I'll be at the NEFFA festival this weekend in Natick, Massachusetts- anyone else?

My morris team is dancing at 11 am on Saturday, and I'm leading a singing workshop on Sunday afternoon. I hang around quite a bit at the Folk Legacy booth as well. Will you be there?

Allison

We were booked at NEFFA, oh, 6 or 7 years ago, and had a splendid time. Not something we can pop across the Atlantic for, unfortunately, but I envy you. Have a good time. We (might) think of you in Sweden!

Chris

Nope. I'll be at the SSI, of course. But say "hi" to Sandy and Caroline for me.

Looking over the list of performers, I see a lot of familiar names... and a lot of unfamiliar ones. Same goes for Morris teams, but please also give my greetings especially to the Greenwich Morris Men (my old team) and to Peter Leibert and Herb Nickel (Westerly Morris), and Herb's wife Joan (Mystic Garland). It was a temporary loan of an instrument from Peter, by the way, that got me started on concertina. (Yeah, I know that's supposed to be another Topic. )

Edit added when I realized:
..... Hey, this is my post number 1313, and I'm Forum member #13!
(Wanna guess when I was born? No, not 1313!)
Any numerology buffs want to find some significance in that?

Unfortunately, I won't be able to come up, although my wife will be there. She'll be performing with the Germantown Country Dancers (English country dancing) from Philadelphia, so maybe you'll see her before or after your performance.

I hope to come next year, but this time I get to stay at home, alone.


Steven

Wow, I didn't know so many of you will be there. I am in Indiana right now, but am hoping to get back to Mass. in time to go to NEFFA on Sunday. It's not alway obvious from the schedule when some of you are performing (not knowing your last names or group names in some cases). Maybe I should wear one of my concertina shirts?

Ken, on the road

Izzat the pleated one that expands and contracts as you breathe in and out?

Yup! I'm arriving on Saturday morning with my 22 year old daughter, Michaela. Look forward to watching you dance and meeting you! I have to come home on Sunday so I'll miss your singing workshop. I'm bringing my concertina so maybe we can learn a tune or two from each other.



Yes, Ken! If I had one I'd wear it!

Maybe we should post a place and meeting time so that we can all check each other out! Is Rich having a booth there this year? That might be a place to congregate.

Ken, my group name is Animaterra Women's Chorus and we'll (some of us, at any rate) be performing at 3:45 on Sunday in the Natick Room. I might even wear my Animaterra t-shirt, the better to be recognized!

Jim, I'll try to remember all the folks you want to greet- I make no promises (I'll be the one with the computer printout, squinting at names instead of musicians!)

Lisa, it will be GREAT to meet you!

Ken, wear the t-shirt- is it squeezable?

Allison

The Button Box will be there the entire weekend with all sorts of squeezeables on hand (plus books, CDs, etc.). Good jamming at our spot too. Unfortunately I'm only able to be there on Saturday. Stop by for some tunes!

Great Rich! I hope you'll have one of your instruments there. I'd really love to try one.

Wow, NEFFA was great fun.

As Allison said, it is always interesting to connect an internet presence with a real person. Some of us are still introverts, only ready to venture opinions electronically and not yet playing out in public (a fair description of me many years ago). Others are lively musicians for whom the message and sharing is most important, no fear of performance whatsoever. Allison is definitely in the later category. You would want her at any party you are planning! Maybe she will bring her chorus too. I had fun singing along, even if it was one octave (at times two octaves) lower.

Hi, Ken! It was such fun to meet you! I got to meet Lisa Wirth on Saturday too, and her daughter.
I had more fun at NEFFA than I had expected, as it was my first since my partner died. But it's the place where I see old friends, make lots of music, and dance when I don't know what else to do. I had a few concertina adventures- John Roberts "baptized" my new-to-me Marcus with a tune and a song, and gave it his seal of approval... I played my first morris tune and then impetuously joined in on "Highland Mary" with 3 accordions... showed it to Ken Sweeney who squeezed a tune, too (why do they all complain about the tight hand straps? they fit me just fine!)... went to a workshop on West Gallery Music (from the time of Thomas Hardy) and turned out to be not only the only concertinist but the only instrumentalist in the alto section!
I didn't get to sing enough, but since I was leading one of the closing workshops it was good I saved my voice. It was fun seeing Ken in the back.

...and now it's just 2 months to the Old Songs festival!

Allison

Glad to hear you had so much fun! My wife called me last night, and she also had a good time. Funny, though -- she sounded a little tired, and not quite all there. And after only dancing continually all weekend!

Unfortunately, she's staying to visit with a friend up there for another couple of days, so I don't get her back yet. On the other hand, I'm kinda glad she's not trying to drive 7 hours when she's that wiped out. I have to worry about her the whole time when she does that.

Next year I'm going with her!


Steven

I'm EXHAUSTED! a 5 hour drive down on Saturday with my oldest daughter. . . danced like a fiend all day. . .watched many wonderful Morris teams, met lots of concertina players, (many of whom aren't on this site) heard wonderful music, ate lots of good food then drove home and slept for 12 hours.

I got to meet Allison, which was wonderful! Ken, I looked for you but never found you, and Rich wasn't at his booth for the hour I was there toodeling on his different instruments. The ones he makes are just great! So light and fun!

I've never seen so many concertina players in one place. Maybe next year we could get a time and a room scheduled for a concertina jam! Hey, if the fiddlers can do it, so can we. Just think of the racket we'd make

Rats, I missed you! Seems like I was at the our booth almost the entire time, but hey, we gotta eat sometime!

Lisa, I was only there Sunday, as I meant to imply in my earlier post. I was out of town for most of our school break this week, and got back Saturday evening so I could do one day at NEFFA. Life (like choosing a concertina) is a compromise.