By ANNA HOLBECH The Vancouver Folk Music Fes- tival which took place at Jericho Beach Park last weekend featured some of the best professional per- formers in all of the folk idioms. There were 33 individual perform- ers and 23 groups. But where were our local folk singers? The many excellent musicians brought from all over the world were appreciated, but it is frustrat- ing to know that there are many tal- ented singers and musicians who live right herein B.C. and who play the same songs and tunes, just as well as those groups and individ- uals brought here at some expense from the U.S., England and so on. B.C. has a rich heritage of folk oe ed in an arson attack last month. new centre. an We are pleased to announce that $40,000 in pledges and donations has been received from British Columbia towards the special fund of $500,000 to rebuild the Tim Buck-Norman Bethune Centre, destroy- Among the outstanding donors contributing to the rebuilding of this monument to two great Canadians are Bill Mozdir, who has pledged $3,000; John and Rita Tanche, who have donated $2,000; and Jim and Christine Beynon, who have donated $1,000 and pledged $1,000. Paul Snihur of the Association of United Ukrainian Cana- dians has donated $2,000, while John Pribanich of the Yugoslav Pensioners and Walter and Mary Gawrycki of the Federation of Rus- sian Canadians have each donated $1,000. Each $1,000 donation ensures that the name of the donor will be in- scribed on the honor wall which will be a permanent feature of the In B.C., to make a personal donation or to make a pledge for the future, please contact Betty Griffin, c/o 408 - 193 E. Hastings, Van- couver, B.C. V6A 1N7, 683-4321. Special Appeal from the Tim Buck-Nor- man Bethune Educa- tional Centre Building Committee. rT GLOBE TOURS The complete travel service We will professionally look after all your travel needs. We specialize in _ tickets, tours, passports, permits and reservations. Call us today — for prompt personalized service. 2. a a. 2679 East Hastings St. Vancouver, B.C. V5K 125 : : Phone 253-1221 songs born from the fishing, min- ing and forest industries, and the struggles of unions in each. These songs, however, were only of token importance at the Festival. Instead, we were told once again that Delta blues and Celtic music are our real roots. While that music may be valid and interesting, and indeed may be the heritage of many people, work- ing people in our own province and country have created their own mu- ~ sic to explain their own struggles, joys and life experiences. Professional performers can br- ing new insights and music, but they should be in the minority — not the majority — at a folk music event. Among the artists at this year’s Festival which impressed this re- viewer was Leon Rosselsom from England and Jim Page from Seat- tle. Both stood out as socially aware and politically acute per- formers. Well prepared for the . workshops they were scheduled in, they brought songs that reflected the lives of working men and wo- men. Lynn McGowan was one of the few local performers and she sparkled with energy in excellent performances of women’s songs and work songs, in English and French. Another local performer, Michael Pratt, contributed tradi- tional songs from the industrial revolution and played concertina. This third Vancouver Folk Music Festival was well organized and basically run by about 275 vol- unteers. It was divided into three evening concerts and ‘‘work- shops’’ on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The workshops took place on five stages simultaneously, with between two and six groups per hour on each stage. The sheer volume of performers made it cer- tain that there was something for everyone, but it also created prob- lems for both the performers and the audience. Because time limited each performer to only one or two songs or tunes per workshop, any- one genuinely interested in a par- ticular performer had to trail after him or her from one stage to an- other, feeling a bit like a ‘‘folk singer groupie.” Another problem with the Festi- val was the price. Tickets cost $11 per day ($8 if you bought them be- fore June 15) and certainly was prohibitive for any working fam- ily. It would have cost my family $33 to attend the Festival for one day. There is something wrong when folk music gets too expensive for the ‘‘Folk.” The Folk Festival had its strengths and was enjoyed by many. But if there is one conclu- sion which three years of experi- ence points to, it is that a large, pro- fessionally oriented music festival can very easily have a negative im- pact on local folk music and our local folk heritage when the spot- light focuses on a few professional stars, and the rest of us are spec- tators. ; Anna Holbech is president of the Vancouver Folk Song Society. Annual East Fraser Valley Region, CPC Sunday Picnic Dinner, Refreshments Games AUGUST 10 from 1 p.m. on SAMPO HALL Websters Corners Adm. #4; Children under 10—$2 Proceeds to Buck-Bethune Bldg. Fund e COMING EVENTS JULY 26 — Annual YCL Salmon | Barbecue, 3310 Cardinal Dr., Burn- aby. Swimming, games, from 2 p.m. on. Supper from 4-6. $4 & $2 — children. All welcome. JULY 27 — Burnaby Citizens’ As- sociation Annual Picnic, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Barnett Marine Park (North Burnaby). Salmon & hamburger bake. $3.50 per meal (children $1.75). Games, contests, musical entertainment, refreshments. All welcome. Bring your frisbees & soccer balls. JULY 27 — Cuban Garden Party, 2:30 p.m., Ukrainian Hall grounds, 805 E. Pender St., Van. Delicious Cuban supper at 5:30 p.m. Adults — $5; children — $2.50. Cuban music, books, refreshments & games. Sponsored by Canadian- | Cuban Friendship Association. ' AUG. 2, 3 & 4 — YCL Summer School, “Fight for Peace in the '80s."" IOOF Hall, Tsolum, north of Courtenay. Accommodations at the Hall. Bring sleeping bags & friends. $10 for wknd; $5 for day, food in- cluded. For further info. or ride, phone 255-9988. AUG. 3 — You are invited to the annual Sunday picnic at the Bianco's, 1 p.m. Mushroom burg- ers, homemade pies, hampers & refreshments. Sports for all, horse- shoe tournament & much more. George Hewison, main speaker; en- tertainment & displays. 10246-132nd St., Surrey. All wel- come. South Fraser Region, CPC. AUG. 10 — Federation of Russian Canadians Picnic, 12 noon at Con- federation Park, Burnaby. Home- made food, music & songs. In case of rain, picnic held at RPH, 600 Campbell Ave., Van. Everybody welcome. AUG. 17 — Annual East Fraser Val- ley Region CPC Picnic, Sampo Hall, Websters Corners. Proceeds to Buck-Bethune Bidg. Fund. Adm. $4; children under 10 — $2. From 1 p.m. on. Dinner, refreshments, games. AUG. 17 — Keep this date open. COPE annual Garden Party, 2 p.m. Rankin’s place, 3570 Hull St., Van. Bazaar and handicrafts, music and food. Donations for bazaar needed. Phone Jonnie 872-2128. COMMERCIAL LOST Nikkormat camera at Russian Hall, June 28. Phone 255-9988. ELECTRICAL, plumbing, appli- ance repairs. Don Berg. 255-7287. ROOF REPAIRS — Reasonable. New. roofs and alum. gutters, 277-1364 or 277-3352. Mel? dos Jewellery & Watch Repairs Reasonable charge 254-7678 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING ) RON SOSTAD. Writer, re- searcher. Will do: essays, letters, manuscripts, labor and civic pro- - jects, labor journalism. 688-3709. ROLLO BOARD GAMES. Rent- als for home or social games. For info. phone |. P. Schwartz, 325-5059. 5445 Inverness St., Van., B.C. Bingo, bongo, coyote rollo, trump whist, rollo bridge, full card, royal flush, lone wolf, sad box and wild horse race, rolleau, war game and 2 king chess. Rent — 45c per week or more. 10 weeks’ deposit re- quired. Balance returned if less than 10 weeks. LEGAL SERVICES Rankin, Stone, McMurray, Bar- risters and Solicitors. 500 Ford Building, 193 East Hastings St., Vancouver 682-7471. CONNIE FOGAL, lawyer, #% — Gaoler’s Mews, Vancouver (Gas- town), B.C. 687-0588. HALLS FOR RENT RUSSIAN PEOPLE'S HOME — Available for rentals. For reserva- tions phone 254-3430. WEBSTERS CORNERS HALL — Available for banquets, meetings, etc. For rates: Ozzie, 325-4171 or 685-5836. UKRAINIAN CANADIAN CUL- TURAL CENTRE — 805 East Pender St., Vancouver. Available for banquets, weddings, meetings. Ph. 254-3436. PACIFIC TRIBUNE— JULY 25, 1980—Page 7 i —