FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 4, 2010
Contact: Sarah Wilson, Program Coordinator 264-6883

CELEBRATE! THE ARTS AT OLD MARKET DAY

CHAMBERSBURG, PA - The Council for the Arts has planned an array of musical, dance and theatrical events for “Celebrate! the Arts at Old Market Day” on Saturday, July 17th in historic downtown Chambersburg. A free-admission festival, “Celebrate” is presented by Patriot Federal Credit Union and organized by the Council for the Arts of Chambersburg.

Courthouse Square will be the main venue of the festival and will feature new groups as well as local favorites. The Bandshop Brass Quintet will begin the day at 9:00 AM.

The Bandshop Brass Quintet features five local musicians: Bill Ort from Harrisburg on the trumpet, Todd Jennings from Carlisle also on the trumpet, Kim Chestnut of Shippensburg on the horn, Tom Hill of Chambersburg on trombone, and Bernie Pitkin from Shippensburg on the tuba. For the July 17th performance, Kim Chestnut will be substituted by horn player Don Schroeder of Carlisle. The Quintet typically plays a variety of celebrations including church or company picnics, banquets, weddings, and church services.  Their repertoire is quite varied; both Sacred and Secular, from Baroque and Classical eras to Jazz, Show Tunes, Spiritual, and Patriotic.

At 10:00 AM we are pleased Kerensa Gray, a soulful jazz singer/songwriter.
If a journey begins with the first of a thousand steps, Kerensa Gray has been on the move since that precious first step over 30 years ago.  Finding her voice first in string studies as a gifted violin student, Kerensa began working with Frostburg State University orchestra while still attending middle school.  These early years fostered an unquenchable love for music and encouraged a budding artist to discover the music of her own soul. Burning with passion and a desire to share with complete transparency, she is a composer and vocalist who will harness that which we all yearn for - truth without compromise.

Constantly inspired by the challenges and gifts of the everyday experience, Kerensa’s music finds balance in her ability to skillfully interweave melodies of jazz, blues and folk music into a sound that is undeniably and uniquely her. 2009 Billie Holiday Vocal Competition Winner, Kerensa Gray has also been recognized as a 2008 and 2009 Momentum Award Jazz Artist of the Year Finalist and has shared the stage and opened for artists such as Stellar award winner Isaiah Thomas and Grammy and Dove award winners CeCe Winans and Vickie Winans.   Kerensa is excited to announce completion of her new project with renowned Baltimore jazz guitarist and producer Drew Davidsen.



“Jamie O’Brien and the Laune Rangers” continue the day 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM with traditional and contemporary British Isles music. In the spring of 1997, Jamie O’Brien brought together a small group of musicians in Central Pennsylvania to play Sligo-style Irish music.  During the intervening years, the Laune Rangers (now simply the Launies), has seen players come and go, but has continued to present driving instrumentals and lyrical ballads.

Bruce Young (fiddle, guitar and vocals) first joined the Launies as a guest player but for the last five years has been a mainstay of the group.  He is on the speakers’ roster of the PA Humanities Council, presenting his program “Mountain Voices and Songs of the Labor Movement” and can also been found regularly on the staff at the Augusta Heritage Center, Elkins, WV.  Along with the Launies, Young is a member of a number of State College-based groups including the Gnu-Tones, and is also a solo performer and teaches music to a new generation.

Henry Koretzky (mandolin, guitar, vocals) is a native of south Pennsylvania who still lives in Harrisburg.  He has performed with O’Brien in various lineups for over 20 years (Medicinal Purpose, Shades of Green & Blue, Unbowed and more).  He has frequently toured accompanying O’Brien (East Coast, Hawaii) and has been ‘in-and-out’ of the Launies ever since the band’s formation.  A former member of the bluegrass band, Cornerstone, and the klezmer group, the Old World Folk Band, he is a member of the Gnu-Tones and is well known in old timey, swing, klezmer and country circles.  He has performed and recorded with such musicians as Dede Wyland, Martha Trachtenberg, Tom Griffith and others.

Jamie O’Brien (vocals, guitar) comes from a London-Irish family and has lived in England, France, Germany, Pennsylvania and currently Arizona but dreams of moving to Hawaii.  This shows as his music revolves around the songs and tunes of his childhood, but is influenced by the cultures he has shared over the years.  A noted solo performer and an in demand accompanist (he has played with such musicians as singer Aoife Clancy, piper Kieran O’Hare, button accordionist Billy McComiskey and fiddler Jim Eagan), the Launies is the fulfillment of his dream: a group presenting the dance tunes he heard as a youngster, the songs he grew up with and the music he has encountered since leaving his family home.

Bringing together Irish fiddle, guitars and mandolin, the Launies presents a dynamic approach to celtic music.  Mixing tradition with the contemporary, here are songs and tunes from Ireland and further afield performed with gusto and drive.  The three musicians reach into an eclectic repertoire showcasing their respective origins and experiences: a London-Irish upbringing, a love of Sligo fiddling, touches of the music Irish culture has influenced and a desire to communicate with audiences.  The Launies – celtic music at its best!



Finally, beginning at 1:00 PM and playing until 3:00 PM, The Hello Strangers will take the stage! The Hello Strangers were born out of the South Austin, TX music scene in 2006 when sisters, Larissa and Brechyn, wrote their first song together entitled, “Pregnant in Jail.” Based on true events, the song was a preamble to a string of original tunes written by the sisters in a little cottage off South Congress Avenue. Soon, however, the mountains of their Pennsylvania home beckoned the girls North. So they packed up their lives, dogs, and Larissa’s husband, and drove to their two-stoplight hometown of Mercersburg. Much to their delight, the move proved to be a boon to their musical endeavors as they easily recruited friends new and old to join The Hello Strangers in the winter of 2008.

Along with the brilliance of Dave Holzwarth (bass), Kevin Shannon (guitar), and Katie O’Neil (drums), the sisters have created a catalogue of original music with nods to the folk traditions of the U.S., modern indie rock motifs, Texas country-folk, and roots rock, all tied together with lilting harmonies that only sisters can accomplish. Timeless imagery and fables accompany each song, from tales of a boggy creek bottom where a murdered man sleeps, to a Texas roadhouse with bawdy dancers and clinking beer bottles, to more poignant reflections on the loss of winter and a man gone wrong.

The Hello Strangers’ performance will feature a collection of the originals described above, along with several covers from the band's favorite folk and roots rock artists. The band is celebrating the release of their first EP, "Introducing Max Schmidt," which is the name of their accordion. Bassist Dave Holzwarth bought the accordion at an estate sale back in the 1980s in San Francisco. The previous owner's name, Max Schmidt, is inscribed on the box, so the band gave the accordion the name of the previous owner. Max will be "out of the box" during The Hello Strangers' performance on July 17th.



Other “Celebrate” venues will feature music and dance as well. Cumberland Valley School of Music will hold performances throughout the morning at the Capitol Theatre.  At 9:00 AM “Voice and Drama Camp”  will feature scenes and music from "Seussical the Musical."  The campers range from 4th - 9th grades and are directed by Jeffrey Noll. Then, following at 10:00 AM the Cumberland Valley School of Music and the Chambersburg YMCA present Sam's Music Camp. Campers are in grades 1 - 5 and are directed by Elizabeth Stahl.  They will present selected songs and dance numbers.

At 11:00 AM we are pleased to, once again, announce The Step Girls as a part of Celebrate! the Arts at Old Market day.  “The Step Girls” is a dance troupe within the many programs at N.E.T.Work Ministries and includes a unique group of girls from downtown Chambersburg, ages nine to sixteen.  They practice weekly and are always excited to perform for the community and use their developing talents.  They are separated into two groups: the Alpha Step Girls in the primary grade level and the Omega Step Girls in the secondary grade level, and dancers from the Omega group are trained and are beginning to lead the Alpha team.  N.E.T.Work Ministries is a non-profit organization that strives to equip young men and women with the necessary skills for spiritual growth, academic achievement, life management, and leadership.  They are located near the Southgate Mall and serve children from kindergarten to 12th grade.

The Chambersburg Ballet Theatre (CBT) School will present its annual performance of The Magic of Dance at this year’s at 1:30 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre. The performance will include dancers of all ages from CBT School’s Summer Dance Camp, and will include dances in ballet, pointes, and jazz, as well as a demonstration of Irish Step dance. The CBT School is celebrating this 10th Anniversary year with the addition of a special Guest Teacher, Peter Doll of the Miami City Ballet. Mr. Doll will teach Master Classes, daily Camp classes, and coach dancers for “The Magic of Dance” performance. For more information, call CBT Artistic Director, Lavinia Reid at (717) 709-1800.

For more information about CELEBRATE! the Arts, call 717-264-6883 or email programs@councilforthearts.net. The schedule is also available at www.councilforthearts.net.


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