Come August 4-5, Red River will be swarming with dulcimer players coming to learn, listen, and have a good time playing music at the Red River Community House. Be prepared to see and hear the beauty of the sounds of the hammered and mountain dulcimers, as well as the dulcet tones of other acoustic instruments such as the autoharp, guitar, mandolin, banjo, and harp.
While the hammered dulcimer is the forerunner of the piano and dates back to early Biblical times, the mountain dulcimer can be considered a traditional American instrument. It was developed in the Appalachian Mountains, probably from the zither family.
Performing and teaching will be David and Annette Lindsey, owners of David’s Dulcimers. David began making and playing the hammered dulcimer in 1978 along with Dana Hamilton, who will also be at the festival with his wife Judy. Together these four formed the Sweet Song String Band and started the Lone Star State Dulcimer Festival in Glen Rose, TX in 1982. Also performing and teaching will be Cathy Barton and Dave Para, a husband and wife team from Booneville, MO. Cathy will wow you on the banjo, hammered dulcimer, autoharp, and mountain dulcimer. Dave is a whiz on the guitar, and together their voices have an incredible blend. Scott and Irma Reeder will be performing and teaching, also. They hail from Albuquerque, NM where they formed the New Mexico Dulcimer Festival. Coming from east Texas is Margaret Wright on mountain dulcimer and Sacred Harp singing. Last, but not least, the festival will have David Ellison from Lovington, NM as a teacher and performer.
The genre of music will range from old-time dance music to Celtic ballads and more modern day tunes. Upbeat and entertaining will be the ticket! Don’t miss out on a good time. Come make a mouth bow or take a beginning class on an instrument you’ve always wanted to play. Experience the harmony of Sacred Harp singing – no skill necessary to participate.
Details can be found on the Community House website: www.redrivercommunityhouse.org.
-Festival info courtesy Annette Lindsey