Food, Stories & Songs of This Place

Saturday, June 1st
7:00 – 9:30 pm
Memorial University School of Music
$25 (+ service fee) with Cash Bar

The Department of Folklore, in partnership with MUN Folklore and Language Archive, the Folklore Studies Association of Canada and the St. John’s Storytelling Festival, are celebrating 50 years of folklore education in NL and we want you to celebrate with us. Join us on June 1 at the School of Music for Food, Stories and Songs of This Place: Celebrating 50 Years of Folklore Education in NL. Check out below for more details.

• RECEPTION, 7pm – 8pm – there will be a standing reception with NL food, beverages, music and familiar faces with 1 or 2 possible folklore exhibits to view.
• PERFORMANCES, 8pm – 9:30pm – there will be 3-4 storytellers sharing some great tales with a connection to NL with the host for the evening being Dale Jarvis. The complete line-up includes:
  • Sophie Angnatok – stories and drumming
  • Anita Best – ballads, stories, recitations
  • Tama Fost – stories, throat singing
  • Kelly Russell – fiddle, accordion, stories, recitation
  • Dale Jarvis – host for the evening
• Teller Bios below!

We hope you can join us to reconnect with familiar faces, enjoy some fabulous food, hear some great stories and create new memories.

Click Here for tickets!

ABOUT OUR TELLERS

Sophie Angnatok

Sophie Angnatok is an Inuk performer originally from Nain, Nunatsiavut. Inspired by a newspaper clip of her Anasiak Elizabeth Andersen, Sophie has been practicing the art of throat-singing and traditional Inuit drumming for nearly two decades. She has been performing for diverse audiences locally and across the country. Her career has led her to be involved in many festivals, community functions, and arts-based events. She even performed for the Prime Minister during The Truth and Reconciliation apology for Labradorimut. Sophie currently lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland where she plays an active role with her local urban Inuit community. She often shares her love and knowledge of Inuit culture and is a leader in her practice.

Anita Best

Anita Best is a traditional singer and storyteller working primarily with Newfoundland songs and stories. She also works as a broadcaster and folklorist.  Anita has received several honours for her work in collecting and disseminating Newfoundland folksongs, including the Marius Barbeau award from the Folklore Studies Association of Canada and an honorary doctorate from Memorial University. She was named to the Order of Canada in 2011. She currently lives in Norris Point, in the heart of Gros Morne National Park, where she volunteers with the Voice of Bonne Bay community radio station.

Tama Fost

Tama Fost is first generation urban Inuk, born and raised in St. John’s. She is a proud mother of her twelve year old boy who has been throat singing since he was a baby. She completed a Bachelor of Arts (English and Aboriginal Studies) in 2013; prior to joining the First Light Friendship Centre team, she was employed for five years with Nunatsiavut Government, and was an electoral candidate in the 2017 by-election for the Ordinary Member (Canadian Constituency) of the Nunatsiavut Assembly. With a strong passion for Inuit culture, language and traditions, Tama is honoured to facilitate Inuit specific programming community members living in or visiting the St. John’s area.

Dale Jarvis (Host)

Dale Gilbert Jarvis is a storyteller  and professional folklorist. By day, he is the provincial folklorist for Newfoundland and Labrador. By night, he is the proprietor of the St. John’s Haunted Hike ghost tour, and raconteur of local tales. Dale tells ghost stories, stories of the fairies and  little people, tales of phantom ships and superstitions, and legends and traditional tales from Newfoundland, Labrador and beyond. His repertoire includes long-form folk and fairy tales, with a wide-ranging knowledge of local legends, tall tales, and myths.

Former newspaper columnist and author of several books on island folklore, he is a tireless promoter of local culture and oral history.

Kelly Russell

A professional musician since 1975, Kelly has been a member of landmark groups Figgy Duff, The Wonderful Grand Band, The Plankerdown Band, The Irish Descendants Working closely for many years with legendary fiddlers Rufus Guinchard and Emile Benoit, learning, recording and documenting their music, Kelly has inherited genuine status as one of Newfoundland’s leading traditional music performers. Kelly performs his solo show Tunes & Tales of Pigeon Inlet weekly in summer at The Crow’s Nest in St. John’s. He has been designated the Province’s first Tradition Bearer, awarded The Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal and named to The Order of Canada.