LEWISTON — French and Scottish music will share the spotlight at a double-header contra dance on Friday, Aug. 10, at Callahan Hall at the Lewiston Public Library.
Providing music for an hourlong family dance, starting at 7 p.m., will be vintage Canadian-born fiddler Maurice Pelletier backed up by his wife, Marie, on spoons and Don Cunningham on guitar.
Joining them will be caller Cindy Larock, who will lead attendees in a selection of fun and easy contras and other jigs and reels rooted in the old-time kitchen parties of Quebec.
At 8 p.m., caller Maggie Robinson and the band Groove Train will take over the stage. This group was founded by pianist Neil Pearlman and fiddler Lilly Pearlman, siblings who have performed from a young age with their parents and younger brother in The Highland Soles, a Scottish music and dance ensemble based in Portland. Neil graduated from Columbia University last June, did a musical tour of Europe earlier this summer and is now living and performing in Boston. Lilly will return to her studies at Barnard College in New York City this fall.
The Pearlmans will be joined by fiddler and violist Julia Plumb, a 2005 Bates College graduate who resides in Nobleboro, where she has a private music practice.
“The evening will kick off with some classic French-Canadian tunes from the bow of our 89-year-old French fiddler and, with Groove Train, will evolve into a fiery Scottish-Irish free-for-all laced with bits of jazz and even Latin music,” said Larock of the Maine Folque Co-op, which is putting on the event.
“And,” she said, “we anticipate having dancers from age 5 to 85 (or beyond) on the floor, from first-timers to seasoned contra dance veterans, which makes the occasion more fun for everyone involved.”
A highlight of the evening will be a demonstration of Scottish Highland and/or Cape Breton step dancing by the Pearlman siblings.
Admission to the family dance set is $1. Cost for the contra dance set is $5/$3 for students. Thanks to a grant from Wei Li Restaurant of Auburn all proceeds will go toward future multigenerational folk music activities planned by Maine Folque Co-op.
Anyone interested in simply listening to the music and watching dancers is invited to attend.
Callahan Hall on the third floor of the library, 200 Lisbon St., is air-conditioned. For more information, call 782-0286, email mainefolque@gmail.com or visit www.MaineFolqueCo-op.com.
-
- Fiddler Lilly Pearlman and pianist Neil Pearlman of the band Groove Train will provide music for an evening of traditional New England contra dancing on Friday, Aug. 10, at Callahan Hall at the Lewiston Public Library.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.