Chris Rowbury's monthly music round-up (February 2024) issue #103
February 2024
Welcome to the February edition of my monthly music round-up.
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If you come across something that you think I should be sharing, then just drop me a line: chris@chrisrowbury.com
Folk talk academy
English Folk Expo launch Folk Talk Academy, a virtual college campus providing a learning hub for artists and industry which gives access to a broad range of music industry expertise to equip them for their career in a post-Covid world. Folk Talk Academy is free and available to all, and all lectures will be closed captioned.
Romanian lullabies
Joc de Leagane is a beautiful Romanian lullaby, sung here by Dunava, a Balkan women’s choir based in Seattle, Washington State, US.
"My mother rocked me in my cradle and sang of love, And as she sang, she wept: ‘My heart is full of love and longing, And yet I cannot rest.’ You will never know the meaning of love until your dying day, But I know it from my mother’s song."
There's also an associated dance which you can learn about here:
Here’s another Romanian lullaby, Haida nani, sung by Kitka, an American women’s vocal arts ensemble inspired by traditional songs and vocal techniques from Eastern Europe and Eurasia:
"Hush-a-bye ... Mama is rocking you, And from the throat she sings to you. Hush, hush ... Mama is holding you close with bread and with olives. Hush to sleep, Mama's little darling."
Self-Selected Choir vs Non-Auditioned Choir: 12 BIG DIFFERENCES!
You might also like to read my take on it: Audition or self-selection? – how to select singers for specific projects.
‘Strategic misstep’: arts education cuts risk UK cultural leadership, government told
“Arts sector leaders speak out against proposed 50% funding cut for arts subjects at universities in open letter.”
O Fortuna misheard lyrics
“Gopher tuna, bring more tuna” That’s exactly how it sounds to me! Loving the graphics too.
Random Live Music Performances from the 1920s
These are amazing from almost 100 years ago. Blues and Folk music from the USA, Cuba and Ireland, performed in 1928 and 1929.
Sepia Tones: Exploring Black Appalachian Music
The series, Sepia Tones: Exploring Black Appalachian Music, is available on Great Smoky Mountains Association’s podcast Smoky Mountain Air. In the first episode, hosts William Turner and Ted Olson engage guests Loyal Jones, Sparky Rucker, and James Leva in a lively discussion about the roots of Appalachian music and their own roles in preserving these musical influences.
This episode is the first of a five-part podcast miniseries released throughout 2021. Topics include the complex history of Black music in East Tennessee, Black sacred music, Black women musicians, and the diverse landscape of music communities in Southern Appalachia. Here you can listen to an introduction to the whole series.
Choirs with Limited Budgets: Top Ten Solutions for Copyright Compliance on a Dime
This is US-centric, but for those of you who buy sheet music for your choirs, there are a few ideas here for cheap or free scores.
A blog post you might have missed
Little voice
This being the cold and ‘'flu season, and since I work with a wide variety of people from all over the country, I thought I’d do my bit and catch a chesty cold with accompanying cough - again!
I’ve been lucky over the years and have rarely had to cancel any singing due to illness. But it is an issue for those of us who are self-employed.
as a freelancer who doesn’t get paid if the session is cancelled, how do we know when we’re truly sick enough to cancel a session? and
since all my work is a cappella and I don’t use any instruments or written music, is it possible to run a session successfully without using your voice?
Song of the month
This month I’d like to introduce the Nevenka Ensemble, a Los Angeles-based women’s folk chorus performing music from Eastern Europe. The ensemble was formed by eight women in 1976 and have been going strong ever since.
Moma ima belo lice is a traditional song from the Šop region of Bulgaria. The title means something like "The girl has a white face".
This particular song is from Nevenka’s Songs from Eastern Europe CD. You can find all their releases on their bandcamp page.
Here are 4 minutes of highlights from a live performance in April 2019 including music from Armenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Macedonia, Russia, Ukraine, and the Romani tradition (you can find more on their YouTube channel):
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