Calendar
Past Dates
Wednesday, September 27th, 2017
Guntersville, Alabama 35976
Melodies and Musings on Lake Guntersville, AL. September 27-29 Featuring Rob Brereton, Lorinda Jones, Aubrey Atwater, and Heidi Muller
Friday, October 28th, 2016
Westport, CT 06880
United States
203-222-1424
WHS will celebrate the fourth anniversary of its Coffee Houses at the Wheeler’s with an evening of music from the American Songbook, plus folk, country and Joni Mitchell songs, all performed by singer-songwriter Suzanne Sheridan of Westport and dulcimer player Robert Brereton of Sherman, Conn.
The evening is being called “Someone to Watch Over Me,” the George Gershwin classic that is also the title of Brereton’s 1992 album of instrumentals featuring Renaissance dance music, Scottish folk and American jazz. It is also a special occasion for Sheridan, as it comes one day before the anniversary of her marriage to long-time partner Rosanne Gates and two days before her birthday.
“I began as a singer with a guitar,” says Sheridan, “and I’m coming back to my roots, what I care about most – a quieter, more folkie approach to music. The dulcimer,” she adds, “puts out a soft sound and is perfect for the occasion.”
Brereton, who has degrees in classical guitar, music composition and music education, is considered one of the pioneers on the contemporary mountain dulcimer, an instrument that long was associated only with the simple, plaintive music of the Southern Appalachians. Early in his career, however, Brereton worked in a folk instruments store where he learned to modify the tunings of the dulcimer so it could be used to play the more complex melodies of music from the American songbook.
The playlist for the upcoming Coffee House, Sheridan says, will include the Scottish folk song “The Water Is Wide”; Gordon Lightfoot’s “In the Early Morning Rain”; “Carey Get Out Your Cane” by Jonie Mitchell; the country song “There Ain’t No Ash Will Burn”; the American hymn “How Can I Keep From Singing”; ”More Love” by the Dixie Chicks; “Moonglow,” “Blue Skies” and “Someone To Watch Over Me.”
Sheridan began her music career singing jingles and moved on to writing her own songs and performing locally and throughout New England and Eastern Canada. She has a repertoire of songs by Mitchell and Leonard Cohen that she performs on tour. The Coffee Houses model a tradition of kitchen singing that she observed in Canada, where multi-generations of family and friends would sit around eating, drinking and playing music. The instrumentation is simple, Sheridan says, “so the sound doesn’t overpower the songs, perfect for the Historical Society.”
The Coffee Houses all take place in the Society’s Betty and Ralph Sheffer Gallery, a space about the size of a small country road house.
The mountain dulcimer is a purely American creation, the first ones being crafted by the Scottish and English immigrants who settled in the Appalachians. Music historians say these early arrivals lacked the tools and time to make violins, so they invented a new type of dulcimer using wood from the mountains where they lived. Researchers add that while the mountain dulcimer is related to European instruments of the zither family, it has no antecedents in Scotland or England. The name derives from old English, French and Italian words meaning “sweet.”
Brereton performs occasionally in Connecticut and nearby states. His most recent appearance was at the Merryall Center in New Milford. Next year, on Sept. 27, he will play “Melodies and Musings: Our Appalachian Legacy,” in Guntersville, Ala. Brereton also teaches K-6 music, works with private students and composes, arranges and directs for several choirs near his home. You can learn more about him on his website, www.robertbrereton.com.
When the first Coffee House was launched back in 2012, Sue Gold, the WHS’s executive director, described the goal as “enriching the community and creating an opportunity for Westporters to gather together.” The events take their name from Wheeler House, the historic house that serves as home to the Society.
Reservations strongly suggested, call 203-222-1424, $20 Donation includes refreshments (Wine and hors d'oeuvres)
Saturday, August 27th, 2016
New Milford, CT 06776
United States
860-354-7264
Happy to be part of this incredible series. I'll be performing with former CT state troubadour (and great friend), Thomasina Levy
Saturday, August 13th, 2016
Rye, NH
United States
(603) 430-6272
There are several workshops going on simultaneously during this week. Everything from Financial Planning to The Evolution of Folk Music...hmmm...I wonder who could be teaching that? Bring all your instruments. This isn't a dulcimer specific event, but that's what'll make it fun!
Sunday, July 31st, 2016
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
(845) 486-4571
Beyond A Simple Folk Song is an annual concert featuring folk artists who take Folk Music in new and exciting directions. Here's the line-up:
Rob Brereton - Contemporary mountain dulcimer player who specializes in early jazz tunes & traditional dulcimer repertoire.
Bob Lukomski - Electro-acousmatic arrangement of "Sumer Is Icumen In”, one of the earliest notated English folk songs.
Kevin Becker - “Duet for Viola and Piano”, performed by Linda Bresnahan-McCarthy, piano, Shayna Skibinksky, viola.
Kevin Becker - “Dreams in Conversation”, performed by Linda Bresnahan-McCarthy, piano, Amanda Scannell, flute and Allyson Tomsky, violin.
Intermission
Matthew Vigna – HVFG’s first music scholarship recipient, will play a few tunes on solo guitar.
Free River - w/ Raphael Garritano on guitar and mandolin, David Budd on percussion and Cornelia Logan on cello. This Hudson Valley based trio plays music from Bach to the Beatles, and everything in-between.
Thursday, April 14th, 2016
Middletown, CT 06457
United States
860-347-2528
Thomasina Levy and I have been performing together for decades. We finally have a name for our duo: Route 202. We usually rehearse at Thomasina's house and I've spent many hours on Route 202 driving to her house for our time together.
Eclectic and fun-loving' are the best words to describe the acoustic duo Route 202 which is comprised of Thomasina Levy and Robert Brereton, two award-winning musicians who have a taste for diverse styles of music. Just as Route 202 meanders through rural areas, suburbs and cities in New England, their music saunters through musical landscapes that range from folk to swing to new age to classical.
Friday, September 27th, 2013
Guntersville, Alabama 35976
Friday, July 12th, 2013
Woodburn, Indiana 46797
Sunday, April 21st, 2013
Elkins, WV 26241
304-637-1209
Saturday, October 13th, 2012
Sherman, CT 06784
Friday, September 7th, 2012
Sherman, CT 06784
860-355-5930
This is the annual one everyone waits for. Just a really, really great, fun night. Anyone who's anybody is going to be here. Go to this. Seriously, I mean it!
I'll be doing a short set with Julia Bailen and Eliot Bailen. Other featured artists are Eliot Bailen, Bob O'Connor, Paul McCormack, Mike Klvana, Don Lowe, The Bailen Brothers Band, Susan Rotholz, and Potters Field.
BYO Beverages and/or dinner. Munchies provided.
Proceeds go to upkeep of this marvelous Sherman venue.
Sunday, September 2nd, 2012
Kent, CT 06757
860-355-5930
Annual event with the fabulous Sherman Chamber Ensemble.
Saturday, September 1st, 2012
Sherman, CT 06784
860-355-5930
Annual Event with the fabulous Sherman Chamber Ensemble.
Sunday, June 24th, 2012
Blue Mountain Lake, NY 12812
Sunday, July 31st, 2011
828-298-3434
More Details to come
Saturday, July 23rd, 2011
More Details to come
Saturday, June 25th, 2011
Blue Mountain Lake, NY 12812
More Details to come
Thursday, June 16th, 2011
More Details to follow
Saturday, April 9th, 2011
Sherman, CT 06784
Rob Brereton and Thomasina Levy in their annual concert at the Sherman JCC. This will be a family concert. Please bring your kids! More details to follow.
Friday, February 11th, 2011
Mount Dora, FL 32757
Join in our 6th Year Central Florida Festival with 72 Workshops to choose from -
Mountain & Hammered Dulcimers, Autoharp, Bowed Psaltery,TinWhistle, & Musical Saw!
Come to beautiful Mount Dora for two days of Learning, Sharing & Musical Merriment
Workshop Leaders for the 2011 Central Florida Dulcimer & Autohop© Festival are:
Gailanne Amundsen, Mike Anderson, Sally Anderson, David Beede, Ray & Cheryl Belanger, Rob Brereton, Linda Brockington, Dan Evans, Doug Felt, Bruce Ford, Tull Glazener, George Haggerty,
Ken Kolodner, Karen Mueller, Maureen Sellers, Ivan Stiles, Linda Thomas, & Rick Thum
Thursday, January 27th, 2011
Key West, FL
Saturday, January 15th, 2011
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
The Journey
Master Class with Rob Brereton- Intermediate to Advanced
Join Rob as he takes you on a musical journey from selecting a piece of music, through arranging the piece and finally bringing it to performance level. Rob will choose a diatonic piece and a chromatic piece and then demonstrate how to arrange once piece in D-A-d and another piece in the 1-3-5 (D-F#-A) tuning (advanced). This class will clearly show you everything you'll need to make your own musical arrangements. After each arrangement is finished, we'll discover various right and left hand techniques in order to make your playing smooth, musical, and ready for performance. Rob will give a mini-concert at noon. This is part of a much larger festival. See the website for more info.
Friday, January 14th, 2011
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
Saturday, September 4th, 2010
Kent, CT 06757
860-355-5930
It's always a thrill to play with such fine musicians. This is really the cream of the crop. Hope to see you at one or both of the Sherman Chamber Ensemble's Bluegrass Jamboree!
Friday, September 3rd, 2010
Sherman, CT 06784
860-355-5930
It's always a thrill to play with such fine musicians. This is really the cream of the crop. Hope to see you at one or both of the Sherman Chamber Ensemble's Bluegrass Jamboree!
Friday, August 20th, 2010
West Dover, VT 05356
(802) 368-7437
Sunday, August 1st, 2010
828-298-3434
Friday, July 23rd, 2010
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
Blue Mountain Lake, NY 12812
518-352-7715
Saturday, June 26th, 2010
Blue Mountain Lake, NY 12812
Sunday, April 18th, 2010
Elkins, WV 26241
304-637-1209
Saturday, April 10th, 2010
Sherman, CT 06784
860-355-8050
Friday, March 5th, 2010
Latham, NY
United States
Sunday, October 18th, 2009
Sherman, CT 06784
860-355-5930
Saturday, September 26th, 2009
Sunday, September 6th, 2009
Kent, CT 06757
860-355-5930
Saturday, September 5th, 2009
Sherman, CT 06784
860-355-5930
Sunday, July 26th, 2009
Saturday, March 21st, 2009
Sherman, CT 06784
United States
860-355-8050
Monday, February 16th, 2009
Bonsall, CA
760-724-6331
Saturday, January 17th, 2009
Torrington, CT 06790