RAKONTO:
Voices from the Hills        

The rich history of the Catskill Mountains

Daniel spoke with historians and long-time residents of this fascinating part of the country – the Catskill Mountains. In this piece, the audience will hear:

• Hilton Kelly - a 90-year old fiddler that has been playing square dances for the past 75 years
• Stories about ancient glacial patterns in the last Ice Age 20,000 years ago and how one can see their effect on the landscape today in the Catskills.
• About the Anti-Rent Wars of the mid-1800’s where farmers finally resisted the indentured servitude of being tenant farmers.
• About the ice harvesting industry of the last century.
• About to the devastating flood brought by Hurricane Irene in 2011 that hit Prattsville, NY.
•  The rich folk music tradition of the Catskills made world-famous by Pete Seeger.

The audience will hear the influence of the folk and fiddle music Daniel’s music celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Catskills.

The ensemble features other great artists who have explored folk music in their own work: vocalist Jean Rohe and guitarist Joel Harrison.

Commissioned by Catskill Mountain Foundation, 2014