Golden Link Folk Singing Society
P.O. Box 92398
Rochester, NY 14692
www.goldenlink.org
August 17, 2021
Media contact: David Townsend (not for publication) 585-467-8690
Interviews with Golden Link members or featured performers can be arranged.
Golden Link presents their 50th Anniversary Turtle Hill Folk Festival on September 11, 2021
Annual Golden Link event features concerts, workshops, singing,
jamming, food, and fun.
Rochester, N.Y.—Enjoy a great day of folk music at the 50th Annual Turtle Hill Folk Festival, presented by the Golden Link Folk Singing Society at the Rotary Sunshine Campus, 809 Five Points Rd., in Rush, NY on Saturday, September 11, 2021. The festival will feature daytime workshops and performances; evening concerts by John Roberts, Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters, and Bill Staines; and a late-night sing-around following the evening concerts.
Due to COVID, Golden Link’s 2021 festival will be a bit different from usual. It is a one-day event. Tickets sales are online and in advance only – No ticket sales at the gate. All attendees must provide Proof of Vaccination and a Photo ID at the gate. Golden Link is recommending all attendees wear masks while at indoor activities or in crowded areas outdoors. Due to vaccine age limits, children under 12 cannot attend. Attendance will be limited to 200 people. There will be no on-site camping or bunkhouse beds available.
At Turtle Hill, the audience not only gets to see these performers on stage, but also interact with them during workshops and small presentations during the day, with many informal opportunities to sing and play music together.
Performers:
John Roberts: With strong ties to sea shanties and music of the British Isles. John now performs mostly singing solo, and often accompanies the songs with banjo or concertina, or sings them a cappella. John is best known for his work with Tony Barrand, another ex-pat Brit, who together performed at the very first Golden Link picnic in 1971, which later became the Turtle Hill Folk Festival. These two lively Brits sang folk songs, often wore funny hats, and went on to sing at folk festivals such as Fox Hollow, Mariposa, Philadelphia, Hudson River Revival, and Old Songs. They became part of Nowell Sing We Clear, a Christmas show featuring pub carols, midwinter customs, and a mummers’ play.
Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters: The powerhouse duo of Amy Gallatin and renowned resophonic guitarist Roger Williams joined forces more than 15 years ago to explore their mutual love of country standards, served up with an acoustic treatment in the bluegrass vein. The result is a toe-tapping blend of heartfelt vocals, soaring harmonies, and red-hot picking, traditional yet modern and distinct. Based in Connecticut, the band includes JD Williams, Roger’s son, on mandolin, guitar, and vocals, along with veteran bassist Eric Levenson.
Bill Staines: Bill Staines has 26 recordings to his credit and has written more than 300 songs, many of which have been recorded by the likes of Peter, Paul, and Mary, Makem and Clancy, Nanci Griffith, Glen Yarborough, and Jerry Jeff Walker, among others. His music is sung at campfires and folk music gatherings, in homes and churches, all around the country. Songs like “All God’s Critters,” “The Roseville Fair,” “Child of Mine,” and “River,” have become folk music classics. Composer David Amram once described Bill as “a modern-day Stephen Foster. His music will be around a hundred years from now.”
A winner of the National Yodeling Championship in Kerrville, Texas, Bill Staines is also one of only a few songwriters to have eight songs published in the Rise Up Singing songbook. In 2015, he was chosen as “One of the 80 gifts New England has given to America” by Yankee Magazine. “There is no better writer of instantly memorable singalong choruses in this genre of music!” says The Boston Globe.
Photos of the performers are at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1a957e4EbB3ewxi22MZJyQhFPL5XI3McQ?usp=sharing
Festival Site and Food: Golden Link’s Turtle Hill Folk Festival will be held at the Rotary Sunshine Campus, 809 Five Points Road, Rush, NY, a short drive south of Rochester. Food vendor Mama Napoli will be providing dinner on Saturday night, which must be pre-ordered when purchasing your Festival Ticket. You’re also free to bring your own food and non-alcoholic beverages, or travel to one of the eateries in nearby towns. All facilities are wheelchair accessible. The Rotary Sunshine Camp is an alcohol-free, non-smoking, pet-free campus (except for service animals).
Tickets: Tickets are available at www.goldenlink.org, with a discount for Golden Link members. Tickets are advance sale only; no tickets will be sold at the gate.
Ticket Prices
Admission is for full day, all events and concerts, on sale August 1 - Sept 8:
Admission Golden Link Paid Members: $35
Admission Non-Members: $40
Children under 12 cannot attend this year due to vaccine age limits
Pre-packaged Meals from Mama Napoli: $13
Festival T-shirt purchased with ticket: $20
Founded in 1971, the Golden Link Folk Singing Society is dedicated to presenting, promoting, and preserving folk music in the Rochester area. Golden Link is a volunteer-operated and member-supported 501(c)3 not-for-profit arts, cultural, and educational organization.
Calendar Listing
Turtle Hill Folk Festival
Rotary Sunshine Campus, 809 Five Points Rd., Rush, New York
Saturday, September 11, 2021
Gate opens 11:30 am
12:00-5:00 pm Daytime workshops, round-robins, and jamming on three stages.
5:00-6:00 pm Dinner - pre-ordered, pre-packaged meals from Mama Napoli available for pickup
Evening Concert, 6:00–9:45 pm:
John Roberts
Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters
Bill Staines
Grand Finale with all performers
Evening concert followed by an indoor fireplace sing-around and informal jamming.