Live! Folklife Concert on the Road: Windborne

This is a free second performance thanks to our partner the Historic Salem Courthouse in Salem, Washington County, NY.

Windborne’s captivating show draws on the singers’ deep roots in traditions of vocal harmony, while the uniqueness of their artistic approach brings old songs into the present. Known for the innovation of their arrangements, their harmonies are bold and anything but predictable.

With a 20-year background studying polyphonic music around the world, Lauren Breunig, Jeremy Carter-Gordon, Lynn Rowan, and Will Rowan share a vibrant energy onstage. Their blending of voices reflects decades of friendship and dedicated practice. The ensemble shifts effortlessly between drastically different styles, taking the audience on a journey that spans continents and centuries. The singers educate as they entertain, sharing stories about their songs and explaining the context and characteristics of the styles in which they sing.

BBC Traveling Folk describes Windborne as “subverting expectations and redefining the genre… just absolutely phenomenal!” Audiences and critics praise the singers for their technical mastery, passion, engagement, and connection with each other and the audience.

Windborne is rooted in folk music’s longtime alliance with social activism, labor and civil rights, and other movements that champion the oppressed, the poor, and the disenfranchised. Their latest project, Of Hard Times & Harmony, explores themes of social consciousness, singing in four languages and showcasing both deep emotion and moments of true hilarity and wit.

The group is committed to bringing vocal traditions to a younger audience and has found surprising viral success on TikTok for genres such as Corsican polyphony and early 20th century labor anthems.

Website: http://www.windbornesingers.com

Concerts are filmed at Crandall, with excerpts edited and posted on the Folklife Center YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/thefolklifecenteratcrandallpubliclibrary

Live! Folklife Concerts are hosted and produced by the Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library.