October 12th & 13th, 2007
October 12th & 13th, 2007
|
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Alabama Tale Tellin’ Festival Celebrates Silver AnniversaryAugust 19, 2003 By Ginger Harvill
Word Count: 600 words One of Alabama’s most popular events, the
annual Tale Tellin’ Festival, celebrates its silver anniversary October 10-11,
2003, in historic Selma, Alabama. The Festival has steadily grown in prominence,
and today it’s recognized as on of the country’s top Tale Tellin’ events. Twenty-five years ago, renowned author and
storyteller, Kathryn Windham sat around a table with her friends and Alabama
Tale Tellin’ was born. That was 1978, and by that time Windham was already an
acclaimed storyteller, having been featured at the National Storytelling
Festival in Jonesboro, Tennessee. Windham continues to play a pivotal part in
the Alabama Festival and does double duty each year as featured storyteller and
emcee. Windham’s penchant for storytelling began
with the written word; she is the author of over twenty books. From the
beginning, her intent was to preserve the traditions and stories that so
strongly influenced her during her growing-up years in west central Alabama. This same motivation to preserve a heritage
is shared by David Holt, one of the featured storytellers at this year’s
Alabama Tale Tellin’ Festival. While a college student in California, Holt
attended a concert by banjoist Ralph Stanley, and promptly fell in love with
old-time mountain music. At Stanley’s suggestion, Holt and a friend decided to
explore the Southern mountains where the music originated. They spent the summer
of 1969 traveling all around the Appalachians, discovering a way of life rich
with traditions that Holt feared could easily be lost forever. “A lot of those folks are now gone,”
Holt says. “They were all fantastic musicians and were very friendly. I had a
wonderful time finding them. Not only watching how they played and getting
ideas, but also just learning about the culture and mountain ways.” Today Holt
lives in a mountain-top home near Ashville, North Carolina where he started and
Appalachian Music Program at Warren Wilson College. “Traditional music has so
much power because it is written from the heart and not for profit. It has been
hand-rubbed by many generations, and it’s distilled into these incredible
little nuggets,” Holt explains. Holt plays ten acoustic instruments and is
a Grammy-award winner. He has been nominated for that honor four times. Over the
years he has expanded his talents and now “performs and informs” as a
storyteller, musician, historian, and entertainer, all the while focusing on
preserving the culture he so cherishes. His mission of blending Southern
storytelling with traditional mountain music has carried him across this country
as well as to Europe, the mountains of Bolivia, and the foothills of the
Himalayas. Holt has this to say about his work: “I
do what I do because I really love it. Hopefully some of those people will be
inspired to carry on.” Sharing the stage with Windham and Holt
will be Len Cabral, who tells his African and Caribbean stories through mime,
poetry, song, and humor. Connie Regan-Blake, who was featured at Alabama’s
first Tale Tellin’ Festival a quarter-century ago, rounds out the trio of
guest tellers. Regan-Blake specializes in Appalachian Mountain stories and
true-life adventures. The Tale Tellin’ Festival offers Friday
and Saturday performances beginning at 7 p.m. in Selma’s Pickard Auditorium on
Washington Street. People are encouraged to come early for the “Swappin’
Ground” at 5:30p.m. This informal gathering precedes the main events and
extends to everyone the opportunity to swap a tall tale. Admission to the
Festival is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Web pages www.taletellin.com
and www.selmaalabama.com Additional information:
Selma & Dallas County Centre for Commerce 1-800-45-SELMA or
334-875-7241 Edie Jones
ediemj@wwisp.com
334-875-2296 (h) 334-412-6766 © 334-874-5821
fax
For More Information Contact: |
|
Send mail to dave@klingereyeshields.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
