This month, the Friends of Folk coffeehouse will be virtually transported across the pond, to the lands of Ireland and Scotland. We are pleased to be hosting singer-songwriter Charlie Zahm, who will be accompanied by ace fiddler Tad Marks.

Charlie Zahm is one of the most popular soloists at Celtic music festivals, Maritime and Early American music events anywhere east of the Mississippi. With a baritone voice some have described as "coming along once in a generation," Charlie has become one of the most successful performers on the Celtic festival circuit, weaving magical moments of Scottish and Irish history for the listener and viewer, with passion for the performance and a chosen repertoire pleasing to all members of the family. A master of the guitar as well, Charlie brings an authentic love and respect for the music he sings—and with dashes of humor and a light in his eyes, he will draw you into the stories of his songs!

Since he's been old enough to sing, Charlie has been entertaining audiences with the beautiful Celtic songs and melodies he first heard in the largely Scottish province of his mother's birth, Ontario, Canada. Keenly aware of his own heritage, which includes healthy doses of Scottish and Irish blood on both sides of his family, Charlie has collected several hundred popular (as well as beautiful and obscure) selections and performs them for thousands of fans up and down the Eastern Seaboard and across America. Today, as one of the most sought-after Celtic singers on the East Coast (he is one of the few singers in the world to be invited to sing live with Scotland's "Black Watch"), Charlie performs regularly everywhere from concerts and festivals to television shows and Celtic-themed Caribbean cruises, where his 6'4" frame and powerful baritone make him one of the most memorable performers around.

Charlie has released two DVD projects: "Out of the Mist" was released in 2002 and was entirely filmed in Scotland; "Charlie Zahm: An Evening of Classic Melodies" is a live concert DVD with Charlie and his band that was produced in 2007 in cooperation with Franklin Springs Family Media of Nashville. These projects again demonstrate that Charlie's vocal ability is rarely matched inside or outside Celtic music, and his mastery of the guitar is the perfect complement to his vocal performance. Both of these DVD projects are also available on CD. Charlie also appeared as a singing soldier in the film "Gettysburg—Three Days of Destiny."

Charlie also performs period North American music from the 18th and 19th centuries, including music of the War Between the States, and is often asked to appear at Civil War re-enactments and concerts, as well as Colonial and Early American-themed events. Living in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the United States, helps keep him very busy in this regard! (at the top of this page click on "Early America" or "Civil War" to read about his music endeavors in those historical areas.)

Charlie is often joined by fantastic Baltimore fiddler Tad Marks, who has toured extensively across the U.S. and Europe with top-name groups and is considered one of the finest fiddlers on the East Coast. His down-home charm and easy-going style have made him friends across the country, and his fine fiddling on stage with Charlie ranges from hard-driving jigs and reels to the most expressive accompaniment for vocals you will ever hear. His solo CD releases have received great praise from traditional Celtic and bluegrass fiddle-music lovers alike! Tad's music has also been featured on many of Charlie's albums and dozens of additional CDs by other artists, TV commercials, and on various other projects.

Opening for this great show will be local favorites Sandcreek, but in a new configuration. As most of you know, local staple Deloy Moore has recently married and moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, so making it out to Sandcreek gigs was getting increasingly difficult. Dave Cotullas will be ably filling in with Lonnie and John to round out the trio nicely.

It all starts at 7:30 pm, October 18, in the Wesley College Chapel, corner of Division and N. Bradford, in Dover. Admission will be $7 for members and $10 for non-members. Students are half-price, and ages 12 and under are free. We’ll have plenty of hot coffee, cool drinks, and sweet snacks (I dare you to resist the fresh baked cookies - a new feature at our coffeehouses). Don't forget to bring a donation for the Food Bank of Delaware - in these tough economic times, they need your support more than ever. Come out, bring a friend, and see it happen.

-- Beth Fizell, DEFF Board Chair

As you look toward the holidays and plan on what 2009 will bring us, it's time to renew your membership in the Delaware Friends of Folk.

It's one of the greatest bargains out there - just $10 for an individual, and $15 for a family membership. Membership Benefits

• Discounted admission to Coffeehouses
• Discounted admission to our Annual Folk Festival
• Monthly newsletter with Friends of Folk news and area musical happenings
• Invitation to exclusive Members-Only events like our annual "Pick-N-ic" in the summer, annual membership meeting in December
• Ability to vote at our annual membership meeting each December
• The joy of being part of a great organization that supports folk music in Delaware!

Remember, we are a real live 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. That means that your donations to Delaware Friends of Folk are likely tax deductible, but we know you’ll check with the experts before trying to rip off Uncle Sam. We are beginning to work in a few other directions, like sponsoring workshops and perhaps other educational efforts. Got a few extra dollars? Got some ideas on how we might use them? Let us know.

Kevin Fleming is probably one of the most renowned photographers to come from Delaware. His work has been published in National Geographic and he has recently been recognized America’s Best Observer by Readers Digest. His assignments have taken him into war and famine in Somalia, to the Mediterranean for a re-creation of the voyage of Ulysses and put him on a dogsled crossing the Canadian arctic.

A Delaware native, Kevin began his career as a newspaper photographer after attending Wesley College (where he has been inducted into their Hall of Fame and in 2007 was named the “Distinguished Alumni of the Year”). He then spent a decade as a National Geographic photographer and most recently has concentrated on creating books. His photography has won many national and international awards.

Kevin's latest work is a book called Wild Delaware, full of incredibly detailed photos of the wildlife of Delaware. You can see more information about it here: http://www.wilddelaware.com/.

Here are an example:

This amazing book comes with 4 prints, and will be signed by Kevin. We've got a great arrangement with Kevin to help sell these books (and trust me, they sell themselves), and we get a nice commission on the sale. You'll be able to check out the book at our next Coffeehouse, and place an order. The books will be in the following week and can be picked up at Fox & Associates offices at 1040 S. State Street, or we'll bring them to the December Coffeehouse. The books are $50 and will make a very impressive Christmas gift for anyone who loves great photography, the great outdoors, or the great state of Delaware.

For more information contact Rob Fox at 674-1040.

-- Beth Fizell, DEFF Board Chair

The Delmarva Folk Festival committee will be taking a break until March 4, 2009. There will be lots of work done behind the scenes until then but that mostly involves accepting submissions from potential artists and beginning the selection process for the 2009 Delmarva Folk Festival. If you’d like to join the committee, your help would be appreciated and extremely welcomed. We always need committee chairs since there is more than enough work to go around. The committee meets only once a month for about an hour and does a lot of business by phone or e-mail between meetings. It’s a fun group that has but one goal – to consistently put on the best folk festival in the region. If you aren’t sure, just come to one meeting and you’ll be convinced that this is a great group to join.

So, mark your calendar for March 4, 2009 and join us at Sheridan’s in downtown Smyrna at 6:30 p.m. to begin planning the October 2 and 3, 2009 Delmarva Folk Festival. I’m quite certain it will be the best ever.