Norman Kennedy
NORMAN KENNEDY PRESS RELEASE:
Scottish Traditional Singer Norman Kennedy Performs at Traditional Singers Club
Saint Paul, MN (April 22, 2007) - The Traditional Singers Club
presents an evening of unaccompanied traditional singing featuring
Scottish traditional singer Norman Kennedy on Sunday, May 20th.
Kennedy was the recipient of a prestigious fellowship from the
National Endowment of the Arts in 2003 and he is widely recognized as
one of Scotland's finest traditional singers. The night will also
include performances by Singers Club resident singers Charlie Heymann,
Erin Hart and others. The concert will be held in the Saint Paul
Conservatory of Music recital hall located at 29 East Exchange St. in
downtown Saint Paul. Admission is $10 at the door and the event starts
at 7:30 PM on the 20th.
Norman Kennedy was born and raised in Aberdeen, Scotland. He is a
'keeper of the old ways', a master practitioner and teacher of textile
arts as well as an unaccompanied singer of traditional Scottish Songs
that he learned while growing up. In 1966 he moved to live in the USA
after representing Scotland at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival where he
was an immediate success with the "folkies" and the academic alike.
The former loved his relaxed, easy style, while the latter recognized
a deep knowledge and understanding of the songs, which went way beyond
book learning. Here was a young man truly immersed in his tradition
and culture. And 42 years later he has lost none of that magnetism.
But there's more to Norman than just singing and storytelling. He is
an accomplished weaver who cards, spins, and dyes his own wool in the
traditional way. It is a mark of his quest for perfection that he is
as well-known in this field as for his singing. But he does not see
them as separate entities - the songs help him to concentrate on his
weaving and the weaving gives rhythm to his songs. When Norman sings
as he weaves it seems the art and the craft were meant to be together,
and never more so than when performed by a master of both.
Traditional Singers Club concerts follow a format designed to showcase
featured artists while also promoting local participation in
traditional singing. June's event will include performances by
established local performers (and Club members) Brian Miller, Charlie
Heymann and others along with an impromptu song or two from selected
audience members.
The St. Paul Conservatory of Music is located at the corner of Cedar
and Exchange Street in downtown St. Paul.
Scottish Traditional Singer Norman Kennedy Performs at Traditional Singers Club
Saint Paul, MN (April 22, 2007) - The Traditional Singers Club
presents an evening of unaccompanied traditional singing featuring
Scottish traditional singer Norman Kennedy on Sunday, May 20th.
Kennedy was the recipient of a prestigious fellowship from the
National Endowment of the Arts in 2003 and he is widely recognized as
one of Scotland's finest traditional singers. The night will also
include performances by Singers Club resident singers Charlie Heymann,
Erin Hart and others. The concert will be held in the Saint Paul
Conservatory of Music recital hall located at 29 East Exchange St. in
downtown Saint Paul. Admission is $10 at the door and the event starts
at 7:30 PM on the 20th.
Norman Kennedy was born and raised in Aberdeen, Scotland. He is a
'keeper of the old ways', a master practitioner and teacher of textile
arts as well as an unaccompanied singer of traditional Scottish Songs
that he learned while growing up. In 1966 he moved to live in the USA
after representing Scotland at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival where he
was an immediate success with the "folkies" and the academic alike.
The former loved his relaxed, easy style, while the latter recognized
a deep knowledge and understanding of the songs, which went way beyond
book learning. Here was a young man truly immersed in his tradition
and culture. And 42 years later he has lost none of that magnetism.
But there's more to Norman than just singing and storytelling. He is
an accomplished weaver who cards, spins, and dyes his own wool in the
traditional way. It is a mark of his quest for perfection that he is
as well-known in this field as for his singing. But he does not see
them as separate entities - the songs help him to concentrate on his
weaving and the weaving gives rhythm to his songs. When Norman sings
as he weaves it seems the art and the craft were meant to be together,
and never more so than when performed by a master of both.
Traditional Singers Club concerts follow a format designed to showcase
featured artists while also promoting local participation in
traditional singing. June's event will include performances by
established local performers (and Club members) Brian Miller, Charlie
Heymann and others along with an impromptu song or two from selected
audience members.
The St. Paul Conservatory of Music is located at the corner of Cedar
and Exchange Street in downtown St. Paul.