The Woods Hole Trad Stroll 2020 has been canceled, due to the concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Woods Hole Trad Stroll, an ArtWeek Massachusetts event, begins at the Woods Hole Historical Museum at noon on Saturday, May 2, and runs until 11 PM at Woods Hole Community Hall. There will be traditional Celtic and old-time fiddle music, lively bluegrass and country music, folk songs, Renaissance music on ancient instruments, and lively dances, with many opportunities for audience participation.
12 to 1 PM: The Resemblance, Woods Hole Historical Museum, 579 Woods Hole Road
Anna Magee and Oliver Farrell, a mother-and-son duo, play lively old-time, Celtic, and contradance tunes on fiddle, guitar, mandolin, and keyboard.
12:30 to 1:30PM: The Familiars, Woods Hole Library, 581 Woods Hole Road.
The Familiars are Manny and Linda Dias who sing and play folk, country, rock, , fiddle, and popular music on guitar, violin, mandolin, harmonica, and Irish low whistle.
1 to 2 PM: Black Whydah, Martha’s Vineyard Bank, 2 Water Street
Jean Sagara, Cathy Hatch, and John Best offer three-part harmonies on a mix of Irish, old-time, bluegrass, folk, and original compositions. They play fiddles, guitars, cittern, mandolin, banjo, ukuleles, and more.
1 to 2:30 PM: The Falmouth Fiddlers, Old Woods Hole Fire Station, 72 Water Street
The Falmouth Fiddlers play old-time, bluegrass, and Celtic tunes country, and folk music, on fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo, dobro, penny whistle, bodhran, cello, and string bass. This year artists from the Falmouth Art Center will set up their easels and draw or paint the fiddlers while they perform, and the public is invited to join in. Art materials will be available for those who wish to capture this colorful scene on canvas.
2 to 3 PM, Nikki Engstrom and Friends, Quick’s Hole Tavern, 29 Railroad Road
Award-wining fiddler Nikki Engstrom and friends offer old and new interpretations of traditional jigs, reels, and songs, as well as original tunes.
2 to 3 PM, Kim Moberg and Heather Swanson, Redfield Auditorium, 45 Water Street
Kim Moberg is an award winning folk/Americana singer, songwriter. A self-taught, finger pick style guitarist, she is known for passionate and heartfelt vocals. She will be accompanied by Heather Swanson on fiddle.
3 to 5 PM, Cat’s Melodeon, Coffee O Porch, 38 Water Street, Woods Hole
Led by Bill Black, “Cat’s Melodeon” specializes in authentic Irish traditional music–the “pure drop” as it’s known in Ireland–performed by some of the Cape’s finest instrumentalists.
2:30 to 3:30 PM, Buzzards Bayou, MBL Club, 127 Water Street
Buzzards Bayou plays lively Cajun and Zydeco music that will get everyone up and dancing. The band includes Jonathan and Amy Larkin, Aaron Mayo, and Glenway Fripp.
3 to 4 PM, Heather Swanson and Kim Moberg, Redfield Auditorium, 45 Water Street
Heather Swanson is an accomplished classically trained violinist with a love of fiddle and folk music. Kim Moberg will accompany her on guitar.
3:30 to 4:30 PM, Sonnay Fiddlers, MBL Club, 127 Water Street
Led by their teacher, Nikki Engstrom, the Sonnay Fiddlers, ages 5 and up, perform a large repertoire of Celtic tunes.
5 to 6 PM, Nobska Lights, Kanaley School of Irish Dance, and Hop Brook Morris, Woods Hole Community Hall, 68 Water Street
Founded in 2017, The Nobska Lights is a Woods Hole-based team of young dancers who specialize in traditional morris and sword dances from England. Morris, from the Cotswold region, dates back many centuries and was once popular throughout Europe; this vigorous dance form is mentioned in several of Shakespeare’s plays. Yorkshire-based Longsword, also from the continent, features smooth movement and swords that lock together, while rapper sword from the far north is the youngest tradition, requiring spring steel for its flexible swords and fast-paced energy.
Named for Woods Hole’s iconic lighthouse, the team is led by Jan Elliott and Valerie Walbek.
Directed by Colleen Kanaley, the Kanaley School dancers perform solo stepdancing and sets, as well as group ceili dancing.
Hop Brook Morris, from Sudbury, MA, focuses on traditional Morris Dancing from the Cotswold region of England, a springtime ritual dance done in the small agricultural villages. The bells, sticks, and colorful costumes combine with the vigorous dancing to wake the earth and drive away the evil spirits of winter and guarantee a good crop that summer. These dances are hundreds of years old and were passed down through the generations. They also perform longsword dances and mummers plays, as well as some rapper sword dancing, a fast-paced dance with flexible metal swords that comes from the coal mining communities of Northern England.
6 to 7 PM, The Harper and the Minstrel, Woods Hole Community Hall, 68 Water Street
Abby and Jay Michaels are passionate performers of music from the past, sung and played on a variety of traditional plucked, bowed, hammered, and woodwind instruments. Their repertoire includes love songs, jigs and reels, dances, and medieval, Renaissance, and Celtic music.
7 to 8 PM, Tony Parkes Teaches Contra and Square Dancing, Woods Hole Community Hall, 68 Water Street
Tony Parkes has been calling American folk dances since 1964 and is a highly regarded dance caller. He specializes in old and new contra dances, and traditional and contemporary New England squares. he has led workshops in these dance forms at dance camps and folk festivals in the United States, Canada, and Europe. All are welcome to attend this free workshop. No experience is necessary.
8 to 11 PM, Woods Hole Folk Orchestra Contra and Square Dance, Woods Hole Community Hall, 68 Water Street
The Woods Hole Folk Orchestra is offering a special free contra and square dance, especially for the Trad Stroll., with master caller and dance teacher Tony Parkes. The toe-tapping music of the band is for all to enjoy.
If you have never danced, but are curious or shy, or want to refresh some basics, attend the 7 PM class and Tony will have you dancing in time to join the other dancers as they arrive at 8 PM for the regularly scheduled first Saturday of the month dance series. even those who have never danced before.