Ohio Valley Filk Fest 26

Guest of Honor: Urban Tapestry

Founded in 1993, Urban Tapestry is a Toronto filk group consisting of Allison Durno, Jodi Krangle and Debbie Ridpath Ohi. They've performed concerts in England, Germany, the U.S. and Canada, and have won two Best Performer Pegasus Awards, Best Song Pegasus, Best Food/Drink Song Pegasus, and an Aurora Fan Achievement Award. More info can be found at urbantapestry.org.

We're hoping to get a better group photo soon. :-)

Toastmasters: Mitchell & T.J. Burnside-Clapp

Mitchell & TJ Burnside Clapp met at OVFF in 1987 shortly before the first and only live reading of Tom Smith's "The Rocky Horror Muppet Show," and have the entire recording of their first room filk together on tape. Since then, they have spawned three children, all of them musical, written a few more songs, and mastered toast. It's a difficult skill; don't scoff.

Honored Listener: Kathleen Sloan

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know that Kathleen Sloan is a performer. We know she's even written a few songs. But OVFF has been around since 1984, and Kathleen's been around filk even longer. She started listening in 1976, and only started performing in 1989. And where do you think she did most of that listening? That's right - right here in central Ohio! She is pleased to be the Listener Guest of Honor for the convention at which she has had years of (premium!) quality listening.

Interfilk Guest: Tim Jennings

Unfortunately, due to unexpected work constraints, Tim will be unable to attend OVFF in 2010. We wish him the best, and look forward to seeing him next year!

Tim Jennings describes the style of his music as both 'new traditional' and what he has dubbed 'faux-k music'. Drawing on historic elements and meters, Tim blends a deep interest in poetry and lyric with a love of celtic and trad music, to spin tales of days gone by. Tim began edging around the filk community through SF fandom over two decades ago, but handily blames the FilkOntario folks and the SCA for pulling him deeper into the circle. He is married to harper and songstress Truly Carmichael (who is the real musician in the family) and together they performed with bandmate Rob Morris at several Ontario venues until their move westward in 2008.

By day, Tim works as the Managing Director/CEO of the Seattle Children's Theatre, one of the largest regional theatres in North America (www.sct.org). He is a multi Dora and Canada Council award winning producer who was shortlisted in 2007 as Canada's 'Arts Manager of the Year' and sits on several Boards including The Washington State Arts Alliance, International Performing Arts for Young People (IPAY) and the Boys and Girls Club of Kitsap County. He is also the Corporate Arts and Sciences Officer for the SCA Inc. (Society MoAS) and tends to spend a great deal of his 'free time' making music in that environment. He is thrilled to be this year's interfilk Guest !