Apple Festival - Saturday's Bands

 Below is information on Saturday's bands.  Scroll to the bottom for Saturday's schedule.

Chris has been singing folk music and sea music in particular since his early teens.  He comes from a family rich in maritime traditions, and his lullabies as a child were traditional songs of the sea.  He grew up on the Nawth Showa of Long Island, and from an early age was exposed to a wide variety of folk music.

He has given concerts in many Festivals, Coffeehouses and concerts along the eastern US seaboard, and around the UK either solo, or with his wife, Joy Bennett.  He has led workshops dealing with a variety of traditional music forms. Chris can be heard accompanying himself on Guitar, Banjo, Fiddle, Concertina, and other things common to an average garage sale.  His singing has been said to be “not too hurtful to the ear,” but has been know to attract neighborhood strays.

Chris is a public school music teacher by trade, which allows him to spend his summers, and Fall/Spring weekends and vacations as one of the Chanteymen at Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut, which is one of the few places left where Sea Chanties can be heard in performing the jobs for which they were used.

Whether he is giving concerts, leading workshops, or playing a square-dance, Chris enjoys the participation of those with him, as that keep musical traditions alive.

Joy Bennett has been singing most of her life.  She has toured parts of the United States, Great Britain and Italy with the New York University Chorale, performed in Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Gondoliers”, has been heard in the New York Revels and has performed with numerous groups over the years.  Joy’s exposure to maritime music came in the early 1970s at South Street Seaport Museum where she worked as a volunteer.  It has been said that her voice is “three-dimensional, with a depth and clarity unmatched by others.”  Joy performs with the folk group Water Sign and can be heard on their album of the same name, as well as on Evy Mayer’s latest album “Humor Me.”  Joy serves on the Board of the Folk Music Society of New York, an organization dedicated to keeping traditional music alive.

Nate & Kate deliver a mix of heartfelt modern folk songs, humor, and juggling that add up to a completely unique and dymanic show fit for old, young, and all in between.

‘Grassanova’ may be the new band on the block, but its members have years of experience playing bluegrass and other forms of acoustic music.  ‘Tom & Marie’ have joined forces with R. J. Siegers and Jim MacWilliams to form an exciting and dynamic new acoustic sound in New York’s Southern Tier.  ‘Grassanova’ plays solid traditional bluegrass as well as popular songs done in a bluegrass/newgrass style, and they’ll throw in a few other musical styles such as swing, blues, and early jazz just for fun. 

Four of Hearts quartet, Chris, Kym, Linda, and Peg, started as a Singing Valentine’s quartet in 2006.  We decided to make it official in February 2008.  We would love to entertain at your private party, church function, birthday or anniversary celebration, fundraiser, monthly meeting, etc.  We sing a wide variety of music.   If you are looking for something a little bit different for your next function please call us to set up a performance.