One of my favorite parts of the Florida Folk Festival is the folk dancing. There were cloggers, Irish Step dancers, square dancers, and more. The video above is of English Contra dancing, which Jem and I both enjoy doing. We didn't join in this day because it was about 5:00 pm, and we were pooped by then.
This video is of the Morris dancers. The art form originated in England in the mid-1500's, and the performers wear costumes and (sometimes) masks. Some dances involve loud noises made with sticks, flags, and scarves. In this dance, an evil fellow appears. Quite entertaining. The history of Morris dancing is pretty interesting, and you can read a very informative article at this Wikileaks
LINK.
I loved joining the Shape Note Singers. This is an interesting workshop, and even though I play piano and dulcimer and read music well, I finally gave up and just listened.
Shape note singing is tricky because you not only have to read music, you have to understand which shaped note is yours. I sat in the alto section, near the tenors and bases, who were loud and overpowering. I could tell that most of the attendees were skilled in this type of music, but me. . . not so much. I had a tough time keeping to my part, especially when not familiar with the piece. This is the book used in the singing.
The movies
Cold Mountain and Oh, Brother Where Art Thou have scenes that include shape note singing, and you can find wonderful videos on YouTube. Shape note singing is hard to explain, so if you're interested,
this article from Wikipedia details it very well. All I can tell you is it takes practice.
We attended a fabulous jam session with Les Dudek (check him out YouTube) who invited anyone who wanted to play on stage. Several did, and this harmonica player was well prepared, and really good, too.
I just had to video the people enjoying the jam. Watching the audience was as much fun as listening to the musicians and singers.
The Festival is a laid-back, take-it-easy kind of event, and you never know what you might see. Here are a few interesting things I captured on camera:
You know, I'll never understand why anyone would wear one of "these" hats made popular at this year's women's march. Perhaps that's how she sees herself (shaking my head). She's got to be from up north, 'cause girls raised in the South have more respect for themselves. We also know that a real lady sets the tone for respect and gets it!!!
I've seen many different instruments at the festival, but this is the first time I've seen a tuba. :)
I admired a lady's purse and she graciously allowed me to photograph it. She also shared with me that she bought it at a gun show. It's specially designed to hold a gun. Handy, right? I love it.
Had to photograph this lovely dulcimer. Isn't it gorgeous?
The Florida Folk Festival is a kick-off-your-shoes kind of place, so this is a common sight around the park:
There's so much more I could share, but I think I'm done for this year. I hope you get to attend one day because I know you'll have a hand-clapping, foot-stomping, and folk dancing good time. We sure did.
Now, as promised, I have to share about the angel wings.
On the way home from the festival, we stopped for lunch in Deland. I'd heard about these angel wings and wanted to get our picture made there, so I Googled it to find the address. It's a bit tricky because it's in an alley behind a business. You can read about the angel wings, and the artist, Erica Group,
HERE.
We met a nice couple there who took our picture. We got to talking and believe it or not, his name was Jim and her name was Gail. Amazing, right? They told us about a great place to eat nearby, so if you ever visit Deland, be sure to try the Boston Coffee House. We enjoyed the great food and atmosphere.
I'm so grateful to have this wonderful vacation, and for our Ma'gen Da'vid family who helped to make it happen. We are blessed beyond my ability to tell.
Here are the links to my other posts about the 2017 Florida Folk Festival:
Florida Folk Festival 2017 - #1
Florida Folk Festival 2017 - #2
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