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One of these people is obviously having more fun...it's ME! with "Plainsfolk". Just kidding really...they tell me serious musicians don't smile too much while playing. I'll have to work on that! (Photo by Gary Crow) L to R - Linda Widders, Steve Widders, Me, LeeAnn Sours, Jack Sours My best dog-friend Skeeter loves the harp!
NEOSHO RIVER HARP FESTIVAL
It all started in Houston, TX at the Gulf Coast Harper’s sponsored Folk Harp Festival. While visiting with other harpists, someone said “I wish there was a harp festival in Oklahoma.” Oklahoma harpists Jill Justice, Leah Riddick and myself combined with Melody’s Traditional Music store owner, Mary Radspinner, and made plans for the first Oklahoma Harp Weekend festival to be featured in Edmond, OK. Thus began the tradition. The second festival produced by Mary Radspinner and Tammy Willcox was renamed “Neosho River Music and Harp Symposium” and was held at the brand new First Christian Church in Miami, OK. Featuring Kim Robertson as our celebrity workshop leader, the festival drew around 50 participants to this first ever harp event in Miami, OK. In 2005 there was an encore presentation of the festival, this time shortening the name to “Neosho River Harp Festival”. Workshop presenters were Frank Voltz, Pamela Bruner, Dulcimist, Tim Seamon, Native American Dancer, Sonny Glass and Mary Radspinner. In 2006, we decided to postpone the festival because my father was ailing and we didn't know what the year would bring. Sadly, my father passed away in February of 2006 so we made tentative plans to have the festival again in 2007. Since then, with the move of Melody's music store, my husband and I both having surgeries in Autumn '07, and my busy schedule as well, Mary and I weren't able to get together to produce NRHF in 2007. However, watch this web site for plans to come back with Neosho River Harp Festival in the future!
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