Neffa!

[Jim Besser]

So who's going?

 

I'll be playing with Charm City Rapper at 9 AM Saturday -- before the official start, even!-- and then plan to jam the rest of the day Saturday and Sunday, with a few food and shopping interludes. Who'll be there? Can we work out a repeat of last year's all-concertina jam? Mark? David?

 

For anybody considering going: it's an incomparable festival if you like to jam or dance. Don't know about the rest, because that's all I've done the three times I've attended! I plan to bring a lot of ibuprofen.

Edited April 9, 2008 by Jim Besser

[Richard Morse]

I'll be there (mostly manning our Button Box booth). Stop on by!

 

-- Rich --

[David Barnert]

I cannot be there Saturday. I plan to spend as much time there Sunday as possible. My Morris team is officially dancing at 12:00 Sunday. Looking at the grid for Sunday (all the info is here) I see that the Button Box is doing a concertina demonstration at the same time (1:00) Ken Sweeney is doing an English Concertina session. Also, Mike Agranoff has a concert at 11. There's usually a lot of (English) concertina in his performances.

[RustyBits]

I cannot be there Saturday. I plan to spend as much time there Sunday as possible. My Morris team is officially dancing at 12:00 Sunday. Looking at the grid for Sunday (all the info is here) I see that the Button Box is doing a concertina demonstration at the same time (1:00) Ken Sweeney is doing an English Concertina session. Also, Mike Agranoff has a concert at 11. There's usually a lot of (English) concertina in his performances.

 

What's your team???

 

I've been to NEFFA many times but probably won't make it this year. I end up watching Morris and Sword between contra dances. It's a great time! The food is usually pretty good too. The booth from Poland with the 7 layer chocolate cake with chocolate butter cream icing. YUM!

[jdms]

Can we work out a repeat of last year's all-concertina jam?

 

There was an all-concertina jam last year? Shows how much I was paying attention...

 

If it happens, I'm in unless it happens while I'm elsewhere. That's mostly Saturday morning and early afternoon, since my morris team (Commonwealth) performs at the Gore Place Sheep-Shearing Festival in Waltham every year, and this is one of the years when it conflicts with NEFFA (pesky conflicts). We're also up at NEFFA at 5, which means I have to miss John Roberts' performance (but I'm taking two of his classes at the NE Concertina Workshop on the previous weekend).

 

Er, that's Gore as in Governor Christopher Gore--nothing gruesome going on there...

[David Barnert]

What's your team???

Pokingbrook Morris, from Albany NY. We are a "joint" team, meaning that we have a men's side and a women's side. We practice and tour together but don't dance mixed.

 

There was an all-concertina jam last year? Shows how much I was paying attention...

It was just Me, Jim, and Mark Evans. We met (literally: I had never met Mark before) at Allison's "Animaterra" concert and found a place right after. Unfortunately, Allison couldn't join us. It was all arranged here on concertina.net. Read on in the thread for how it went.

[DavidFR]

I'll do my best to come, though Pinewoods will be on Nantucket that weekend for the annual Daffodil festival. I'll probably be there on Sunday afternoon, as long as I don't oversleep and miss the ferry!

[Animaterra]

My Animaterra program is Saturday at 10 a.m. and my morris team, the Harrisville Morris Women, will be Sat. at noon. I'll look for CNetters here and there.

I hope the weather is as lovely as last year.

I really look forward to seeing y'all!

Edited April 10, 2008 by Animaterra

[Mark Evans]

Sorry all, I'll not be able to make it this year. Obligations, boo-hoo! Last year was a blast.

[RustyBits]

Pokingbrook Morris. . . . Hmmmm. Sounds very familiar. I dance with Highland Mary up here in Maine. Is Donna from Maine on your women's team?

[David Barnert]

Is Donna from Maine on your women's team?

Indeed. I'll say Hi for you when I see her. We practice wednesday evenings but she's not always there.

[Larry Stout]

What's your team???

Pokingbrook Morris, from Albany NY. We are a "joint" team, meaning that we have a men's side and a women's side. We practice and tour together but don't dance mixed.

 

 

My wife and I danced with Pokingbrook in 1976-77. Our memory is that there was a men's side, a women's side, and a mixed side then. The name, by the way comes from the places that the founders lived: Poughkeepsie-Kingston-Millbrook. Some key dancers and our main fiddler came up from White Plains. The team has since migrated north.

[David Barnert]

My wife and I danced with Pokingbrook in 1976-77. Our memory is that there was a men's side, a women's side, and a mixed side then. The name, by the way comes from the places that the founders lived: Poughkeepsie-Kingston-Millbrook. Some key dancers and our main fiddler came up from White Plains. The team has since migrated north.

There are very few members still dancing since your time. I joined in 1986. You probably remember Bob Weisberg and Mischka Luft. Bob is still dancing. Mischka is no longer dancing but still comes to many of our events. Larry Syzdek may have been dancing already when you were on the team. He's still with us, and married to Ruth Olmsted, who probably joined a little after your time but before mine. Bill Newman is a neighbor and friend, but he's now dancing with the Berkshire (Massachusetts) Morris Men.

[Boney]

So who's going?

Looks like I am! I'll be doing a lot of dancing. And maybe take a few classes. I'm just starting to look over the schedule now. Morris, eh? I might be able to catch a bit of that. A few minutes at least. From a distance, maybe.

[David Barnert]

The date's getting closer, and we're no closer to arranging a time and place for any meet-up.

 

If nothing gets arranged but someone wants to meet, call my cell ( 518-577-0083 ) anytime Sunday except 12 - 1 PM, when I'll be performing out front with the morris dancers.

 

Edited for typo (thanks, Jim, I only caught it in your quote).

Edited April 21, 2008 by David Barnert

[Jim Besser]

The date's getting closer, and we're no closer to arranging a time and plac for any meet-up.

 

That's a fact.

 

I think I can meet right after your Morris stand on Sunday -- that'll be just before we head back to the airport. I'll check with my travel agent (my wife, actually), but I think that'll work.

 

I'll be hanging around all day Saturday; my group dances at 9 AM (before the festival officially opens, actually), so I'll be looking for jamming opportunities the rest of the day.

[DavidFR]

The date's getting closer, and we're no closer to arranging a time and plac for any meet-up.

 

That's a fact.

 

I think I can meet right after your Morris stand on Sunday -- that'll be just before we head back to the airport. I'll check with my travel agent (my wife, actually), but I think that'll work.

 

I'll be hanging around all day Saturday; my group dances at 9 AM (before the festival officially opens, actually), so I'll be looking for jamming opportunities the rest of the day.

 

I'll be arriving at Neffa around 11 on Sunday, and will be glad to meet up with anyone who's still around.

 

-David

[Animaterra]

Well, I'll only be there Saturday, but look for me at 10 with Animaterra, noon with the Harrisville Morris women, or 3 with Jack in the Green morris.