American Acoustic Artists are Renowned for “Ashokan Farewell”
Jay Ungar & Molly Mason, best known for their performance of Jay’s haunting composition “Ashokan Farewell,” are the featured artists in the Folk Music Society of Huntington’s First Saturday Concerts series on November 5, 2016. The 8:30 p.m. concert at the Congregational Church of Huntington (30 Washington Drive, off Route 25A, Centerport) is preceded by an open mic at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, priced at $25 ($20 for FMSH members), may be purchased in advance online at www.fmsh.org ,using a credit card, or at the door (cash and checks only). For more information, visit the website or call (631) 425-2925.
Ashokan Farewell — the title theme of the PBS mini-series The Civil War— earned the couple international acclaim. The soundtrack won a Grammy and Ashokan Farewell — originally inspired by Jay & Molly’s annual fiddle and dance camps — was nominated for an Emmy.
Here’s a link to a video of the Jay Ungar & Molly Mason Family Band performing “Ashokan Farewell” live in the Folk Alley studio at WKSU-FM in Kent, Ohio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kZASM8OX7s
Of course Ashokan Farewell is only part of the story. Since joining forces in the late 1970s, Jay and Molly have become one of the most celebrated duos on the American acoustic music scene. With their inclusive sense of fun and their deep love of the music, they make each concert a musical journey. Their warmth and wit — coupled with consummate musicianship — have delighted audiences worldwide.
Listen to the timeless renditions of hard-driving Appalachian, Cajun and Celtic fiddle tunes, stirring Civil War classics, sassy songs from the golden age of swing and country, stunning waltzes, and deeply moving original compositions. It’s immediately apparent why Jay and Molly concerts warm the heart, feed the soul, and appeal to all ages. No wonder they continue to receive widespread critical praise.
They’ve garnered legions of fans through their appearances on Great Performances, A Prairie Home Companion, their own public radio specials, and work on film soundtracks such as Brother’s Keeper, Legends of the Fall, and a host of Ken Burns’s documentaries.
And what of the event that inspired their signature tune? Jay and Molly’s Ashokan Fiddle & Dance Camps — in New York’s Catskill Mountains — remain a favorite learning vacation destination for music and dance enthusiasts all across the country.
Now in its 48th year, the Folk Music Society of Huntington presents two monthly concert series, a monthly folk jam, and an annual folk festival in conjunction with the Huntington Arts Council. The next concert in its monthly Hard Luck Café series, held in partnership with the Cinema Arts Centre, features Texan Brian Kalinec and Pennsylvanian Kj Reimensnyder-Wagner (Kalinec & Kj) on Nov. 17, 2016.
