By Cicely M. Eastman, Reformer correspondent
BRATTLEBORO - Ever wondered what the difference was between Irish and French Canadian traditional string music, or Appalachian, Scottish, old-timey, or even Swedish? Then it's time you checked out the Northern Roots Traditional Music Festival, returning to Brattleboro this weekend, and hear the distinct differences in style.
On Saturday, musicians invited to Northern Roots will be hosting teaching and performance workshops, panels and concerts for a greater understanding at the Brattleboro Music Center on Saturday, then present a series of foot-stomping jamming sessions at McNeill's Brewery on Sunday. For two days the full slate of all of the above-mentioned northern musical traditions, and then some, will be featured in a festival brimming with performances by local talent and regional guests.
Director and founder Keith Murphy said he started Northern Roots to create a community event to showcase local players and bring fresh talent to a region that was gaining a reputation for traditional music. "The festival is all part of promoting traditional music at BMC and the area," he said.
Beginning at noon on Saturday will be multiple hands-on and listening workshops, including instrumental classes such as penny whistle, piano, fiddle, and guitar. A large chunk of the afternoon us dedicated to the "family track," consisting of a family dance and concert.
Scheduled performers include:
- John Roberts, who plays concertina and banjo, and sings the traditional folk songs of his native Britain;
- Debra Cowan, who performs a cappella and with guitar in the tradition of folk singers such as Joan Baez and Judy Collins;
- lydia ievins, who plays nyckelharpa and five-string fiddle for Scandinavian and English Country dancing;
- Katie McNally who made waves in both the American folk music scene and abroad since the release of her debut album, "Flourish," in 2013;
- Neil Pearlman, pianist, multi-instrumentalist, step dancer and host of podcast TradCafe;
- Boston-based piper Joey Abarta along with fiddler Nathan Gourley, two of America's great young traditional musicians, who have been playing music together daily since 2013.
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Saturday's schedule ends with a gala evening performance at 7:30 p.m.
On Sunday, three sessions at the local pub McNeill's Brewery, at 90 Elliot St., will include a pub sing with John Roberts and Deb Cowan; a French Canadian session with Becky Tracy and Doug Creighton; and an Irish music session with Joey Abarta and Nathan Gourley.
Local talent includes Peter Amidon, one of the musicians to form this year's "Trattleboro," a surprise group of local musicians who have never played together. They will be part of Saturday's evening concert, playing alongside Fred Breunig and Guillaume Sparrow-Pepin.
"Brattleboro is a magnet community for music and art," Amidon said. "When I perform at traditional music concerts many of the performers are from Brattleboro. The BMC has always been a classically oriented organization but when Keith and Mary Alice (Amidon) introduced traditional music, BMC fully embraced it."
Amidon, who usually plays piano, banjo, and guitar, has been taking the advanced Celtic music class under Murphy and Becky Tracy at BMC for four years. "Aside from the pleasure of taking a class, we are creating a community of people. It's an amazing group of people who come as players, as an audience, as a community, an adventure of the rich traditional music - like a party," Amidon said. "It is an extension of the monthly pub sing at McNeill's. In the past I have performed at Northern Roots with Mary Alice for the children's performance in the afternoon and also in 'Trattleboro' once before with John Roberts, Tony Barrand and Keith."
Antje Ruppert, who comes from a background of folk, guitar, mandolin, and flute, is also in Murphy's class at BMC and plans on attending the festival.
"I started fiddle late in life. I was in the BMC orchestra and love traditional Irish music and was fascinated by it and able to learn it by ear, my style," Ruppert said. "At the Northern Roots Festival, I will be taking workshops. I have been attending the workshops since 2009. I'm always excited to work with other instructors."
Murphy is now in his 13th year directing the Northern Roots Festival.
"It is such a joy and privilege to be able to program a festival featuring musicians I admire so much and who are so deeply dedicated to their respective styles of traditional music," he said. "It is a program of music that you won't find in many other places. And to have them share their music in such an intimate setting with aspiring players and the general public is deeply gratifying."
Saturday's events take place at BMC, 72 Blanche Moyse Way (across from Living Memorial Park), and Sunday's events happen at McNeill's Brewery, at 90 Elliot St.
Tickets are available for the workshops, the concerts, or a combination of both. Visit bmcvt.org to see the schedule of events and for ticket information, or call the BMC at 802-257-4523.
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