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

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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.

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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

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