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FallSong 2024 Registration is now open!





FallSong is PFS's annual on-line, participant-led music weekend. It will be held this year October 25-27 2024.

FallSong is free, and you can register now. Stay for an hour or a weekend. Sing, lead a session, or just listen.

Find out everything you need, and register, on the FallSong Page.

Take me to the FallSong page.


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Singtime Pictures

Some pictures from Singtime 2024 are posted here.
Enjoy! (Really sorry we can't post the music - that was better than the pictures. Maybe next year!)


A Newsletter that you'll adore? September-October Local Lore!

The September- October Local Lore is full of things you'll want to read.  

The lead article by Casey Casebeer is on Child Ballads, and fills a need for many people who are confused by the name - "Child Ballads? These are for Children?" - or maybe wonder why their favorite old narrative song isn't a Child Ballad. Trust us here - Casey makes it all easy to understand!

Of course we have news about the upcoming Concert Series, a particularly rich assortment of performers.The upcoming performances include some beloved performers who have performed before on the PFS stage: Dave Francey on September 21; Dave Stamey on October 19; the Canadian duo West My Friend on September 7; and Tish Hinojosa on October 12.

You may know the two Daves and Tish Hinojosa from years past, and if you do, you know why we brought them back - they're that good. So here's a clip of West My Friend, who may be less familiar; but check them out. They have super harmonies, they are good instrumentalists, and a fun stage presence!

Our friend Kevin Nordlie continues to broaden our horizons with profiles of folk musicians that many of us don't know. This issue, his "Take Five" interview is with Eilen Jewell, a remarkable musician from Boise Idaho who went off to seek fame and fortune in Boston and Los Angeles, and then settled down... back in Boise! Good for her, and thanks to Kevin and Eilen for their frank and interesting discussion. 

Then there is an article about the 44th annual iteration of OryCon, Portland's annual local science fiction/fantasy convention, on October
18-20, 2024. Why? Because a number of PFS members perform FILK songs there, notably Cecilia Eng, a talented musician and song writer and generous volunteer! 


There's a short piece about the rich variety of venues  in Portland's Irish music scene. You might be surprised at how many opportunities there are to hear (or make) Irish music, and if you aren't a fan of Irish music, you should check out some of these places and events. You don't have to be Irish to like Irish music!

Dick Weisman offers a great thought-provoking article looking objectively at some of the things that "everyone knows" about folk music. In good iconoclastic fashion, he questions some of the common perceptions about the demi-gods of folk music, from Woody Guthrie to the Weavers. Dick is able to do this because of his own remarkable history of song writing and performing in the heartlands of music, from Greenwich Village to Colorado, and where he worked and sang with many household names. Read this article!

Finally, teacher, musician and onetime Singtime Guest Artist Avery Hill tells us about some of the educational opportunities she offers. There's an announcement for Fall Song. And, the ads in Local Lore are allmfor interesting enterprises, and we hope you will give them a try if you need any of the things they offer. 

We are SO grateful to Kim and all her writers and proofers and mailers for making Local Lore so good. If you like Local Lore, send Kim a note and let her know!

Archives

And finally, don't forget that years - many many years - of Local Lores are available to download on the Resources menu above. Enjoy!


PFS Virtual Song Circle No. CCXL

Every Saturday Night, rain or shine, aurora borealis or volcanos, elections, selections, predilections, truth or fictions... a group of folks meets on Zoom for the Virtual Song Circle, or VSC. The virtual doors open at 6:00 PM Pacific Time for schmoozing and tuning, and singing starts at 6:30. There's a group of regulars, and frequent newbies drop in, and sometimes people who have dropped out drop back in. It doesn't make any difference: all people, all songs, are welcome. You can stay for five minutes or five hours. Very relaxed.

If you know all you need to know about the VSCs, just click here to join.

Want to know more? There's tons more information here.
Countdown to VSC!
Countdown
Countdown to VSC!

Events Calendar

Please check out our events calendar below. Editor Barry Gorden manages to capture almost all the upcoming folk events, but if yours is missing please let us know. The list below shows the next week's events, and is updated continuously.

If you need more, go to the Events menu above and pull down to Folk Calendar. When you go there, you can sort by performances, classes, virtual, radio - whatever you like - and you'll have all the events from now until... well, you'll find everything we know about. If it's not listed here, it's probably not happening.
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events

 
Since 1976, Portland FolkMusic Society has been active preserving, presenting and promoting folk music and arts in the greater Portland Oregon area. PFS sponsors song circles, concerts, workshops and retreats – in person and virtual – and helps its members and the whole community pass the word around about folk music events, from old time ballads to sea shanties, from 60’s protest folk to contemporary singer-songwriters.

PFS is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. 

Portland FolkMusic Society
P.O. Box 1448
Portland, OR 97207-1448
Ideas or questions for PFS? Here's where to look...

Concerts - Concerts pages (see events menu) or pfs-concerts@portlandfolkmusic.org
Contributions - Donations tab or  development@portlandfolkmusic.org
Events Calendar - Events page or eventscalendar@portlandfolkmusic.org
FallSong - Fallsong page (soon) or fallsong@portlandfolkmusic.org
Membership - membership@portlandfolkmusic.org

Newsletter - locallore@portlandfolkmusic.org
Saturday Virtual Song Circle - VSC page, or click here to join
Singtime - singtime@portlandfolkmusic.org
Social Media - socialmedia@portlandfolkmusic.org
Website - Website editor
All other questions - president@portlandfolkmusic.org
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  Comments, questions, about this site? Write to pfs-online@portlandfolkmusic.org