Crooked Sixpence.
Crooked Sixpence is the featured band for the Contradance with some Square Dances on Sunday, May 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Countryside Community Center located at 9 Sheldon Guile Blvd. in Owego.
Crooked Sixpence features Kathy Selby on fiddle with flutist Gordon Bonnet and pianist John Wobus. This high-octane dance band is guaranteed to get you out of your seat and up on your feet.
The trio’s large repertoire ranges wide in both space and time, incorporating 17th century country-dances through to recently composed tunes from New England, Québéc, England, Scotland, Ireland and France. The Sixpencers’ expressive playing embraces a broad spectrum, from lively jigs and driving reels to sweet waltzes and tragic laments.
Kathy Selby grew up in England, singing and playing both folk and classical music from the age of four. Kathy discovered fiddle music on her first visit to her in-laws in Ireland, and underwent a rapid and fanatical conversion from violinist to fiddle player. Now living in Ithaca N.Y., Kathy is an accomplished dance fiddler, playing for contras and English country-dances. She also performs at concerts, festivals, coffeehouses, weddings and special events. Kathy spends her summers in West Cork, Ireland, where she is an active participant in pub sessions and ceilidhs.
John Wobus has developed his contradance piano style over 20 years of playing for dances in the Central New York region. He currently plays in a variety of ensembles including Contranella with his daughter and son-in-law Megan and Charley Beller, Heart’s Delight with David Smukler, Laurel Sharp, Eileen Nicholson and Zeke Smukler, and in Rosie’s Ready Mix with Hope Grietzer and Curt Osgood. John can often be found with his fiddle at jam sessions in the Ithaca vicinity.
Gordon Bonnet grew up in Louisiana in a French-Acadian family. He has over 30 years of experience playing flute, bagpipes and other winds in a wide variety of styles. Some of his current musical passions include performing French and Breton music with the band Alizé, and playing Galician, Balkan and Klezmer music. Gordon’s talent and enthusiasm for music in demented time signatures has led to his publication of two books of Balkan tunes.
Contradancing, like square dancing, is done to a walking step and is easy to learn. No experience is necessary. Michael Kernan will be teaching and calling contradances and square dances. Each dance is taught and prompted. Bring friends, family, or come by yourself. Partners not required.
General admission is $7; students and seniors (55+), $5; family maximum, $15.
For information call Stu at (607) 687-4034 or April at (607) 657-8067.
This project is made possible in part, with public funds from NYSCA’s Decentralization Program administered regionally by The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes.
