retrieving and responding to mail and voice messages, and maintaining CCMC organizational files. Seasonal responsibilities include mailing the CCMC newsletter and supporting camp, the jamathon, and the winter retreat. Requisite skills include communication and teamwork, clerical (word processing, data entry, email), and project management. To arrange an interview, contact Daniel Rosenberg in writing, and state your relevant experience. Daniel Rosenberg, CCMC Vice President, 1527 Montalban Drive, San Jose, CA. 95120; <drosenbe@ix.netcom.com>.
The Labor Day 1999 Camp at Boulder Creek was one of the best ever with some 160 people there on Saturday night. We’re glad that the camp is large one enough that all folkies (not just those that have ponied up their $7,00) are very welcome, and many of them join on the spot! It was discovered there that a notice of the camp had been printed in the bulletin of the Unity Church. We appreciate that our event is so fine everone wants to invite their fellows to attend but please note that notices of SFFMC camps should be published ONLY in SFFMC and other folk club publications. Thank you.
Gerry Armstrong, a singer on the original Golden Ring LP, now a CD reviewed in the September/October FOLKNIK died August 29. Her music is with us still.
Erica Aschman and Bill Weber are the parents of Ian Neils Weber born August 25. Erika says he looks a little like the 'Gerber' baby. Welcoming notes may be sent to PO Box 89, Fort Harrison, Montana 59636.
Bernard Carney plays a lot of nursing homes. After a performance one day a resident asked to buy a recording. Concerned that he had only CDs and that she was 90+ he asked if she had a CD player. "No" she replied. "Well, how do you plan to play it?" he asked. "On my computer of course!" ....oops!
Mary Cummings joins SFFMC saying "I enjoyed the Labor Day Weekend immensely! What an honor to be around such great people and their talent and camaraderie."
Lou Curtis, San Diego based owner/operator of Folk Arts Rare Records and instigator of 'The Adams Ave. Roots Festival' each April (in its 27th year) and 'The Adams Ave. Street Fair' in September (18th year) adds two weekly radio shows to his schedule: Jazz Roots on KSDS 88.3 and The Melting Pot on San Diego's new Internet broadcast station at <www.worldmusicradio.org>. Jazz Roots is also on the web at <www.jazz88.org>.
Jean Finke is recovering from a series of 3 small strokes happening in July. She's doing well and says she reads each folknik "cover to cover' to keep up to date on what's happening.
Suzanne Friend and John Dickelhaupt married August 29. Congratulations!
Peter Krug writes science fiction stories as well as the many songs that delight our Bay Area folk music get togethers. The 'Winter '99' edition of Marian Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine published Pete's Porsche Divine, a take on the old Gods Zeus and Hera in a retiree's nursing facility and neither up to any good.
Karl Madden of 8000 SW Brentwood #30 Portland, Oregon, 97225 (503) 203 5906 karlmad@earthlink,net would like information on career opportunities in the FineArts. Can anyone provide information?
Linda Mattson abandoned us for Portland Oregon in August! She's at 3817 SE Nehalem St, Portland 97202 in a little red house with a pine tree in front and one in back and a great big back yard for music parties. (503) 788-9304, lindamat@ix.netcom.com OR linda99@teleport.com.
Nancy Schimmel's song "A Home In The Sky" which was on a song page in FOLKNIK XXIII, July/August 1987, has been recorded by Eliot Kenin on the CD "EnviroAid," a collection of 19 original songs contributed by the artists to raise money for environmental causes. Available from Ferret Records, Inc., 244 E County Lane Road, Hatboro, PA 19040.
Daniel Steinberg organized and directs the World Harmony Chorus Monday evenings 7:30-9:30 at the Community School of Music and Arts, 253 Martens Ave. (off Grant Rd), Mountain View. No tryouts, "maybe you've never sung before outside of the shower", all ages. And he’s starting an East Bay branch that meets on Tuesdays, 7:30-9:30 PM, at The First Congregational Church of Berkeley (corner of Channing and Dana). For more information on either, phone Daniel at (650) 947 9669 or Email <dss@batnet.com>. Daniel is also accepting private piano and flute students.