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May
2005
We
are approaching the completion of our second year
together. If we had to choose, we of course would
prefer to be busy making the news rather than
reporting it; and that has been predominantly the case
for the past many months, and why it's been a while
since our last update. At long last, I'm grabbing a
few moments to recount some of the highlights of our
most recent year. And to announce a couple of exciting
developments.
Recent
Performances
Overall,
the full houses and standing ovations that have
greeted us have been extremely gratifying. We've
enjoyed enthusiastic, singing audiences at such
disparate venues as The Guthrie Center (Great
Barrington MA), Temple Israel (Croton NY), Tribes Hill
Summer Solstice Festival (Valhalla NY), Norman
Rockwell Museum (Stockbridge MA), World Fellowship
Center (Conway NH), Camp Kinderland — where the kids
sang not only the choruses but the verses as well!
(Tolland MA), PACE (Easthampton MA), MusikFest
(Bethlehem PA), Jacob Burns Film Center — appearing
with a screening of 'Wasn't That A Time!' and Janet
Maslin interview of Harold Levanthal (Pleasantville
NY), Hurdy Gurdy Coffeehouse (Paramus NJ), Our Times
Coffeehouse (Garden City NY), Arts Barn (Gaithersburg
MD--where the mayor officially declared October 9th
Work o' the Weavers Day), Walkabout Clearwater
Coffeehouse--together with Pete Seeger & Fred
Hellerman in "How To Beat The Blacklist"
(Katonah NY), Heritage Hills (Somers NY), Philadelphia
Folksong Society (Germantown PA), Orangetown Jewish
Center (Orangeburg NY), Performing Arts Center of
Tarpon Springs FL, Performing Arts Center of Lake
Wales FL, Court Square Theatre (Harrisonburg VA),
Institute of Musical Traditions (Silver Spring MD),
Towne Crier Café (Pawling NY), Caffé Lena (Saratoga
Springs NY), Unison Arts Center (New Paltz NY), and
Roots & Shoots Festival--with Dr. Jane Goodall
(Danbury CT).
Celebrating
Tzena Composer Issachar Miron
And
just this week in New York City we joined the
artist-laden celebration of Issachar Miron's 85th
birthday; Issachar, as you may recall, is the composer
of Tzena Tzena, The Weavers' first big hit. A
contemporary Renaissance man, he has also
distinguished himself as a photographer, filmmaker,
poet and humanitarian. In addition to Tzena (joined
onstage by Pete Seeger), we sang his lovely Alleluia
and lively Shabat Shalom. For the occasion I
made up a verse for Hey Li-le-li-le-li-le but
we didn't have the chance to share it: "Our world
is brighter to have known (Hey Li-le-li-le-lo) Our
good friend Issachar Miron (Hey Li-le-li-le-lo)."
Israel
Tour 2006
Speaking of things Hebrew, we've been invited to
headline the Jacob's Ladder Festival in Nof Ginosar,
Israel, in May of 2006. This festival on the Sea of
Galilee has been going for 30 years and invites one
foreign performing act each year; in 2006, we're it.
After the festival, we'll participate in a folk music
conference at Ben Gurion University in the Negev, and
we also plan to pay a visit to Naveh Shalom/Wahat A
Salaam (Oasis of Peace), the community of 50%
Jewish/50% Arabic inhabitants living and working
together. We also hope to have a few more public
performances, but they have yet to reveal themselves.
New
Lower Prices!
Our
Work o' the Weavers Live In Concert CD has been
selling briskly, and enjoying airplay on numerous
radio stations with discriminating hosts. Now here's
some great news: Since the cost of manufacturing CDs
has continued to drop, we've decided to pass along the
savings to you, our friends and fans. If you haven't
yet got a copy, or if you'd love to give them as
gifts, now's the time to pick up a rousing recording
that has been affirmingly reviewed by everyone from
Sing Out! Magazine to The Washington Post, and get a
bargain at the same time. The new price—reduced
25%—of our CD is now just $12, and when purchased in
quantities of 4 or more, the price drops to only $10
each. (Same goes for our Work o' the Weavers
T-Shirts.) That's 12 bucks each or 4 for $40. Plus
Free Shipping! Go to http://www.worldwindcd.com/wotw.html
and buy 'em by the bunch! Mix & match, no limit.
50th
Anniversary
This
year marks 50 years since The Weavers sang in the face
of the Blacklist, reuniting in 1955 at Carnegie Hall
for a triumphant sold-out concert which, along with
the release of the Vanguard LP of that milestone
event, gave heart to a generation beset with the Cold
War and McCarthyism; and provided a foundation upon
which virtually every subsequent folksinger would
build. It's for this reason, as well as for the music
we all know and love, that we continue to celebrate
the work of The Weavers. We hope to see you soon at a
musical venue near you.
Take
heart, and as Lee used to say, "This, too, shall
pass."
James
for David, Mark & Martha
2004
News and Notes
2003
News and Notes
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