SFMS Resource List
Ensembles
A roster of SFMS Members who are offering their talents to the public.
The Ensembles category includes bands of various sizes.
All Strung Out
All Strung Out is an eclectic string ensemble that combines elements of bluegrass, old-time, folk, and swing music. It’s anchored by mandolinist/guitarist/hammered dulcimist Henry Koretzky, and rounded out by some of the area’s finest players and singers.
Contact Henry at hrk2 (at) psu.edu or 717-574-0266
Arcona Reel Band
The Arcona Reel Band is a hard hitting, raucous, witty group of musicians who put an American spin on traditional Celtic music. They have been performing for more than 10 years at major events throughout the Northeast. In addition to strong vocal harmonies, featured instruments include the hammer dulcimer, guitar, mandolin, concertina, upright bass, and bodhran. The band’s music has been described as honest, their style as unique, and their performance as high energy.
Contact Sparkie Radcliffe at arcona (at) arconareelband.com or 717-234-0842
Black Bear Crossing
Black Bear Crossing is comprised of five musicians scattered throughout northcentral Pennsylvania, with a geographic center in Williamsport. Their repertoire includes tunes found in the Celtic lands, selections with an Eastern European flavor, as well as traditional and Old Timey American favorites and original compositions. They have released two CDs, The Trail and The Bridge.
Black Bear Crossing performs at Celtic and Folk music events, contradances, concerts, weddings and community functions. SFMS member Wendy McCormick plays the Celtic harp, hammered dulcimer and accordion. Other instruments include flute and whistle, fiddle, bass, keyboard, autoharp and bodhran.
Contact Wendy McCormick at mmccormi (at) cub.kcnet.org or 570-398-1387
Callanish
Callanish, based near State College, is a 5-member band who play traditional and contemporary Irish and Scottish tunes and songs on fiddle, flute, whistle, concertina, guitar, bouzouki, bodhran, bones, and voice. Music includes all the traditional dances -- reels, jigs, hornpipes, waltzes, polkas, as well as songs of love and homeland. They play festivals, concerts, parties and other events, and have recorded two full length CDs with another one in the works.
Contact Patty Lambert at patty (at) callanishband.com or 814-692-8966
Clannamore
Clannamore is a lively duo featuring Alanna Berger (hammered dulcimer, concertina) and Blaise Liffick (guitar, pennywhistle, octave mandolin, bodhran). Their repertoire draws heavily from the Celtic culture (Ireland, Scotland, and the British Isles) and traditional American music, ranging from the ancient (pre-Renaissance era) to the modern. Jigs, reels, hornpipes, and marches are combined with lyrical airs, laments, and waltzes to form a warm and lively sound. They also have an extensive repertoire of lively drinking songs, bawdy tunes, ballads, and funny stories. Alanna also teaches hammered dulcimer.
Contact Blaise & Alanna at lifflick (at) clannamore.com or 717-361-2992
The Contra Rebels
The Contra Rebels is an old-time southern-style band led by York County fiddler Todd Clewell, with Henry Koretzky on guitar and mandolin. The group specializes in playing contradances and square dances in a circuit ranging from New York to Georgia, and is often augmented by banjo and bass.
Contact Henry at hrk2 (at) psu.edu or 717-574-0266
Cormorant’s Fancy
Cormorant's Fancy focuses on Irish, Scottish and other Celtic and British Isles instrumental and vocal folk music. Featuring their own arrangements with haunting harmonies and multifaceted instrumentals, they blend concertina, penny whistles, low whistles, guitar, bass, keyboards and bodhran.
Following their debut at Fort Hunter Days in 2003, the band quickly established themselves as one of the finest Celtic bands in central PA. Audiences and reviewers have characterized them as "the area's most energetic and spellbinding Irish folk band," with a “knack for gorgeous arrangements.” Venues have included Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, Adams County Irish Festival, McLain Celtic Festival, Chambersburg Celebrate Festival, the Music, Gettysburg! series, T. Brendan O'Reilly's, Spiritifields, First Night Gettysburg and the Wesley Methodist Church series. They are the house band at the historic Fairfield Inn. The band's name is based on the original Irish Gaelic meaning of member Dan Diviney's surname.
Contact Dan Diviney 717-624-2542 or Beth Folkemer 717-334-4334, or email mail (at) cormorantsfancy.com
Danaher and MacCloud
Travel with Kate Danaher and Amy Lou MacCloud from the green hills of Ireland to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Kate brings her stories of Irish country life to the front porch of Amy Lou's mountain home, as they pass the jug, sing a few good old songs, and play a tune or two. Ireland's County Sligo-style fiddle meets Russell County Virginia's autoharp, guitar, banjo, and mountain dulcimer, and the result is a joyous celebration sparkling with harmony and wit. Visit their website at www.danaherandmaccloud.com.
Contact Kate Danaher at 888-884-8477 or ReelLadies (at) danaherandmaccloud.com
Folk and Friends
Folk and Friends began their collaboration in 1999. Their name describes their membership and repertoire. Made up of members of the Folkemer family and their friends, the group performs Civil War era music, American and British Isles folk music, spirituals, and traditional carols. They add a few surprises — pieces from other genres “friendly” to folk style music. Instruments include fiddle, guitar, pennywhistle, concertina, oboe, hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, bowed psaltery, piano, bodhran, and bones. Folk and Friends has performed in venues such as History Meets the Arts, The Main Street Gettysburg Series, The Civil War Roundtable, First Night, Susquehanna Folk Music Society Coffee House, and Historic Gettysburg.
Contact Stephen & Beth Folkemer at sfolkemer (at) ltsg.edu, bfolkemer (at) yahoo.com, 717-334-4334 or 717-253-4889.
Folkemer Family Band
The Folkemer Family Band currently concentrates on folk songs collected in Pennsylvania, but they play other favorite genres, including traditional America and Celtic folk and Civil War Era music. The band became “official” in September 2006 when they performed and taught at the Greenwood Furnace Folk Gathering. However, all five family members were accustomed to playing and singing together in Folk and Friends (American folk and Civil War Era music band) and the Schola Cantorum of Gettysburg (choir). Stephen, Beth, Joel and Margaret are founding and current members of Cormorant’s Fancy (music of Ireland and the British Isles, www.cormorantsfancy.com), and Nathan sits in with that group on various occasions. The Folkemer Family Band has also performed at venues including the Gettysburg Festival, the Gettysburg Governor’s Arts Award celebration, Fulton County Historical Society, the Gettysburg College Library, the Penn State University Library, Middletown, and as guests in the Music, Gettysburg! series. In 2007 and 2008 they returned to the Greenwood Furnace Folk Gathering to perform and teach workshops on subjects including the Samuel Bayard Pennsylvania Folk Song Collection, Scottish and Irish music, vocal technique, song arranging and bodhran.
Contact Stephen & Beth Folkemer at sfolkemer (at) ltsg.edu, bfolkemer (at) yahoo.com, 717-334-4334 or 717-253-4889.
The Gnu Tones
The Gnu Tones is a Celtic-based contradance ensemble led by State College fiddler Bruce Young and anchored by Lancaster pianist Jill Smith.
Contact Bruce Young at bryfiddle (at) aol.com or 814-237-1602
Greenwood Muse
Discover the Greenwood Muse, an ensemble of four instrumental and vocal performers who make each performance a small piece of living history by recreating the instrumentation, transparent textures and vocal stylizations of the Medieval and Renaissance time periods. They have recently expanded their repertoire into the Colonial time period. The group was featured in Central PA magazine's 2000 issue of Insider's Guide to 50 Fabulous (Arts) Finds.
Formed in 1985, the group began performing in historical costume for medieval feasts, and then expanded their venues to include First Night/Carlisle, First Night/York, the William Penn Museum, Fort Hunter Mansion, the Pennsylvania State Museum and Archives, Harrisburg's Celebration of the Arts, York Riverwalk Festival, Central PA Historical societies, public concerts, weddings and private parties.
Under the auspices of the Rothschild Recording Society, the ensemble made their first recording, The Greenwood Muse, in 1989. Their second recording, Dances and Diversions: Music for a Twelfth Night's Feast, was self-produced in 1992. Foliage: The Muse Branches Out is a compilation from the first two cds with added tracks of solo lute and Colonial songs performed by Jeff Greenawalt.
Contact the Muse by e-mail at GreenwoodMuse (at) hotmail.com or by calling Diane Hanse at 717-938-8291.
Howard and the Islanders
This four piece band specializes in “Island Music”, featuring Jamaican songs, Calypso, Hawaiian tunes, Jimmy Buffet songs and other songs with a similar flavor. The band consists of Jamaican native Howard Lee on twelve string guitar, Micheal Carbon on electric guitar, Tom Carl on bass, and Jim Richardson on banjo and ukuele. Their diverse backgrounds in calypso, rock, bluegrass, country and jazz blend to form a distinctive sound featuring strong vocals, a driving rhythm and melodic guitar licks.
Contact Micheal Carbon at 717-877-2079 for information or booking.
Indian Summer Jars
We are seasonal gigging musicians who play the Harrisburg, York and Gettysburg area. Our music is bluesy folk rock with earthy and Celtic undertones, passionate lyrics, soulful harmonies, and lots of heat. Take a look and listen at www.myspace.com/indiansummerjars
Inishowen
Inishowen is a four-piece group that specializes in Celtic, Maritime, Old-Timey and Québecois tunes and songs. They appeared on the SFMS Coffeehouse stage recently. Henry Cohen also teaches at home, giving lessons on fiddle, mandolin, guitar, tenor banjo, and hammered dulcimer.
Contact Henry at henry (at) inishowenmusic.com or 717-334-4334
Irish Blessing
Since 2002, Irish Blessing, a York based family band, has stormed the Central PA region with a powerhouse of traditional music and dance.
Jonathon, 18, plays piano and flute, is the North American Irish Dance Champion, and currently ranks 5th in the world for his age group in Irish Dance. He has danced many times, along with his brother Josh, for The Chieftains, Eileen Ivers, and Cherish the Ladies, at the Kennedy Center and the Meyerhoff.
Josh, 14, has learnt fiddle from Donna Long (of Cherish the Ladies) for several years and is a rising star on the young generation scene. He qualified for the "All-Irelands" in his band two years ago. Josh has competed in the World Irish Dance championships for the past three years. He is 5th in the Mid-Adlantic region of the USA.
Rounding out Irish Blessing are Cushla (mom) on wooden flute and keyboards, and Jim (dad) on bodhran and flute.
Contact the Srours at srour (at) medscape.com or 717-792-3999
Ken Gehret Swing Quartet
The Ken Gehret Swing Quartet is a jazz ensemble mixing elements of classic and contemporary jazz. The group is led by violinist/guitarist Ken Gehret, with Bruce Campbell on bass, L.J. Palmer on drums/percussion, and Henry Koretzky on guitar/mandolin.
Contact Ken at kgehret (at) comcast.net or 610-927-1755
KJ & Henry
KJ & Henry is a duo performing original and contemporary folk, featuring Lewisburg singer/songwriter K.J. Reimensnyder-Wagner and mandolinist Henry Koretzky. KJ & Henry also perform as part of a larger ensemble, Sweet Nothings.
Contact Henry at hrk2 (at) psu.edu or 717-574-0266
Ladies In The Parlor
Ladies In The Parlor is a string band that brings Old Time fiddle tunes and songs to a variety of audiences. The Ladies have appeared on various stages in the region and have played for contra dances, festivals, hoedowns, private parties and celebrations, including weddings. Their lively playing has a special way of delighting a crowd, ensuring that everyone has a good time.
At the 2006 Deer Creek Fiddlers’ Convention, Ladies in the Parlor took first place in the Old Time band competition. Their instrumentation includes fiddle, five-string banjo, guitar, bass and mandolin. The Ladies in the Parlor are Barb Schmid, Sharon Sacks, Freya Qually and Suzanne Gates.
Contact Suzanne at Suzanne (at) ladiesintheparlor.com or 717-259-0319
Late For Supper
Late for Supper is an eclectic group playing a variety of music on guitar, fiddle and banjo. Old-time Appalachian fiddle tunes are sure to get your feet tapping. Creative arrangements of bluegrass, gospel, folk tunes sung in three-part harmony leave audiences wanting more. They have played for concerts, fairs, barn & Contra dances, private parties, banquets, festivals, and weddings to mention a few.
Barb Schmid from Hampstead, MD takes the lead on fiddle, lead & harmony vocals. Jack Hoffman from Hellam, PA adds five-string banjo and harmony vocals. Todd Clewell from Felton, PA on guitar, mandolin, fiddle and lead & harmony vocals, rounds out this powerful trio.
Contact Todd at info (at) ToddClewell.com or 717-235-4504
The Lowlander Highlanders
The Lowlander Highlanders — fiddler Beverley Conrad and percussionist Luke Glick — play a variety of historical music from the northern Appalachians and old world highlands. Their lively interactive performances combine tunes, clogging and old-time stories with history, folklore, instrument-making and hands-on music lessons.
Contact Beverley at bevconrad (at) yahoo.com or 570-374-2647
Medicinal Purpose
Medicinal Purpose is a contradance band mixing southern old-time and northern Celtic influences. The group, which also performs public concerts and has released a cassette entitled Uncorked!, is led by fiddler Ryck Kaiser, joined by guitarist Jamie O’Brien, banjoist/concertina player Carol Whitfield, and mandolinist/hammered dulcimist Henry Koretzky.
Contact Henry at hrk2 (at) psu.edu or 717-574-0266
Old World Folk Band
The Old World Folk Band is a twelve-piece Harrisburg-based Klezmer ensemble available for concerts, weddings, and other celebrations. Founded in 1982, the band performs throughout the mid-Atlantic region, specializing in Klezmer, Russian, Yiddish Theater and Eastern European music. Our own Jess Hayden plays clarinet.
Contact Dale Laninga at dlaninga (at) oldworldfolkband.org or Jess at 717-932-2348
Rootbound
Rootbound is a duet based in old-time music but also reflecting contemporary influences and material. The group consists of Glen Rock singer/guitarist Deb Kauffmann and mandolinist/singer Henry Koretzky, who feature tight duo harmonies.
Contact Henry at hrk2 (at) psu.edu or 717-574-0266
Seasons
Seasons is a sibling harp and hammered dulcimer trio made up of Mary-Kate Spring, Peter Winter and Mary-Teresa Summer Lee. Teresa also plays mandolin, while Mary-Kate and Peter are heard on the penny whistle. We all play piano and try our hand at percussion. We range in age from seventeen to twenty-two, unless our fourteen-year-old sister Mary-Grace Autumn sits in. We've been playing professionally and as a ministry for about seven years. We now have two albums on CD, Eventide Lullaby and Which Way to Dublin Town.
Contact Seasons at info (at) seasonsmusic.com
Simple Gifts
Simple Gifts is a trio of women playing twelve instruments and performing ethnic folk music: Romanian, Klezmer, Greek, Irish, Scottish, Appalachian, and more. The group has performed throughout the mid-Atlantic region and has released five albums. The most recent, Time and Again, won a Crossroads Music Award.
Contact Linda Littleton at Linda (at) SimpleGiftsMusic.com or 814-238-8048
Sink Or Swing
Sink Or Swing is a Lewisburg-based swing band fronted by clarinetist/vocalist Doug McMinn, joined by bassist/singer Carl Kirby, guitarists Joe DeCristopher and Ed Scholl, and mandolinist Henry Koretzky. The group features a mix of classic and contemporary swing and jazz vocals and instrumentals.
Contact Henry at hrk2 (at) psu.edu or 717-574-0266
Sweet Nothings
Sweet Nothings is a contemporary folk trio led by Lewisburg singer/songwriter K.J. Reimensnyder-Wagner, augmented by bassist Joe DeCristopher and mandolinist Henry Koretzky. K.J. has released two CDs under her own name, Pony Tales and Dreaming Inside Her Mind. KJ & Henry also perform as a duo.
Contact Henry at hrk2 (at) psu.edu or 717-574-0266
Tin Kettle
Tin Kettle is a Lancaster-based trio specializing in the dance music and songs of Ireland, played on fiddle, tenor banjo, concertina, tin whistle, guitar, five-string banjo, and mandolin. In addition to their large repertoire of reels, jigs, hornpipes, polkas, and airs, the group features the vocals of Matthew Ward, a regular performer for the Philadelphia Ceili Group. Matthew's extensive store of material includes songs by some of Ireland's finest contemporary songwriters as well as songs from the deep tradition.
The other two members of the group, John Winship and Sharon Sacks, aside from their Irish playing, have long experience with American Appalachian music: Sharon currently holds the banjo chair in Ladies in the Parlor, and John played for many years in the West Orrtanna String Band and the Orrtanna Mountain Steamers. You can hear this mountain influence in some of Tin Kettle's arrangements.
Contact John at john.winship (at) ricefruit.com or 717-677-9106,
or contact Sharon at skscpa (at) verizon.net or 717-396-9752
Unbowed
Unbowed is a fiddle-less contradance band, led by the mandolin of Henry Koretzky and supported by guitarist Mike Henry and others.
Contact Henry at hrk2 (at) psu.edu or 717-574-0266
Voxology
Kevin Neidig and Les Vonderlin make up this award-winning duo based in Central Pennsylvania.
Voxology performed for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, and were finalists in the 1998 Lilith Fair/Levi’s Talent Search. Voxology has opened for the Legendary Doc Watson, Peter Rowan and his Texas Trio, and the Grammy award winning Alison Brown Quartet and The Badlees. They have been featured at music and arts festivals throughout the mid-Atlantic region. They have produced three recordings.
Kevin Neidig also teaches guitar at the Neidig Guitar Studio in Mechanicsburg, PA.
Contact Voxology at voxology (at) ezonline.com or 717-795-6206
We3
We3 presents music styles from roots, folk, country, blues, along with 50's, 60's and 70's favorites. Selections include songs by Bob Dylan, Old Crow Medicine Show, John Prine, Arlo Guthrie, Doc Watson, Lovin Spoonful, James Taylor, Everly Brothers, Harry Chapin, Maria Muldaur, John Denver, Roy Orbison, Linda Ronstadt, and Gordon Lightfoot. The Band is Russ Matthews (Guitar, Banjo, Autoharp, Harmonica, Vocals); Paulette Matthews (Bass Guitar, Ashbory Bass, Violin, Vocals); Lindy Mack (Keyboards, Vocals).
Contact Russ & Paulette at We3 (at) amnesia-music.com or 717-319-0349
Wesley Bluegrass Gospel Group
The 8-member Wesley Bluegrass Gospel Group (formerly known as the Sesame Street Bluegrass Gang — because when you have a Kermit and a Grover playing in your group...) is still on-going.
Contact Ed at erech (at) state.pa.us or 717-730-2191
