“It’s a singers’ festival.” If anyone should know it is Gary Cristall, the Co- ordinator of the Fourth Annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival, and as you scan the list of 130 plus performers who will assemble at Jericho Beach Park on July 17-19 you have to agree. “Last year we were a pickers’ festival,” he continues. “We had the best in the business up there on stage. - Byron Berline, Norman Blake, Hot Rize, the Red Clay Ramblers - but we don’t stand still. That way we keep things interesting, and that’s why we've lots of really hot singers coming this year.” He points gleefully to a roughed-out schedule of the workshop stages. “What’s the oldest musical in- strument?” The mind whirls and grasps at hollowed-out logs and hand claps, but before you are able to an- swer you're told... the human voice, singing a cappella. Visions of cavemen singing four-part harmony while prancing around a mastodon - presumably singing it to sleep before bashing its brains out - are quickly replaced by those of mysterious religious gatherings, ritual ctlebrations of birth, marriage, death and har- vesting, all in rapid suc- cession. The a cappella workshops at this year's festival hold forth promise of great things to come. Laduvane, Sweet Honey In The Rock and the Watersons will collectively raise sweet harmonies to the sky as the 14 of them bring the music of the Balkans, Black America and the British Isles together on one workshop stage. Laduvane (‘a woman sings’) are six women from Massachusetts .who have collected a number _of women’s songs from -several Balkan. countries. Their sounds, rhythms. and tex- tures are very different from those of Afro-American music of Sweet Honey, whose sources cover the Black experience from the arrival of the first slave ship to the present day. One experience is drawn from a predominantly agrarian society that still survives, the other from a _ people uprooted. Sweet Honey sing gospel, jazz, songs from the Civil Rights of the Sixties and songs that face the continued repression of Blacks, and Black women in particular. One’ of these latter songs is about Joan Little who killed a guard when he tried to rape her while she was in jail i in North Carolina. The Watersons are called ‘the Fab Four of Folk Music’. They have been singing together since before the Beatles made it into the hit parade, are still together and have managed suc- cessfully to follow their own careers as solo performers. Martin Carthy, for example, co-founded the British super-group Steeleye Span. The Watersons are closely associated with two other phenominal British singers who were also instrumental in the British folk revival of the carly 60's... Frankie Armstrong and Lou Killen. Although Frankie has become strongly identified with the feminist movement, the depth of understanding that she has makes her appeal universal. Lou Killen and fellow Englishman Roy Bailey have voices that would have even opera buffs yelling for encores. Their collections of sea shantics, ballads and working songs cover more than four Sparkling comedy at the Playhouse The Vancouver Play- house's first ever summer production will be the hilarious and spine-tingling musical comedy _ thriller, ‘The Curse Of The Werewolf by Ken Hill, opening July 9 at the Q. EB. Playhouse. You'll howl with laughtcr at the antics of Tom Wood as the mad scientist Professor Steiner, Nicola Cavendish as the innocent and love-struck Kitty, Patricia Hamilton as Kitty's stern upper crust mother, and Donald Adams as the handsome and mysterious Baron Martin von Heilmann. Other cast members include Karen Barker, Martha Burns, Peter Elliot, Ron Halder, Allen MacInnis and Michacl Mawson. We're not telling which character is transformed by the light of the moon into the vicious werewolf that tcrrorizes the quiet hamict of Walpurgisdorf. L's up to the audicnce to unravel the mystery. ‘The Curse Of The Werewolf will be directed by Roger Hodgman with sct design by David Fischer, costumes by Phillip Clarkson, lighting by lan Pratt, choreography by Norman Leggatt and musical direction by Roger Perkins. Songs are by Ian Armit and Ken Hill. Tho play opens July 9 at the Q. B. Playhouse. Per formances aightly at 8:00 p.m., with matinces Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets aro available at all Vancouver Ticket Contro outlets and Batons stores, or call 687-4444. Bil - Sunday News, July 5, 1981 centuries. Toss in Joe eaney, aman reputed to be the, greatest living singer of. ‘Marg Christ! who ’ also. specializes in traditional British songs, and you have the ingredients for several exciting workshops. Not to be -outdone the American a cappella singers are sufficient in numbers to. warrant their own workshop. U. Utah Phillips had ridden the rails and compiled not only one of the most complete collections of hobo songs but also an extensive collection of [WW material. Sarah Ogan Gunning saw first her brothers, then her husband and then her children brutalized in the Appalachian coalfields, and her songs are drawn from having watched them die from black lung disease, hunger and management hired gun thugs. While he is not known far his a cappella singing, Jim Post has a fine voice and his versions of several old gospel tunes are as cap- tivating as his irreverant social commentaries. Priscilla Herdman includes songs from the works of Australian folk poet Henry Lawson, and Joanna Cazden from Portland has become digqerhof Jiestaurant cappella singing. With over one of the leading singer/songwriters and producers of “women’s music” in the USA. As ana cappella workshop it will be quite distinctive from the - others" This isn’t to say that there won't be great instrume music at this year's festi' too. Hot Rize is the ~best bluegrass band in America; Alan Stivell who, in- cidentally, also sings a cappella, is the finest Celtic harp player alive; Sukay play musical instruments from right across the South - American continent. There will be some fine fiddlin’, strummin’ and pluckin’ going on at Jericho Beach Park on the weekend of July 17-19 as well as the a 80 hours of non-stop music happening on the workshop © stages there should be just J about enough to satiate -. anyone. Over 3200 sold and organizers may be looking at their first ever + sell-out. Tickets are on sale ~ at ail VTC outlets and at several stores: throughout B.C. For further information contact the festival offices at “¥ | For Reservations Call: 736-2636 ’ 3271 Main Street, Van- couver. advance 4 weekend tickets have been *. * Ample Free Parking e Piano Entertainment - Open Daily From 11 A.M FACILITIES FOR LARGE PARTI ES OPEN 1FOR L LUNCH, Try Our Sunday Brunch! 3204 W. Broadway GERMAN-AUSTRIAN CUISINE OUR NEW MENU NOW FEATURES: WILD GAME LD; nner Soup of the Day 12 Homemade, fresh aay day ? Salad bZ5 j shced cuannber ade 2. ured Fanely with fob wed pacer ny flan ” 3385 “liner Chef's selatuon ~ a varvely cold plate Fate 385 ( ey Siyle Breaded cutlet We Sa salad 5 Jager ‘Schnitecl 795 Breaded cutlet with spectal mushroom same Gypsy Schnitzel 795 Breaded cutlet wi wpe mul tomato and Se itiel Swiss $45 Breaded cutlet stuffed with swess checse Breaded cutlet stuffed with cheddar cheoe Schnitzel Cordon Bleu Breaded auttet stuffed Schnitzel Biarritz 895 with ham and hecse 995 Breaded cutlet ies wath asparagus CHEESE for Reservations Call: 980-4316 Moura: Leach 11:30-2:30 Mon-Fri Olamer 6:50-10 Tuce-Sun Menu Hungarian oulash §=695 The dish that made INDUS Kasseler A 6.95 moked lai: cho a Wt Smokes pork and pan fried. potatoe’ Bavarian later 6.75 Selection aha ages served with ra IO. 95 Prime 7 Tid flak mushrooms in a L bran andy sauce “Game depends on avaslabslihy} Roast Kabbit 895 Roasted lo perfection with specal JEASONLNGS Deer Kagont 895 Tender pieces 4, venison summered in red “ Roast Venison 10 95 Saddle of young vensson marinated in red were Dessert ( hesecake a Black Tov est (ake a) he ( reams Amare fly 1 Hall ntl 194 iw ( Prange Sher bet 69 LONSDALE N.VAN.