TARBORO —
Not a breath of air was stirring at Indian Lake Park in Tarboro Saturday afternoon, but the sounds of bluegrass music wafted through the air like a welcome breeze.
The heat and humidity were high at the first annual bluegrass and folk music festival, but so was the enthusiasm of both the bands and audience members.
Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs’ “Salty Dog Blues” and “Doin’ My Time” were some of the songs that resonated throughout the park during Marshall Stephenson and the Bluegrass Train’s performance at noon. The band’s lead singer, Marshall Stephenson, entertained the audience by telling jokes between songs and came back for an encore performance at 4 p.m.
“I enjoy these outdoor events,” said Stephenson. “It’s a beautiful place and it could grow into a real good festival. We look forward to doing one for next year.”
High-energy banjo pickin’ and fiddlin’ intermingled with slow, mournful love songs in the traditional bluegrass style at the festival. Audience members tapped their toes to Scruggs’ “Earl’s Breakdown,” performed by Carolina Grass’ banjo player Lee Floyd, while they became immersed in the lyrics of tunes such as the Kentucky Headhunters’ “Walk Softly on This Heart Of Mine,” performed by the Tar River Boys.
Saturday’s festival was dedicated to the memory of Dr. Peter Temple, founder of the Tar River Boys. The remaining Tar River Boys played some of Temple’s favorite songs for audience members, including “Blue Ridge Cabin Home” and the gospel tune “You Go to Your Church and I’ll Go to Mine.”
“I’m glad to see them keeping up the tradition. I’m sure Peter’s here somewhere in spirit listening,” said Betty Temple. She said her late husband played with his band on several occasions at private parties at Indian Lake Park.
“This is a great venue,” she said. “You never know how bluegrass is going to go in Eastern North Carolina, but whoever’s there [at bluegrass events] is always enthusiastic.”
One of the eager audience members at the festival was Tarboro resident Sandra Harrell, who braved the heat and stayed all day.
“I think it’s wonderful. I hope they do it again,” she said.
Annette Grady, who hosts The Chester Thompson Old Time Radio Jamboree, was the emcee. Grady is Chester Thompson’s granddaughter and the show is the second-longest running old country, bluegrass and bluegrass gospel music radio show after the Grand Ole Opry (1925). Grady said the majority of bluegrass festivals in North Carolina are in the western part of the state, so she’s glad to see the establishment of a festival in the Northeastern region of the state.
“You gotta keep traditional music alive and that’s the best way to do it right here,” said Grady. “Every song tells a story. It’s just a good down-home feeling to it.”
“You feel like you’re sitting on a front porch,” said Ron Ackerman, president of the North Carolina Bluegrass Association. He said even big-time bluegrass musicians will “come out, shake your hand, do autographs, because they know where their roots come from.”
Temple was one of those down-home, friendly bluegrass musicians, Tar River Boys’ bass player Willie Nelms shared with the audience at the festival. Temple was known for hosting Wednesday evening front porch pickings at his Tarboro home.
“Peter was one of the most inclusive people you’d ever meet,” he said. “I don’t care what you brought up to play [at the front porch pickings], you were made to feel welcome.”
Steve Peters of Goldsboro, fiddle player for Carolina Grass, said the atmosphere at Saturday’s festival was a welcoming one.
“The crowd’s been responsive,” he said, adding he had a good time aside from the “heat and the gnats.”
“We’re pleased with the turnout for it to be a first-time event. We have plans to do it next year,” said Joyce Turner, festival coordinator and executive director of Edgecombe Arts. She thanked the Town of Tarboro for the use of Indian Lake Park for the festival.
Festival coordinator Carol Banks said she had a “good feel” of the atmosphere at Edgecombe County’s first ever bluegrass festival. The festival was a fundraiser for Edgecombe Arts.
Community
Related Photos
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Bill Poplin, guitarist and vocalist for the Tar River Boys, sang "Blue Ridge Mountain Home" for the audience at Saturday's bluegrass and folk music festival. The song was a favorite of the late founder of the group, Dr. Peter Temple. For The Daily Southerner
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A sea of umbrellas was the scene at Edgecombe County's first annual bluegrass and folk music festival Saturday at Indian Lake Park. Heat and humidity soared but didn't quell the spirits of audience members. For The Daily Southerner
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Carolina Grass made harmony at Saturday's bluegrass and folk music festival at Indian Lake Park. Picture from left to right are Larry Taylor on the guitar, Eddie McDaris on the upright bass, Tommy Daughteridge on the guitar, and Steve Peters on the fiddle. For The Daily Southerner
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The Boys from Carolina performed "The Game I Can't Win," among other popular bluegrass tunes, for the audience Saturday afternoon at the bluegrass and folk music festival. For The Daily Southerner
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Marshall Stephenson and the Bluegrass Train performed twice at Edgecombe County's first annual bluegrass and folk music festival Saturday afternoon. Pictured from left to right are Clyde Mattocks on the dobro, David Guthrie and Marshall Stephenson on the guitar. Pictured back left is Carroll Wade on the bass guitar. To the far back right is Eric Ellis on the banjo. For The Daily Southerner
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David Guthrie, tenor and guitarist for Marshall Stephenson and the Bluegrass Train, sang a heartfelt rendition of "I'll Never Shed Another Tear" for the audience at Saturday's bluegrass and folk music festival. For The Daily Southerner
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Pictured from left to right are Roger Sauerborn on the mandolin and Buddy Zincone on the banjo. Both are members of the Tar River Boys. For The Daily Southerner
SWEET MUSIC
1st bluegrass festival successful
- Community
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Edgecombe Garden Club honors members
The Edgecombe Garden Club met May 1 for their noon luncheon at the Fountains of the Albemarle. After President Pauline Nicolosi greeted everyone, Sandra Joyner, Devotion Chairman, read “Torch” which was about our tongues torching good or evil.
Hostess Barbara Getzug described her specially designed flower arrangement of mock orange, snowball, purple columbine, and many varieties of roses. President Pauline, Hostesses Gloria Wall and Louise Fleming did the table arrangements. They contained wiegelia, azalea, ivy, mock orange, and ligustrum. -
DAR AWARDS
GOOD CITIZEN WINNERS with school names (left to right): Amanda Larson, Northern Nash; Meredith Glover, Southern Nash; Cameron Dengler, Rocky Mount Academy; and William Joyner “Brad,” SouthWest Edgecombe
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DAR AWARDS
GOOD CITIZENSHIP WINNERS with school names (left to right): Emanuel Jones, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic; Daniel Tavon Thorne, Englewood Elementary, Chryshanta Johnson, Williford Elementary; Elizabeth Tebo, Spring Hope Elementary; Regent Dottie Barrett. Not present: Lorah Beth Currin, Faith Christian, and Susana Contreras-Blanco, Princeville Elementary
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Tarboro Woman’s Club presented awards
The May meeting of the Tarboro Woman’s Club held at the Albemarle on Wednesday was a celebration of the club’s 60 years of service to this community. The speaker at the meeting was Carolyn Owens, special events coordinator for Edenton Tourism, and her topic was The Edenton Tea Party. It seems a variety of myths have colored the facts about the Edenton ladies’ protest against their husband’s boycott of tea following King George III’s new tax on tea imports in 1775.
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Gamma Lambda Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma initiates four new members at spring banquet
On April 18, 2013, Gamma Lambda Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma held their final meeting for this year, which included their spring banquet. During the meeting, the chapter initiated four new members. New members included Kelly Anderson, Jennifer Derby, Kimberlie Lewis, and Dreama Pressly. New member Teresa Harrell was not able to attend; she will be initiated at their first fall meeting.
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Dixon new manager of volunteer services
Vidant Edgecombe Hospital is pleased to welcome Amy Dixon as the new Manager of Volunteer Services.
Originally from Edgecombe County, Dixon graduated from Hobgood Academy and moved on to Peace College and East Carolina University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Marketing in 2003. Prior to coming to Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, she served as Director of Admissions at the Fountains at the Albemarle in Tarboro for seven years. -
Stocks Elementary School celebrates Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Week
In celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Week, Stocks Elementary School hosted several guest speakers and exciting activities during the first week of May.
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HOBGOOD SCIENCE FAIR
Hobgood Academy's fifth and sixth grade science classes recently presented their science projects. The sixth grade class projects were to be concentrated on space. Andrew Carlisle, whose project was the 1969 Apollo 11 manned mission to the moon, took top honors. His project depicted the moon landing and his poster gave information about this milestone in the history of our country.
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Quiz Bowl champions
The South Edgecombe Middle Quiz Bowl Team are the 2013 Edgecombe County Public Schools Quiz Bowl champions. Picture from front to back, left to right are Dylan Hyman, Frankie Edwards and Chris Modlin, Matthew Jones, Cameron Gomez, Yancey Coltrane, David Edwards, Leaton White, David Parisher, Katlyn Webb, Jack Coltrane and JD Reid.
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NC Symphony coming to Tarboro June 6
“At the Movies” will be the theme when the North Carolina Symphony comes to Tarboro on Thursday, June 6. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. on the Town Common. The free performance is sponsored by Keihin Carolina System Technology, Tarboro Savings Bank and Ronald G. Ellis, Jr. and is part of the symphony’s “Concerts in Your Community” series.
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