The weekend started with my workshop on Appalachian ballads. The session covered a brief history of ballad collecting and the migration of the songs to America and the Appalachian region. Then the fun really started as I taught them two of my favorite ballads. We talked about singing--why people think they cannot sing, how to find your way to a song, traditional unaccompanied ballad singing and much more.
That evening Lorna and I presented a program of Celtic and Appalachian stories and ballads at the Storytellers Cafe, a venue created by Lorna that has seen increasing popularity as it enters its third season.
Sunday morning found us in church, where I sang two songs, one a gospel tune and the other a spiritual. Then it was back on the road for me, along the shore of Lake Erie and southward through Ohio to home.
It wasn't all work, though. We took some time for fun too, taking the Maid of the Mist under Niagara Falls. Here's what that little adventure sounded and looked like:
I got thoroughly wet, but I'd do it all again in a minute.
For information about the Buffalo Storytellers Cafe and upcoming events there, check out their Facebook page.
