Perhaps no single person of the 20th century has done more to preserve, broadcast and redistribute folk music, than Pete Seeger. His passion for politics, the environment and humanity, have earned him both ardent fans and vocal enemies since he first began performing in the 1930s.
Mark Dvorak leads the audience through some of Seeger’s best-known songs. “If I Had a Hammer,” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine,” “Turn, Turn, Turn” and others have become standard in the American folk repertoire.
Dvorak has followed in the musical footsteps of Seeger as a musician, educator and community builder. Since 1986 he has been on the faculty at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music, where he is artist-in-residence. He performed with Seeger on a handful of occasions and toured with WeaverMania! for six years performing Seeger’s role as sing, storyteller and banjo player, and has given hundreds of presentations on American folk music for community organizations and in schools across the country.
Mark is one of the top song leaders in the country, and knows Seeger’s material very well. He shared the stage with Seeger on several occasions, and was a part of a well-known tribute band, WeaverMania!, which shared the songs of the 50s folk revival group, The Weavers.
We are very fortunate to have him this weekend, this close to Seeger’s actual 100th birthday, May 3, 2019.
In fact, Mark was one of the people who helped launch the Mid-Winter Singing and Folk Festival, back in 2003. After several discussions about the possibility of producing an annual weekend of singing, he was not only encouraging, but since, then, has been an integral part of almost every MWSFF.
Through the brilliance of Mark’s song leading and reflections, Friday will be the perfect opportunity to introduce friends and family to the music and life of Pete Seeger.
Sally Potter
Booking Manager, Ten Pound Fiddle