May—BARNARD—BarnArts fills May with live music in Barnard and Woodstock, and at schools throughout the Upper Valley! Two Global Music Residency artists will be visiting area schools for two separate weeks of workshops with additional public performances, and BarnArts 18-week Feast and Field Music Series kicks off May 25 at Fable Farm in Barnard with an exciting lineup that includes groups from Argentina and South Africa as well as many favorite local and regional groups.
First up, BarnArts Global Music Residency program will bring Canadian Mi’kmaq singer and fiddler Morgan Toney to the region for school workshops from May 9-12, culminating in a public performance in Woodstock on May 12 at the North Chapel Universalist Church. Toney will be visiting local schools in Reading, Pomfret, Sharon, Bethel, and Randolph for half day workshops linking his Indigenous heritage with the fiddling of Cape Breton. His performance at the North Chapel will allow the public to experience his fiery talent on the fiddle. Toney was nominated for three East Coast Canadian Music Awards in 2022 and is one of the most in-demand young fiddlers and singers in Atlantic Canada today. Tickets for Toney’s 7:30 p.m. public performance can be purchased on the BarnArts website ($5-20 “you pick” sliding scale).
BarnArts second Global Music Residency artists are the beloved Villalobos Brothers, who are returning to the area May 20-27 as part of Vermont Humanities’ Vermont Reads program pick of “The Most Costly Journey.” They will be playing an outdoor concert with BarnArts at the Barnard Town Hall on May 27, a festive culminating event for their week of events. The celebration begins with a potluck and performances by local area youth musicians at 5:30 p.m. with the Villalobos Brothers and their full band (six musicians) at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased on the BarnArts website ($10-50 “you pick” sliding scale).
The Villalobos Brothers will be visiting WUHSMS on Tuesday, May 22 for an exciting day of workshops with Spanish and band classes as well as a performance with an all-school assembly. Also present for enhanced learning that day will be Migrant Justice and one of the editors of “The Most Costly Journey,” Marek Bennett.
BarnArts Global Music Residency program started last year with the all-star Haitian roots band, Lakou Mizik, visiting last Spring, while the fall residency brought the Garifuna Collective from Belize. The bands were embedded in our community for extended stays, reaching over 1,000 students in over 12 schools as well as adults with disabilities. The Global Music Residency program stems from BarnArts’ belief in the power of positive intercultural connections as a means to build cultural literacy.
BarnArts Feast and Field Music Series launches May 25 with a return of Young Tradition Vermont Youth Commission. The Villalobos Brothers will also be stopping by opening night for a little sneak peek of the Saturday concert and to connect with the young artists in the commission. The music series continues each Thursday through Sept. 28 with an eclectic selection of artists ranging from local talent to internationally touring artists. The gates open each week at 5:30 p.m. and music runs from 6-8:30 p.m.
Feast and Field is a partnership between BarnArts and the Feast & Field Collective (Fable Farm Fermentory, Kiss the Cow Farm, and Eastman Farm) who host these popular weekly gatherings at Fable Farm’s orchard in Barnard. Food and drink are available with Eastman Farm’s beef and pork and Fable Farm’s vegetables as staple ingredients to the dinner options. Delicious ice cream is made on site from Kiss the Cow Creamery.
Entry is sliding scale, $5-25 per person. Reservations can be made online at feastandfield.com; however, walk-ins are welcome, space permitting.
Feast and Field summer lineup:
May 25: Young Tradition VT (traditional/fiddle)
June 1: Bow, Jack & Krishna (blues/rock)
June 8: Michael Zoldos and Friends (jazz/funk)
June 15: Beecharmer (singer-songwriter/Americana)
June 22: Ladles (folk/pop)
June 29: Cachitas Now! (Argentine cumbia)
July 6: Joe K. Walsh, Grant Gordy & Ben Krakauer (bluegrass/jazz)
July 13: Sabouyouma (Afro-funk)
July 20: Nomfusi (South African Afro-soul)
July 27: Tommy Crawford & Friends (kids/singer-songwriter)
Aug. 3: Bandits on the Run (pop/folk)
Aug. 10: Miss Tess (honky tonk/blues)
Aug. 17: Fabiola Méndez (folkloric/Latin/jazz)
Aug. 24: Pointe Noir Cajun Band (Cajun)
Aug. 31: Billy Wylder (rock/world)
Sept. 7: Spencer Lewis and the New Old Vermonters (folk)
Sept. 14: TBA
Sept. 21: TBA
Sept. 28: DJ dance Party
Cost is Entry: $5-$25 per person.
For more information or to make reservations, visit: feastandfield.com or barnarts.org.
