!dJĘ.--; - Mariposa Folk Festival

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lntroduces MC-5OO
-
The musicîan's computer!
The most powertul musÍc
reco rd i n g / p e rf o rm a n ce sysfem
EVER
îrom Roland.
Letter trom The Incoming president
Dear Friends;
The past year has been one of many changes at Mariposa. Rob sinctair
retired from his position as Executive Director, and, with Bev Maddock,
John Butler, Paul Klein, pefer sussman, Drago and mysetf, was elected to
the Board of Directors. ln January Rick Bauer was hiíed as Artistic
director for Festival '86 and Arlene Loney joined the organization as
Ad m i n istratiye Assrstant.
Roland Dískeffes also available at selected Roland Deale¡s.
AVAILABLE AT 415 QUEEN ST. W.
¡üÐvêI
TORONTO, ONT.
593-8888
For information, call: læ[EliTEf.l5l Canada
418:8-?5.-:{999
ANNUAL GENEßAL IWEETIE
Here it comes, ø,gorin.
From the moment you walk in the door, the aura
at the Mariposa Annual General Meeting is
different from any other meeting that the
organization holds. lt's a meeting ground for
members to evaluate the current programs and
provide input for the future plans. As well, the
opportun¡ty arises to meet with old festival and
comm¡ttee friends, and to make new ones.
However, since this is a forum for discussion, old
acquaintances often find themselves at opposing
ends of the spectrum. Critical issues of debt
retirement and f¡nancial planning are interspersed
w¡th cultural and artistic concerns. Much can be
learned ãbout the Foundation by attending the
Annuel General Meeting.
There are many of you who do not feel the need
to know more, but have ideas on how to make the
organization more viable, more business-like,
more appealing, more historical, etc... your
attendance at the A.G.M. is invaluable as it ¡s
Editors:
Business Manager:
Events Listing:
Contributors:
this issue
Salty Noweil
precisely in this arena that the people who make
the year-long decisions are elected. Electing
people to the Board of Directors who are capable
of fulfilling your expectations of that job is of
critical importence. A membership-based
Foundation is supposed to be run for the benefit of
the members. Unless those members are present
and vote for Directors who represent their beliefs
and opinions, the democratic process is easily
lost.
lf you are concerned, stop now and think who
may best represent your v¡ews on the Board of
D¡rectors. Approach them yourself , or call me and
I'll do it. To run, one hasto bea memberand needs
a nominator and a seconder. Any ideas are
welcome!!
Lrz DUSOME (416) 654-4862
CHAIRPERSON,
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
----.t----r--/Y\<
MARIPOSA
NOTES
STAFF
Michael Boshes, Richard Paul, Sally Nowell
Drago Maleiner (416) 597-1411
Drago Maleiner, Rob Sinclair, Gwen Duncan,
Joan Weed, Liz Dusome, Michael Cass-Beggs,
Bill Morwick, Rick Bauer, Richard paul,
Lynne Hurry, Alex Merrill
By March of this year, the federaily and provinciatty funded ',Audience
and Membership Development project" was underway with slx staff
actively pursuing its mandate "to increase the audienôe and membership
of Ma.riposa and to develop sysferns to promote the organization on an
ongoing basrs'1
Atong w¡th two summer students, the AMDp team and ssl volunteers,
the Board approached its third festival at Molson park with optimism and
expectations of a grand weekend. lt rained, lt poured down in Toronto, in
Detroit, in Montreal, in Peterborough. The province had one dry spot _
Molson Park in Barrie. our anticipated audience unpacked the stàt¡on
wegons. Sent the k¡ds to the &¡*aêô æntæ-adÞàød.rb.Þ,ræt*,Ðç. ....,.ia
wet weekend in the ci{y. fhosa that braved the weather enroyed A ,
relatively moisture tree weekend futt o1 the good music, gieát aancing
and fun t¡mes they lx.qe^ct?d trom Maripo.sa. we passedihe hài after the
concert and raised $1000 in ten m¡nutes. lJnfortunatety, it wasil enough
to alleviate the cosfs of a rained-out festivat and the ríoura ilà ,ome
serious thinking to do.
By September, the Fund-raising committee had come up with a number
of proposals to raise funds
- both for debt retirement aina'ipelating
cosfs
- some of which include a benefit gata dinner, a w¡niíirest¡vat, a
corporate fund raising package, new potintial sponsãrs toìlni
organization and a big-name concert serles.
As we approach the 1gg6 Annuar Generar Meeting, we see new faces at
Mariposa and wish fareweil to others. Rick Bauer"corpl"l"à1nrs year,s
contract as Artistic Director and joined the Board. a¡ck nas b,een ¡eur¡nn
with Margaret christr. and as fhe Nofes goes fo press rs on his way to
New Engtand with Margaret and hei band. gev'Maddoci sie,ppea down
from the Board to join the Audience Deveropment reàm ãnf,,-a-fter
c.ompleting her assignment, witt be teaving ior the soutn àtn] ilarmtn br
the winter.
Mariposa cannot survive without its members and volunteers. Having
been a chronic vorunteer for years, t found mysetf ø"iò^lrg ¡r,iriguea
with this organization, its music- and its peopte. Like màiny år iii, t nur"
been involved with a number of vorunte'er organizations óre, tià years
and for each of us who spends evenings anã weeken¿s worr'¡ná ror a
cause.- and Mariposa rs a cause
- we benefit ourselves iåttas the
organization. I came to Mariposa because t enioyed to* ", of l'ie mus¡c.
Mariposa has taught me a lot about music, aøout dance àid't i"u" ,"t
many terrific peopre. This organization draws good peopte. we have been
networking with other festtvals around the proTince.' tts' fun ti work for
the folk at Northern Lights and spend the weekend on ,l"uäy"*ith the
summerfolk at owen sound. we att have a common interest,'a common
theme-(taterv, the them.e has frequentty been the minus ãõiã^ àr ,"iny
weekend) and we put these organizations together, we makeiná* " ,r,
with our part-time invo.rvement. Being a øoaid membter roi i ieá, n",
pught me a great dear.about non-profit arts organizatioÃs àíJ
involved ¡rst no*
they are. But t've never had such a good time white t sraved. you
¡ust can't beat it.
Advertising Representatives: Benjamtn Sadavoy (41 6) 964_3700,
Lloyd Kaplanski, Gary Conriolly, David Weber,
Blema Woolf, Susan Button
llyingsa. N^ot¡:s5 published quarterlv bv the Mariposa Folk Foundation,
525 Adelaide st.E., Toronto, ontario, canada MsA 3w4. Alr rights reserved.
Material may not be reprinted without written permission.
Lynne Hurry

MARIPOSA FOLK FESTIVAL 1986: RECAP
-
BY RICK BAUER
July 11-13th of this year saw the
mountinq of the 26th annual Mariposa
Folk Festival in Molson Park, Barrie,
Ontario. As with past Mariposa Folk
Festivals and Mariposa Festivals to come,
many hundreds of volu¡teers and
performers werè involved in this very
special event.
There were over 70 acts (not counting
those who "dropped by"), 400-plus
volunteers and many months of hard
work and planning involved. There is no
way that words can express the gratitude
and appreciation that Mariposa Folk
Foundation feels for the good people
who gave of their time and their talents
towards the realization of this event. As a
newcomer to The Mariposa organization,
I can say I was truly amazed and moved
by the dedication of the people involved.
The Mariposa story is truly a significant
part of Canadian Music history. I am
convinced this is because of the tireless
efforts of the people behind the scenes
who have, over the years, worked very
hard to preserve and promote folk music
in this country. I can say, without
reservation, that this has and will
continue to be a labour of love. NO-ONE
is doing it for the money; there isn't any.
So, all that aside, let's talk about this
year's lestival. As Artistic Director, lwas
responsible for the performers who came
to entertain us thisyear. I knowthat many
were pleased with what they saw, others
felt there were significant gaps in the
programming (e.9. "native entertainers,
Latin entertainers"). There is a great deal
to cover when you try to book a folk
festival. Everything from finances to
accommodation must be considered.
Some performers have cedain needs that
others don't. And some choices don't
come'easy.- "
There is only one word that can strike
real fear into the hearts of Festival
órganizers...RAlN. We got lots of it this
year and it hurt
- a fot. We lost
significant audience attendance and as a
result the festival did not fare as well
financially as we could have hoped. This
is particularly frustrating for us because,
as anyone who attended the festival can
tell you, it hardly rained at the festival site
at all. Overcast and cloudy it was, but the
sky held its water for most of the
weekend. lt rained pretty well everywhere
else, however, and as a result most
of you missed a greatweekend you didn't
have to miss.
Some of you may be saying to yourself
at this point, "Boy, so far this article is fuil
of doom and gloom". Well, not so. ljust
figure we should get all this rain talk out
of the way early so we can talk about the
great festival we had this year withoutthe
evil spectre of rain dampening our
otherwise pleasant memories.
FOLK-PLAY was, as usual, a great
success, as was the CABARET TENT.
And let's not forget the "lRlSH TENT".
This year Mariposa found itself ¡n the
position of having an extra tent at our
disposal. We invited the lrish community
to come in to program the tent to their
liking with performers of their own
choice. This was a great benefit to our
festival artistically and it allowed us to
strengthen the relationships between our
orqanization and another very strong
contingency of our folk community. ln
future years, we hope to cont¡nue to
represent other areas of ourfolk legacy in
this tent. Who knows, maybe your
interests could be next.
At the heart of any festival is the group
of talented people who appear. on the
stage. This year that stage could have
been in a dance tent or under a tree in the
acoustic glade. This year's performers
won the admiration and respect of
people in front and behind the scenes. As
a person who has spent a lot of time
behind the scenes, I can tell you that our
performers gave you everything they had
and more. And if you think it ended each
night when the stages shut down, you
couldn't be further from the truth. There
was many a session going on and many
performers (some working together for
the first time) worked very long extra
hours putting together those special
moments for your benefit. This is the
heart of a folk festival. I know it's what
makes it work for me...people sharing
music, dance, knowledge...people giving
of themselves.
I feel it is unfair to list even one
performer's name for fear of being
disrespectful to another, but I know that
this is understood by this year's artists.
nluIDIrl il
ønd sllthe unswers you're
not likely to get anywhere else.
T.O.'s BEST SELECTION
KNOCK-OT]T PRICES
Music softworefor all compaters
Yamahs/ Roland D igitøl:
(sy nths, drum moc hines, interføce s)
So let me refresh ourcollective memories
for a moment. Who could forget the
breathtaking fiddle playing of John
Cunningham or the guitar virtuosity of
John Renbourn and Stefan Grossman.
How about the dancing of lra Bernstein,
Green Fiddle Morris, etc., etc., etc. Many
people have mentioned the workshops
as being very special. Rave reviews were
received for banjo, dance, fiddle,
storytelling, erotic song and percussion
workshops. The list goes on.
ln closing, I would like to say that being
Artistic Director of the 1986 Mariposa
Folk Festival was a very special joy for
me. I thank all those involved for their
spirit and their sharing. I truly hope that
you wi ll continue to support the Mariposa
Folk Foundation in its efforts in its field.
It is important work and yoursupport and
assistance are vital to its continuance.
Where lgo from here is unknown, but I
know that MARIPOSA wiil atways be.
IIE BEST PRODUCTS, THE BEST PEOPIE,
THE BEST SERUIGE AND, OT GOUR$E,
THE BEST PRIGES!!!
IT Att ADS UP TO THE BEST MUSIG!!!
tl.lus¡cslore
OEAL WIf H MUSICIAN S WHO U NDE RSTAND TO-DA Y5 T ECH NOLOGY
ËVEßYTHING IN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS & ACCESSORIES
KEYEOAROS GUITARS DRUMS AUDIo
I ROLANO ¡ KR,qMTR ¡ f^MA I FOST€X
¡ YAMAHA I CI^RVEL I PEARL r EttcTROVOtCE
I OEERHE¡M JACKSON IGNETSCH I PEAVEY
rKURzw€rL lrE¡¡oen tyAMAHA tJB.t.
r t(oRc r t¡

lllariposalloÍes
Folk Cd
Clubs & Coffee
Houses
- Toront
A.C.T. FALLOUT SHELTER
456 Spa

iltARtPOSAwOfES . pAcE'
dendar
ffønlpssalloÍes
CELTIC FOLK SOCIETY
Roberts Tower Room
747 King St. E.
Hamilton
lnfo.: Michael Quigley (416)
544-1401
Act¡vit¡es currently on holci.
FOLK AT THE FORUM
Town Hall
55 King St. W.
Cobourg
lnfo.: Val Scott
(41 6\ 37 2-927 1 ( Busi ness)
(416) 372-7294 (Home)
Jan. 17:
Feb. 13:
No December concerts.
Rick Bauer
Grit Laskin
Tickets: $4.00
Performance time: 8:30 p.m
CLUB BOREAL
Science North Cavern
Sucibury, Ontar¡o
Jan. 29: Bill Russell
Feb. 26: Ken Whitetey
Mar. 26: Groundwaler
ApÌ.23: Willie P. Benneil
THE GREENLEAF CAFE
20 Durham St. S.
Sudbury, Ontario
lnfo.: Phyllis Davison ITOS¡ 522_
3803 or (70S) 675-2859
Clubs & Coffee
Houses Out of
Town -
CALGARY FOLK CLUB
Scandinavian Centre
739-20th Ave. N.W.
Calgary, Alberta
lnfo.: (403) 220-7202
Dec. 12:
Jan. 9:
Jan. 23:
. Feb. 6:
Feb. 20:
Mar.6:
Mar.20:
Apr. 3:
'
Margaret Christl
Don Freed
Figgy Dull
Cosmolheka
Spirit of the West
Vin Garbutt
Tom Paxton
Murray McLauchlan
lt is acjvisable to order your tickets
by phone by calling the University
of Calgary Campus Ticket Centre
(see above). The Ticket Centre will
take Visa orders and holci t¡ckets at
the

MARIPOSA'VOTES . PAGE6
FOLK CALENDAR.....Gonrinued
Dec. 18: Deborah Dunleavy (Jibbery Jive).
High Park pubtic Library, 228
Roncesvalles Avenue. lnfo.: (4.l6)
536-9583. i1:00 a.m.
Dec. 30: Michael Ross (magic). Unionville
Public Library, ls Library Lane,
Unionvitte. lnfo.: (4j6) 477 -2641.
2:00 p.m.
NORTH YORK C¡VIC CENTRE
5100 Yonge St., North york
lnfo.: (416) 977-A927
Dec. 6-7: Christmas Around the World
Sponsoreci by The Community
Folk Art Council of Metro Toronto
Free Admission.
Call for times.
ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM
100 Queen's Park (at Bloor St.)
lnfo.: (416) 586-5797
Fall & Winter family workshops
Nov. 29:
Nov.29:
Dec. 13:
Dec. 13:
inclucie:
Dinosaurs Galore (1:30 p.m.)
Noteworthy lnstruments (l :30 p.m.)
Bugs, Beaslies & Crawlies (9:00
a.m.)
Down the Nile Crocodile (9:00
a.m.)
Saturday Morning Club. With a
tracjition of more than 50 years, the
Saturday Morning Club for
chilcjren enjoys special privileges
at the ROM. Early on Saturciay
mornings, before the cioors open
to the public, the Club has the
whole Museum to itself! Everyone
meets ¡n the ROM theatre at g:00
a.m. for films, guest speakers, Club
news and announcements. At g:30
a.m. the Club groups visit the
galleries an

MARIPOSANOTES . PAGET
NO FESTML IS AN ISLAND
BY ROB SINGLAIR
So you think Mariposa has problems? We're not
alone. Three folk festivals ¡n Ontario are
experiencing ser¡ous f¡nancial difficulty, and two
more are facing extinction due to massive burnout
-
not to forget that Northwind and Manitoulin
have faded away altogether. Even Winnipeg is
facing the fallout from three successive rained-out
festivals. Our own problems often seem so
preponderous that we think we're alone in the
desert.
"No festival is an island", some folk wit wrote in
Mariposa Notes back in 1981. That truth is being
learned (or re-learned) by a number of Mariposa
volunteers and Board members who have been
talking, over the pâst few months, with their
compatriots "out there" in the festival industry.
This summer saw an unprecedented amount of
volunteer exchange among festivals in the
province. Our horizons have been broadened, and
it's clear that there is not only much to be learned
from each other, but also a greet potent¡al in
addressing common problems together.
On October 19, a number of folk festival
representatives met in Toronto under the banner
of THE ONTARIO ALLIANCE OF FOLK
FESTIVALS. This organization has bèen in
existence since 1984. Though it has achieved
some modest successes, the dramatic changes in
key féstival organizers across the province
recently had somewhat dissipated the momentum.
lf this fall's meeting isany indication, O.A.F.F.
should be off and running again.
Represented at the meeting were: Mariposa,
Hamilton's Festival of Friends, Sudbury's
Northern Lights Festival Boreal, Owen Sound's
Summerfolk, Toronto's Bealtina, and the North
Simcoe Arts Council (who are planning a festival
for next year). Other festivals expressed
enthusiasm for partic¡pating, although they
weren't able to attend, including: London's Home
County, Blue Skies, Guelph's Hillside Festival, and
Summer Solstice in Thunder Bay.
There was a large note of realism at the meeting.
A strong province-wide alliance could be a great
boost for the festivals and for the folk arts. Yet
what sort of mandate can you fulfill when there is
still no funding for such a body, and most of the
member organizations are too poor to cover the
costs of send¡ng representat¡ves to meetings. Nor
can we overlook the fact that the people who have
the best backgrounds to contribute to such a body
are tstnlly those most heavily burdened -w¡th
other priorities (ie. their own festivals).
Nonetheless, there was a consensus to action,
bearing in mind our limitat¡ons. lt was agreed to
formally incorporate the Alliance, contingent on
endorsement by the Boards of all the festivals
involved. Commun¡cations will.be opened up by
the publication of a regular néwsletter, with all the
latest folk gossip from across Ontario, to be republished
in each festival's own newsletter.
lnvestigat¡on will be made into the publication of a
festival calendar-flyer for distribution to tourist
outlets. The festivals w¡ll -share media lists in order
that each festival can get its news to every corner
of the province. And the old ghost of a provincial
conference has been awakened: it would be an
opportunity for a wide spectrum of each group's
volunteers to learn new production and
organizat¡onal skills, and open yet more doors.
That list of plans is but a small portion of the
ideas being discussed. The problem, as always, is
t¡me, energy and will. Those who made the
commitments on October '19 cannot carry the ball
themselves, despite all the best ¡ntentions in the
world. lt's up to the Boards, Co-ordinators, Staff,
Volunteers, and Members of each organ¡zation to
make it happen. ïhe need has never been as great
as at present.
Festivals are on the march, and it's not just folk
festivals. Another organization, the CANADIAN
ASSOCIATION OF FESTIVALS AND ÊVENTS, is
going through a similar renaissance. C.A.F.E. has
been around for a decade, but -its impact until
recently haà been less than noticeable. Hamilton's
Festival of Friends hosted a C.A.F.E. conference in
September, attended by festivals of all shapes and
sizes from coast to coast, from Edmonton's
Klondike Days and Ottawa's Winterlude, to the
Winona Peach Festival and Petawawa Civic
Centre Days. What does a folk festival have in
common with such events? lt may come as a
surprise to you, as it did to me, that we share as
many concerns and problems with these disparate
events as we do with other folk festivals.
The C.A.F.E. conference included a multitude of
workshops and discussions thãt would be useful
to anyone involved ¡n a festival of any type. The
greatest value, of course, is in the contacts and
discussions that are made over three days. One
salient outcome for Ontario folk festivals was the
decision to establish an Ontario festivals
association. A steering committee was struck to
oversee this. Already they're well on their way to
complet¡ng a constitution, holding a founding
meet¡ng and conference ¡n the Spring, and
launching a magazine. Significant stuff!
No, we are not alone. ln truth (l hope you're
s¡tting down) we are an INDUSTRY. Folk festivals
¿lyê-Ë¡1üERYIMPOFT.FANT-èIêm-eÏïUfñÎtlêl-Cultrã
life of this country. FESTIVALS, of all types, have
an econom¡c impact that has been ignored too
long. Collectively, we are a voice to be listened to,
and a set of needs to be attended to. Let's march
(singing).
l-,etter trom The
Outgoíng President
Dear Friends;
ln 1983 I accepted the position of President of Mariposa Folk Foundation. lt
has been a very exciting and challenging three years. Unfortunately, personat
commitments have necesslfafed that I resign f rom the busy post of president
although I will remain on the board. I would like to express my gratitude to
you, the members, the office staff at Mariposa, our volunteers and to my
fellow board memþers for the sapport shown during my term as President.
Lynne Hurry was elected by the board of direcfors as President on October
21, 1986. Lynne first volunteered for Mariposa at the March Warm IJp in 1982.
Since that time Lynne has been involved in many facets of the organization
including Concert, Festival and H¡r¡ng Committees, Volunteer Co-ordinator
for Festivals '85 & '86 and is presently on the Fund-raising and Finance
Committees. Lynne is a dedicated and active volunteer. Please ioin me in
welcoming Lynne as President'of the Mariposa Folk Foundation.
Drago Maleiner
Ø.e7eb rate 6.\t Scaøu rr
Celebrate The Folk Arts
GIVE A MARIPOSA GIFT
the Christmas season approaches, the challenge of f¡nd¡ng gifts for family
nd triends rs once again upon us. fhis year, Mariposa ,s offerlng a unique
ift idea to its members. A gift membership to Mariposa allows family or
to benef¡t from the many advantages which come w¡th being a
lber of the Mariposa Folk Foundation discounts
-
on tickets to the
iposa Folk Festival, Mariposa concert serles and Mariposa family and
hildren's events, a free subscr¡ption to THE MARIPOSA NOTES and a
hance to participate in the many and var¡ed programs run by the
BY LIZ DUSOME
Christmas carolling can be an enjoyable
.experience for anyone wishing to share some
Cf¡ristmas merr¡ment. This year, the Mariposa
Membership Committee and some special f riends
would like to encourcge Mariposa members and
volunteers to form carolling groups. Our aim is to
try to help the Foundat¡on raise money ¡n its
current fund-raising drive and to províde a
medium tor a pleasurable Chr¡stmas experience.
As yet, no dates have been set, but initial contact
has beên made with a number af shopping malls
to see whether we might be able to use ¡ndoor
locat¡ons for our festive singers. Wheîher or not
we hold th¡s event depends entirely on the
existence of groups who would like to sing and
plan to rehearse (at |east once) betore their debut.
lf you have a group or are an individual who
would like to join a group, please contact us
through the Mariposa office or at the numbers
below. Season's G reetings!!
Mary Moulton (416) 533-7669
Liz Dusome (416) 654-4862
our best w¡shes for the cominq hol¡day season.
Please complete the form below and mail with your payment to:
Mariposa Folk Foundation, 525 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, Ontario,
Canada MsA 3W4
18.00 lndivi

IIIARÞASA,VOTES . PAGE 8
Catherine Crowe, Martin Gould and lan
Goodfellow.
THE ANCIENT FABRIC
C-Gc 001 (cassette onty) 1986 lavaitabte from
Martin Gould, 148 Howland Avenue, Toronto
MsR 385)
McKennitt, Loreena
ELEMENTAL
9! 101 (cassette onty) 1986 (avaitabte from
QRP, R.R. #5, Stratford tr¡SA OSO)
r-
These are both first releases by local
performers who are steeped in the tradition,
. particularly as it is expressed by the lrish.
On The Ancient Fabric, Catherine Crowe is the
lead vocalist, Martin Gould plays the guitar and
sings harmony vocals, and lan'Goodféllow
plays tin whisfle, flute and Uillean pipes. The
group handled its own arrangement and
production. While they did a fine job, an outside
producer might have provided a certain
distance from the material whích is here
lacking. Catherine has a long-standing
reverence for the tradition which results ¡n
straightforward interpretations of the material;
the group is at that stage in its development
when at least some of their material ought to be
recognized as "theirs,,, notwithstanding-ihe fact
it is traditional. They are all accomplisied
musicians and should start trusting themselves
more and Frank Harte and paddy Tunney just a
little bit less.
The packaging is superb. Martin is a graphic
designer and has put together an elegant
package (wallpaper by William Morrisl no less).
ne cassette jacket has printing inside, allowióg
^t them to say a litfle bit about each of the songsl
ïhey also offer to send any purchaser
the lyrics. Together, these factors ameliorate' " "opiãt
most of the difficulties with the cassette format.
While the front cover photograph is both
rmpressive and distinctive, all the partic¡pants
need lessons in posing they
-
all appeär to be
in a greater or lesser degree of pain.'
Perhaps the picture is symptomatic of the slight
excess of seriousness in the treatment óf the
material. Catherine, nol every song must be
sung from the back of the throat. A certain
sameness in much of the material is also a
weakness. Despite the disclaimer in ,,The pig",
virtually every lrish song rs sad.
This probably sounds like a negative review. lt
shouldn't, really. (Maybe there's some lrish in
me way back somewhere?) lan is a fabulous
piper. Catherine has an exquisite voice, and
chooses her materiat wilh ê,are. Ol partrcular
note are "Bessie the Beauty,,, learned from
Gabriel McArdle, and "Bright pheobe,,,
collected in Newfoundland by Kenneth
Peacock. The version of "Barleycorn" presented
here breatheS new life (Cut the irony
- Ed.)
into the old chestnut with a beautiful but
unfamiliar setting. lan's two jigs, the only
contemporary material on tþe album, sound to
be stra¡ght from the tradition, which I assume is
a compliment in terms of the album,s
orientation.
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Martin's guitar playing is polished and
complements, rather than competes with
Catherine's vocals, which after all are the focus
of.the album perhaps he could sound just a
little less like a couple of other genflemen
named Martin?
Catherine, Mart¡n and lan know (at least I hope
they do; they should after this review) that a
purist traditional approach w¡fl not mâXe tnàm
rich, nor as famous as even John Alan
Cameron, say (forget about Lightfoot). They
enjoy what they do, and they Oo it veiy wetí. tt
you enjoy traditional lrish music, mainiy vocal,
you will at least like, and quite possibly adore,
th¡s album.
While Crowe, Goodfellow and Gould produced
a very spere album, in line with the¡r approach
to the tradition, Loreena McKennitt's härp
playing lends itself to a lush production ltyle.
lnstrumentation includes a Roland ¡uno ló0, a
JX8P, a Super Jupiter 6 and an Emulator as'
well as Accordion and Troubador Harp.
Sidemen, if the term can be used in this
context,. include George Greer, acoustiã bass,
Pât Mullin, cello, Cedric Smith on gultar aÀJ'
vocals, and no.less a personage thán Douglas
Campbell reciting a poem by William Blakã.
Loreena lives in Stratford and her theatrical
background is quite noticeable in several ãi the
pieces (a better word here than songs),
part¡cularly the two for which she hãs
composed her own music, settings for poems
by Yeats, "Stoten Ch¡ld,', and by-Btake
'Lullaby". The rest of the material is traditional,
and generally quite well known, including
"Blacksmith", "She Moved Through the Èair,,,
"The Lark in the Clear Air", ,,Banñs ot Ctau¿v,,
and "Come by the Hiils". The lead singing oÁ
"Carrighfergus" is performed oy ceoriã Säün,
to which Loreena adds fine accompan¡ment.
Wh¡le the elaborately produced settings are
qu¡te effective, by and large, it is the icngs that
feature Loreena's arresting voice, either vìrtuaily
(not strictly without instrumentation, howevér)
or together with her virtuoso harp playinq thai
demonstrates her power as a pertorm'er. ,WnäÀ
:he wag a þuest at last year's Bealtina Spring
Festival at Harbourfront in Toronto, the iirstJew
bars of "Blacksmith" were sufflcient to guieten
a noisy, rather inattentive (largely lrish?j
audience of several hundred people who had
never heard her before. While, for example, the
sea and gull sounds on "Banks of Claudy,, are
well done, non-intrusive and particularly clear
on the chrome tape used by Loreena, l;m not
quite sure that they're really necessary.
Loreena ís skilled ât choosing material that
suits hel; perhaps next t¡me, ãnd I sincerely
hope one will come soon, she,ll choose some et
least slightly less familiar material. A danger
with a song like "Carrighfergus', ¡s that
memories of less formal treatments might lead
to a feeling that Loreena is being too arch and
artsy. lthink she avoids it, but the line is a fine
one; less familiar material will permit her to
make her version definitive, even to ân old
jaded folkie like me.
Both Catherine Crowe and Loreena McKennitt
must be careful to prevent a strain of
preciousness in their treatment of material
distracting the listener from their considerable
talents. ln Catherine's case, it comes from
awareness of the history of the material and a
laudable desire to preserve it intact; in
Loreena's, it comes from awareness of the
theatrical potential of the material, which can
enhance performance, but if unchecked will
weaken its essential musical character. ln both
cases, the fact of its particular lrishness may
have something to do with it too.
Both tapes are excellent listening and worth
buying. They are miles from the ,,Black Velvet
Band" school of lrish bar music, and remind the
listener of the quiet enjoyment to be gained
from well performed lraditional folk music.
LET SOMEBODY ELSE DO IT
BY ROB SINCLAIR
Why is .fund-raising always someth¡ng for
someone else to do and not you? you'd ratheitake
the 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. shift freezing on gr"rJ ut
the back gate at the festival, wouldn;t yoLiZ Wf.ryZ
Because you don't know the first thing ábout funOraising.
Because it's demeaning to aõk people for
money. Because it seems hopeless to try to raise
money for folk music when hospitals, universities,
symphonies and Un¡ted Ways already have theii
professionals out there squeezing côrporations
for every penny they have to give away. Eiecause it
you don't do ¡t someone else will. lsihat why?
Try thinking about it this way. Mariposa is a
bastion of a vital sectorof ourculture and heritage.
It survives because of people (like you)giving ti;e
and talent to make ¡t work. And'it doésn,tïork
without a few dollars around to buy publicity, gas,
performers, toilet paper, telephones, anO' s-ucfl
(right now there âre a lot of old bills to pay, too!).
Dollars can be found in many places anà ol mani
different meens. Here "re
a íe* p1"""., ãÃá á Ëi
simple means (easier than standing at the back
gate, and you can do it in your spaie time).
WHERE? (1) COMPANTES
HOW?
j"l Find out who in your company/union/office
is responsible for charitable donations anO nànã
them a copy of Mariposa'p new fund_raisint
brochure. lf you're feeling brave, yo, ""n "uéñ
accompany it with a few of your own remarks
abo.ut what a great thing this is, etc. Companies
prefer to give their money to organizationi their
employees are involved with, and nothing helps
more than that personal contact.
(b) Flex your creative skills and instincts on
developing new and better fund-raising materiais.
(c) Help us résearch new companies to
approach. We plan to be involved in Wintario,s
new "lnvestment ln The Arts,' program, which will
match any new funds raised from private sources
with money for debt retirement. And they'lt doubiã
the donation from any company that has never
glven to the arts before.
(d) Type letters, make follow-up phone calls,
take care of fund-raising records, oi a myriaO oi
other, oh so important, things.
(e) For the truly intrepid, you can even oo out
and knock on cloors for Mariposa. fne"funO_
raising committee plans to make this yeafs fáll_
winter corporate campaign the most érc""".iul
ever. You can do it. We can't do it without you.
wHERE? (2) covERNMENT
HOW?
(a) ,
Learn the sacred mysteries of writing grant
applications. Discover the ancient techni{uäs of
stâlking the paper trail through ttre'greãt
bureaucracies, .as bequeathed tõ us ¡yiorJ
Baden Powell himself. Unravel the secreí arl oi
divining the source with only a telephone in your
hand. Such skills and more will all ¡e untotOéJto
you at a series of clandestine cell meetings at a
ln late August, planning began for a novel
fundraising event to be held in September called
"Mariposa on the Streets',. lt was to be a day of
musicians busking on street corners, capped by
four hours of stage performances at the Hotel
lsabella pat¡o and ending w¡th a perty at Tir na nog
lor the volunteers and musicians. Over 6õ
performers representing all facets of the folk
music community from Celtic to Blues
enthusiastically agreed to donate their tlme and
talent to this project.
Despite the enthusiasm and work of all
concerned, the outdoor busking fell victim to
September's record-breaking bad weather.
Thanks to Joe Fried we were able to move the
patio party ¡ndoors where Tim Harrison andJohn
D¡ckie hosteci four hours of great music ranging
from Michael pickett's blues harmon¡ca tdtnË
Celtic strains of Tlp Splinter to the incomparable
Mose.Scarlett. A rousing party ended the evening
with lots of impromptu music and sing-a_longã
from both performers and volunteers.
place and time to be revealed only to the select few
(or hordes, if it comes to that) who plight their
troth to apply this knowledge in the serviðe of the
mystical folk arts.
(b) Do your bit as a voting, tax-paying folk
culture enthusiast and write io: peter'Roierts,
Director, Canada Council (99 Metcalfe St.,
P.O.Box 1047, Ottawa. Ont., K1p SVB) and uioe
the Council to use some of its new SIO,OOO,Oõó
allocation to redress the unjustifiable shuiting o;i
of folk arts organizations from on-going Co;;;ii
support, and to assist in reducing the cr¡ppling
debt load currenily being carriéd fy tåstivai
organizations across the country.
(c) And write to: Hon. Lily Munro, Minister of
Citizenship and Culture for Ontario (ZZ Atoor St.
W., Toronto, Ont., M7A 2R9) and urge her to Oirect
part of her "arts stabilizâtion fund', _ the one that
recently bailed out Stratford and London's Grand
ïheatre to the tune of 91.5 MILLION _ toput,in;
grandaddy of Canadian folk festivals,, baik on its
feet.
(d) And write to your members of parliament,
your newspaper, your ombudsman if you like.
wHEIE? (3)YOUR FRtENDS, RELA|VES,
AND STRANGERS ON THE STREET
HOW?
(a) Take extra copies of our spanking new
membership brochure and hand them to a-nyone
who shares your interest in folk music, blv a
membership for that favourite person'at
Christmas, or take some to your corner store, but
get the word or.rt!
A]
Sell a few-books of tickets in our soon-to-beannounced
raffle (your friends do it to yàu, Oãn,t
they?).
(c) Sell and/or buy a few tickets to Mariposa,s
first-ever benefit dinner coming up next Februart
(with â dazzling all-star cast of attractions aná
good food and fun, too).
(d) Suggest to that overly-secured great aunt of
yours that a $S00 Life Memþership in Mariposa,
which will be deposited in än endowment tunO,
will do more good for the Çountry than willing it tã
you (the other 9499,500 wiil be éufficient for-you,
anyway).
WHERE ELSE? YOU, OF COURSE!
HOW?
lf all of the above still seems like something for
someone else to do, you can buy us off by:
(a)
(b)
(c)
making a donation yourself, or...
helping lo run a fund-raising event, or...
joining the fund-raising committee.
DON'T LETANYBODY ELSE DO IT. CALLTHE
MARIPOSA oFFtCE TODAY AT (416) 363-4009.
lT'S EASY!!! (See you at the back gate at 2:00 a.m.)
Special
,
thanks go to Molson's and Bob McGee,
{o9 l_ewi1. for, hetping to promote ih. ;ñ,
Uameron Kerr tor the wonderful signs for whick
Norm Greer built stands. Atso to Jðnath;" i_";;
and Rogers Cabte for videotaping Ú,. náìäi
]¡1be]q, to Terry O'crady tor providing "t .pu." f-
rne party, and to Richard pauland Sally Nowell for
for the publ¡city.
More special thanks to all the musicians who
performed at the Hotel lsabella anO at tne t"riuand
especiaily to those who busked ¡. ip¡iã ãiir,,rj
weather, and to all the volunteers wno wo*ã¿'so
hard to. organize this event, an¿ to ati r-Àð
companies who offered us their street cornãn. -
The
_ committee, Ann Smiley, Gwen Duncan, Joe
Benneroch, Arlene Loney, anOy CarOei,'añj
Dianne Myers look forwardio anot'ner vOié nexì
year, this time with a litfle more cooperation from
the weatherman.
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