Festival

Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly present delightful programs of traditional American and Celtic folk songs, a capella pieces, old-time gospel songs, dance tunes, and original works. The husband and wife team blends gorgeous and unusual harmonies, accompanied by guitar, Appalachian mountain dulcimer, mandolin, tin whistle, harmonica, banjo, bones, spoons, limberjacks, and other surprises including Appalachian clog dancing, French Canadian footwork, and Tap. Their performance is appealing to all ages. With humor, audience participation, and a relaxed stage presence, Aubrey and Elwood explain song origins to create a deeper understanding of the music and its cultural history. The duo performs throughout the United States and, on occasion, abroad. Their ten recordings receive international airplay. Highlights include airplay on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered," Fiona Ritchie's "Thistle and Shamrock," and the nationally syndicated "Midnight Special" out of Chicago. They have performed with or shared festival billing with folk legends Jean Ritchie, Pete Seeger, and Doc Watson.
Go to: www.atwater-donnelly.com

Mia Boostrom is a young talent with a dream of becoming a music superstar and a steadfast determination to push her there. Mia lives in Dighton, and even though she’s a small town girl, she’s got quite a large singing and song writing talent. Earlier this year, she gained national recognition and acclaim as a quarter-finalist on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. Mia recently released her first CD, “Lately” with the help of Rawkstars and it's available on iTunes. Her music is everything from acoustic folk to pop to maybe even a little blues. She aspires to be original with her simple, yet sophisticated lyrics, and her catchy and quirky hooks.
Go to: www.myspace.com/miaboostrom
www.miaboostrom.com

Matt Borrello is a native of Dighton. He is a devoted student of music history both at Northeastern University and on his own time, collecting and studying the folk music styles of the past. His passion for traditional country, acoustic blues, and early rock and roll is obvious in his own original work. Over the past three years, Matt has performed weekly in the Southeastern Massachusetts/Rhode Island area, usually as a solo acoustic act. He credits Neil Young, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, and especially Bob Dylan as songwriting and musical influences. Matt has opened shows for well known local and national musicians such as John Flynn, Rick Fetters, Don White, and Kevin So at venues including Rick's Music World, Steve's Backstage Pass, the Taunton River Folk Festival, the Union Coffeehouse, and the Soule Homestead Folk Concert Series. Now living in Boston, Matt hopes to increase his creative output, perform more frequently, and grow as an artist.
www.myspace.com/mattborrello

Kara Fortier plays traditional folk, Celtic and Cape Breton fiddle tunes, accompanied by her brother Alex on piano. Kara, a Dighton resident, began playing violin in 2002. A little more than a year later, however, after discovering traditional fiddle music, she turned her studies on the instrument exclusively to the techniques of traditional folk music. Kara plays in a variety of fiddle styles that capture the traditional music of Ireland, Scotland and Cape Breton. She also plays on a regular basis with the Freetown Fiddle and Folk Club. Alex Fortier is a student of George Litterst of Rehoboth and has been playing piano for six years. In 2008, Kara and Alex attended the Floating Bridge Music Camp, the Maine Fiddle Camp, and a music workshop with Jay Ungar and Molly Mason.

Ross Robinson is a Massachusetts-based folk-blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. Ross plays finger-style guitar and slide guitar. His influences include all of the Piedmont Blues and Delta Blues greats as well as Jorma Kaukonen and Dave Van Ronk. He has performed on many of the area’s best known stages including Club Passim, The House of Blues and at the Boston Blues Festival. He is a familiar face street performing in Harvard Square and has recently played at the Nameless Coffeehouse in Cambridge and the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, Mass.
www.myspace.com/rossrguitar

The Strangers are a musical family that has been performing together for a few years now. The band’s repertoire includes vocal harmonies covering classic hits by Crosby, Stills and Nash, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, The Beatles, Eric Clapton and many others. Band members include: Dave Strange – guitar and vocals, Sandra Strange – vocals, Brian Strange – guitar and piano, and Alison Mancini - vocals.

See schedule below.

Peg’s Place | Peg Mullen/Lindsey Ferreira | Dighton

Cloth Books, Bags/Totes, Hair Twisty, Quilts, Table Runners/Topper, Place Mats, Dolls, Knit/Crochet Baby Sets and lots more craft supplies available

Ron O’Connor Photography | Ron O’Connor | North Dighton

Black and white film and digital portrait and landscape/nature photography

Chairs by Bob | Bob Pearson | Taunton

Cane Chairs

Paula Horton | Pawtucket, R.I.

Hand Painted Welcome Slates, Garden Clay Pots, Wine Glasses, Bookmarks

Artworks/It’s Just Me | Melissa Treichler | Rehoboth

Quality jewelry may include holiday cards and painting samples for pet portraits.

Artworks by Mitch | George Mitchell Jr. | Brockton

Oil painting, prints and custom jewelry boxes

Laura Costa | Fall River

Handmade jewelry

Mona Dumoulin Cross | Taunton

Oil and pastel paintings

Robin Fielding | Fall River

Photography, travel and scenic pictures

Rosalie Conti-Stebenne | Taunton

Photography – nature

Jenny Lyn’s Jewelry | Carolyn Lemieux | Dighton

Hand-made jewelry

Leap of Faith | Sally Lafleur | Westport

Sterling and beaded jewelry, beaded ornaments

JL Ribbon Gear | Julie Letoumeau | Westport

Handmade ribbon belts, watches, hair bows, headbands, baby blankets and more

The Beekeeper’s Daughter | Dawn Furtado | East Taunton

Several size jars of local honey, few honey gift baskets, a sampling of the honey for guests

KM Designs | Kyla Mullin | Swansea

Hand made beaded jewelry

Mar-ke Baskets | Keith and Margaret Boling | East Freetown

hand-woven baskets, free weave, Nantucket style and

A Stitch In Time | Michele Pereira | Lakeville

Silk and dried floral arrangements in unusual containers

Martha Ann Edminster | East Freetown

Jewelry with silver nautical theme pendants, scallop shells, fish, seahorse and more.

Donald Pratt | Dighton

Custom made bunk beds

G and G. Paints | Elsie H. Goldstein

Acrylic paintings and rocks

Rachel’s Baskets | Rachel Alves | Westport

Baskets with lights

Still Life in Oils | Anna Lowther | Sandwich

Still life oil paintings

HG Designs | Heather Gairiluk | Westport

handmade jewelry, designer knitwear

Wild Sage Studios | Lisa Paquette | North Dighton

Photographic work

Claus Creations | Mary Wilusz | Dighton

Hand-painted old world Santa’s made of recycled computer paper and plaster wrap

D’Teals Custom Painted Glassware | M. Diane DeSilva | Berkley

Hand-painted glasses and dishes

Art Glass Impressions | Cherise Kratsa-Hoak | Berkley

Fused art glass designs and pique assiette

Cynthia Mullen | Somerset

Hand-knitted children’s sweaters

The Field Collection | Susan Field | Berkley

Sterling silver link bracelets and necklaces

Sister Beads | Lori Meyers | Dighton

Jewelry

Enchanted Gypsy Designs | Christine Medeiros | Dighton

Sculpt whimsical creatures (dragons, fairies, mermaids and more)

K.C. Jewelry | Stacey Bolduch | Dighton

Hand-made jewelry.

Teen Sensation | Hanna Bettencourt | Dighton

Fun jewelry, rings, bookmarks, beads, swaroski crystal bracelets

Loretta Fournier | Dighton

Jewelry

Ladybugs Picnic | Brenda McGouwan | Taunton

Hand-sewn custom-made house flags (large, garden and lamp post)

Jdennis Designs | Jeanne Dennis | Taunton

Knitted wraps, felted hats

Knit Happens | Michelle Tripp/Kelly Pepin | Westport

Unique, wearable knit items

Gail Marie Nauen/Paintings & Prints | Gail Marie Nauen | Carver

Paintings and prints of local landscapes, cranberry bogs and more

Names by Christy/Crafts by Sharon | Sharon Rapoza & Christy Rapoza | Berkley

Custom names written in musical notes and symbols, autograph pillows and unique crafts

Kaleidoscope Design | Dina Boostrom | North Dighton

One-of-a-kind handmade jewelry and gifts

Gull Cottage Crafts | Merrideth Wickman | Swansea

Stained glass panels incorporating genuine sea glass and pottery found in Southeastern Ma., Also seashells wreaths, starfish ornaments, sea candles and silver wrapped sea glass pendants.

10:00 Dighton Elementary School Chorus*
10:30 Dighton Middle School Flute Ensemble
11:00 Atwater-Donnelly
12:00 Kara and Alex Fortier
12:30 The Stranges
1:15 Julie Araujo
1:35 Michelle Tetreault
2:00 Mia Boostrom
2:30 Matt Borrello
3:00 Ross Robinson
3:30 Andrea LeClerc

Several musical artists from the area will perform contemporary and traditional folk music throughout the afternoon, led by headliner Michael Troy of Somerset, whose songs have been critically acclaimed. Michael will be accompanied by Barry Brown, a guitarist who is known and respected in his own right.

Sam Ruest, a violinist with the Fall River Symphony and accomplished Celtic fiddler, will perform with guitarist Mike Keshura. Sam and Mike will play music that is steeped in the Celtic tradition. Kara Fortier, one of Sam's most promising students, will play traditional Celtic and Cape Breton fiddle tunes, accompanied on some selections by her brother Alex on piano.

Singer-songwriter Johnny Botelho, whose song, Lincoln Park--a fond remembrance of the bygone Westport amusement park—has become a regional hit on YouTube, will be on hand. He will play songs of his own and host a group of young performers that include Matt Borello, Sarah Borrello, Maria Ventura and Mia Boostrom, all of whom are already well known in local folk music circles. They will play individual sets, and do songs together.

Earlier in the day, the Dighton Rehoboth High School Jazz Band will play a set, the Dighton Middle School flute ensemble will perform, and the fourth graders of the Dighton Elementary School will lead a family folk dance, under the direction of music teacher Brian Michaud.