The person coming the greatest distance to this year’s Traditional Music Festival is Bob Large. Bob is traveling all the way from Auckland, New Zealand to share his music with the people of Princeton. Bob was born in Durban, South Africa and grew up in KwaZulu, Natal during the apartheid years. Looking for a country that was fair and free, Bob and family emigrated to New Zealand in 1974. He is a member and past president of the Tirirangi Folk Music Club, and a member of the Maritime Crew. The Maritime Crew is a group of five singers who specialize in performing sea songs for entertainment. Bob’s performance at the Festival will emphasize songs in the tradition from New Zealand with occasional South African songs, sung acapella or with guitar accompaniment.
The Festival is pleased to host again two groups who were new to the Festival last year -- they had so much fun that they wanted to come back
Sound & Fury Morris and Sword is a dance team that has been dancing around Seattle and the rest of the west coast of North America since the waning days of last century (1999 to be specific).
Morris is a type of traditional dance from England dating back hundred of years, whose origins are lost in the mists of time. Historically Morris is danced only by men, but nowadays men and women often dance together. Morris dancing is typically seen outside local pubs. When the dancing is over the dancers retire to the pub to enjoy the finest ales and ciders on tap! Morris Dance is a community-based activity. It is not a stage-oriented performance but a street performance tradition, with dancers showing up, often outside a pub, to dance close to their audience.
Murphy and Middaugh are a duo that plays old-time and traditional songs about the “good old days” - the civil war, prohibition, the Depression, hoboes, fire and brimstone on Sundays and World War II. Orville Murphy is originally from Kentucky where he learned to tell stories from Uncle Jim and how to play Gospels and hymns on the harmonica from his grandma. When his grandma wasn’t listening his Aunt Virginia taught him the Blues.
Jerry Middaugh is originally from Ohio with roots in Appalachian music. He plays guitar, banjo, mandolin and he also sings.
Jerry has lived in the Pacific Northwest for over 25 years and has been active in various types of folk music. His repertoire includes songs about work, trains, cowboys, hoboes, loss, women and philosophy. Besides giving a concert with Oroville Murphy, Jerry Middaugh will also be participating in the Banjo workshop.
These are just a few of the performers who will be participating in this year’s Traditional Music Festival, which begins on the town square on Friday 15 August at 6:15 p.m. Then there is music from 10 am until 6 p.m., on Saturday and Sunday right in downtown Princeton. The best thing about it is that it’s free – no admission is charged. It is run entirely by volunteers including the musicians. If you would like to find out more, visit the Festival’s website at www.princetontraditional.org. If you’d like to help out at the Festival the committee would love to hear from you. You can email princetonfestival@telus.net or phone 250-295-6010.