Windborne – An A Cappella Quartet

“The singers of Windborne have a deep understanding, both musically and culturally, of the traditions from which they draw much of their repertoire. Their singing is a feast of a cappella harmony.”     -Peter Amidon

Internationally acclaimed folk band Windborne is a group of vocal chameleons who specialize in close harmony singing, shifting effortlessly between drastically different styles of traditional music within the same concert.

Their musical knowledge spans many continents and cultures, but they remain deeply rooted in American folk singing traditions.

Praised for “the purity of their voices, strength of their material, and attention to detail in their arrangements,” Lynn Mahoney Rowan, Will Thomas Rowan, Lauren Breunig, and Jeremy Carter-Gordon share a vibrant energy onstage – their connection to each other and to the music clearly evident.

They educate as they entertain, telling stories about the music and explaining the characteristics and stylistic elements of the traditions in which they sing.

Windborne has existed in many capacities throughout its 10+ year history, appearing as a duo, trio, and now, as a quartet. A group of vocal chameleons, they grew up in musical families, going to singing parties, taking classical voice and instrumental lessons, and seeking out folk music from around the world. Now, they draw upon their collective five decades of experience as performers and teachers to switch effortlessly between drastically different styles of singing within the same concert, all the while regaling the audience with their vocal energy and carefully crafted arrangements. Their repertoire includes music from the Republic of Georgia, Corsica, Bulgaria, the Basque region, and Quebec, but they remain deeply rooted in American folk singing traditions as well.

Windborne is Lynn Mahoney Rowan, Will Thomas Rowan, Lauren Breunig, and Jeremy Carter-Gordon. All four have traveled extensively in the US and throughout the world with Village Harmony, Northern Harmony and the Renewal Chorus, leading workshops and giving concerts.

Windborne has toured New England several times, and in 2010 their vocal agility and power won them first place in Young Tradition Vermont‘s Showcase Competition. Since then, they have appeared at the Flurry Festival, the Shelburne Harvest Festival, the Young Tradition Vermont Reunion Concert, and have taught master classes at Keene State College. In January 2014, AMA sent Windborne on a month-long tour to Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Angola performing and teaching as musical ambassadors for the US!
Throughout the past decade, they have had the distinct pleasure of studying under a variety of music masters, including Corsican music scholar and composer Jean-Etienne Langianni; Georgian singers and members of Zedashe, Shergil Pirtskhelani and Ketevan Mindorashvili; director of the London Bulgarian Choir Dessislava Stefanova; and Matlakala Bopape, who leads the Polokwane Choir in South Africa. Closer to home, they count folk music legends Tony Barrand, the Amidon family, Don Jamison, Neely Bruce, Val Mindel, and Suzannah Park among their friends and mentors.

Specializing in close harmony singing, the quartet has a vibrant energy and a strong connection, which is evident in their engaging performance. They educate as they perform, telling stories about the music and explaining the characteristics and stylistic elements of the traditions in which they sing.

Mary DesRosiers, folk musicologist for the Monadnock Folklore Society, acclaims Windborne for “the purity of their voices, strength of their material, and attention to detail in their arrangements.”