Newsletter from Hope Hoffman & Free Grange, July 18, 2008
www.hopehoffman.org ~ www.freegrange.org
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It’s looking to be a bountiful harvest season! Lots of concerts, new projects and weddings – you can check www.hopehoffman.org for details about upcoming events, and link here for download-able flyers and posters. The CD “Infinite Winter Squash:
New Maine Fiddle Music” was reviewed by Jeff Trippe for www.Mainefolkmusic.com.
Here is an excerpt: "Hope's waltzes
... convey an original sensibility, with particular passages which more
hip reviewers might be inclined to call 'edgy,' and yet she has captured
the sweetness of the waltz, that faraway quality which speaks to our
instincts for things which exist simply for the sake of their own beauty."
Master fiddler and sweet soul Greg Boardman (www.bowandstring.com) also penned a review, excerpted here: “Pure New
England fiddle music, proud of its rural past, relishing the present
... The performances are inviting, warm, energized and straight ahead,
with a bit of mischief thrown in." CDs are for sale at concerts, online at CDbaby.com, and at many Maine retailers including Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Merrymeeting Arts Center in Bowdoinham, Maine Green Building Supply in Portland, Out of the Woods in Belfast, Northern Kingdom Music in Rockport, and at natural food stores in Augusta, Damariscotta, Freeport, Rockland and Rockport. A portion of sales of the CD goes to the Organization For Transformative Farming (www.OTFinc.org) when purchased at: Cafe Bon-Bon, Harvest Time Natural Foods, Royal River Natural Foods, Good Tern Co-op, Fresh off the Farm, and Rising Tide Community Market. Original tunes from the CD I’m still teaching private violin/fiddle lessons in Topsham, Farmington, Rockland and Richmond, as well as Group Music Lessons: Introduction to Fiddle Music in downtown Richmond. [download printable poster here] I’m also available for public performances, dance music and house concerts featuring my new fiddle tunes, along with traditional tunes, plus a few a capella ballads. And, a program called the Kids' Dance Party, a 45-minute session of informal creative movement games and folk dances, all with live fiddle/guitar music. A full calendar and details about upcoming events is at www.hopehoffman.org/calendar.htm. FREE GRANGE: The biggest news is a new project combining local food and music. Come enjoy fiddle music, food and community dances organized by Free Grange (www.freegrange.org), a project designed to support the success and popularity of fresh, neighborly food sources. Free Grange™ Productions offers partnerships to organizations seeking to raise funds and increase public awareness of their own food-related projects. Partnerships can involve community events such as barn dances and public suppers, retail of Free Grange™ products such as CDs and artwork, and live music to enhance the enjoyment of meals at restaurants, house parties and family events. |
UPCOMING EVENTS: Series of folk dance classes and fiddle concerts including samples of and information about local farm foods, on the first Sunday of each month September-November in Topsham. Advance registration required for group dance classes. Details at www.hopehoffman.org/calendar.htm. Click here to download Harvest Music & Dance ~ Concerts & Classes in Topsham (poster) Click here to download Harvest Music & Dance ~ Concerts & Classes in Topsham (brochure) Sundays September 7, October 5 and November 2, Harvest Series concerts of original and traditional New England fiddle tunes and songs, presented by Hope Hoffman and her various bands, from 3:00-4:15 p.m.. Free farm-fresh snacks will be served before and after the concert and at intermission. At HeartSpeak Studio, 56 Elm St. (Route 24), Topsham, Maine. Admission fees: Free for ages 12 and younger; for ages 12 and over, $10 per concert per person at the door. Advance tickets for the series of 3 concerts are $20 at Red Dragon Toys or by mail (payable to Hope Hoffman, PO Box 171, Bowdoinham, ME 04008). Details and audio samples at www.freegrange.org and (207) 332-3459. Series of folk dance classes and fiddle concerts including samples of local farm foods and information about the farms, on the first Sunday of each month September-November in Topsham. Advance registration/payment required by August 20 for group dance classes. This Harvest Music & Dance Series is a production of www.freegrange.org. [download poster to print] Sunday, August 24 from 1-3 p.m. at North Star Music Cafe Hope Hoffman and Jeff Trippe will perform original and traditional fiddle tunes and songs. At 225 Congress St. (near Munjoy Hill), Portland, Maine (207) 699-299. As part of www.freegrange.org, a portion of CD sales at the concert goes to the Organization For Transformative Farming. Friday, August 29 from 8-10 p.m. at Sweet Leaves Teahouse in Brunswick, Maine. Hope Hoffman and Jeff Trippe will play Scots-Irish and Americana fiddle tunes and ballads. At 22 Pleasant Street, (207) 725-1376. Saturdays August 16 and 30 from 9-11 a.m. we'll provide festive acoustic music, presented by www.freegrange.org, at the Bath Farmer's Market. The market is open Thursdays and Saturdays 8:30 a.m.-noon through October, at the Waterfront Park on Commercial Street, Bath, Maine (click here for map). [download poster to print] All Wednesdays in September (3, 10, 17 and 24) from 4-6 p.m., original and traditional Maine fiddle music by Hope Hoffman at the farmer's market in downtown Gardiner, Maine. On the town commons (on Rte. 201), rain or shine. Info at www.gardinerfarmersmarket.org, www.freegrange.org, (207) 582-3100. Friday, September 12 listen for music by Hope Hoffman & Kittlish trio (www.kittlish.com) and talking about Free Grange (www.freegrange.org), 7:30-9 p.m. on WMPG's "Local Motives" program. Saturday, September 13 Hope Hoffman will lead creative movement with live fiddle music at the St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center 11 a.m.-noon. Advance tickets available online at www.stlawrencearts.org, and reservations by phone at (207) 775-5568. $8 adults; $5 for kids. 76 Congress St (on Munjoy Hill), Portland, ME 04101. (207) 775-5568. [link here to directions] Saturday, Sept. 27 Hope Hoffman & Kittlish trio (www.kittlish.com) will be performing at 10:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. at the Punkinfiddle festival (www.punkinfiddle.org), a National Estuaries Day Celebration at the historic Laudholm Farm in Wells, Maine. This annual fall festival features environmental education, wholesome food, farm animals, and children's activities. Hope will also be leading a creative movement session around 10 a.m. Rain or shine at the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, 342 Laudholm Farm Road, (207) 646-1555. Admission is $10 a carload. Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. dance with live music in partnership with the Organization For Transformative Farming (www.OTFinc.org), a production of www.freegrange.org. Fiddle music by Hope Hoffman and dance instruction by Bill Olson, at Saco Grange #53, 168 North St. (Rte. 112), Saco, ME 04072. Before the contra dance is a Farmer’s Harvest Roast Beef & Turkey Supper to benefit the Grange and OTF. Tickets (which include both the meal and dance) are $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Children under 8 are free. For advance tickets or more info, call Bob at (207) 838-0964 or Darlene at (207) 318-3553. Sundays September 28 and October 19, returning for more concerts at Café Bon-Bon in Lewiston, Maine from 12:30-2:30 p.m.. Traditional and original fiddle tunes and songs by Hope Hoffman, with Jim Berrier on guitar and harmonica. The café's soup and sandwich menu features native produce. 205 Main St/Route 202 (about a mile from Lisbon St./Route 196), (207) 783-8200. As part of www.freegrange.org, a portion of CD sales at the café goes to the Organization For Transformative Farming. You can listen to audio of Hope and Jim's dance music here. [download poster to print] Friday, October 17 Barn Dance and Harvest Supper with fiddle music by Hope Hoffman and dance instruction by Bill Olson, at the Saco River Grange Hall, 29 Salmon Falls Rd, Bar Mills, ME 04004. In partnership with the Organization For Transformative Farming (www.OTFinc.org), as part of www.freegrange.org. Contact Pat Packard (207) 929-6472. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ A complete calendar of upcoming events is at www.hopehoffman.org/calendar.htm. Enjoy! Warm wishes, Hope |
Contributions of a brief quote/reference about my work, or photos/video of an event you’ve attended, are gratefully welcomed!
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(207) 332-3459 ~ E-mail ~ PO Box 171, Bowdoinham, ME 04008 ~ www.hopehoffman.org
Audio samples from the CD: Neofa
Farewell (tune and recording
© Hope Hoffman 2007) 8th
of February (tune and recording
© Hope Hoffman 2007)
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Bowdoinham String Band Traditional
acoustic music for Styles range from lyrical
waltzes to toe-tapping tunes, and include Irish and Scottish, French
Canadian, American roots from the South and West, English and Welsh, and Scandinavian. Solo violin/fiddle |
Kittlish Presenting
Hope Hoffman's original fiddle and viola tunes We're called upon mainly for concerts, dances and parties. Hope Hoffman, fiddle, viola, voice Hugh McGinness, cittern, crosstuned guitar and, if we're lucky, jaw harp Larry Burkett, guitar |
Hope Hoffman & Jim Berrier With vigor, nuance and good humor, high-energy tunes for contra dances and barn dances. Jim Berrier got his rhythm chops on guitar and harmonica accompanying longtime dance harmonica player Fred Legere at the Norlands Living History Center's barn dances. Fred's repertoire is based on Don Messer's. Later on, Hope played
the Norlands dances Then, one evening, Jim and Hope showed up to play for the same dance. Jim had forgotten his guitar so he played the spoons. The next time, he brought his guitar. So, a new duo was born! |
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Building Community through Music, Theater and Dance.