Windborne

Specializing in close harmony singing, this New England quartet has sought out living masters of traditional US singing styles and other styles around the world, to develop a deep connection to their songs and to the people they come from.

The result is engaging performances, filled with vibrant energy, beautiful, close harmonies, and maybe some banjo and percussion to round it all out!

Windborne is Lynn Mahoney Rowan, Will Thomas Rowan, Lauren Breunig, and Jeremy Carter-Gordon. The combined talents and experience of these four young musicians make for wonderful concerts, filled with entertaining stories about the music and explaining the characteristics and stylistic elements of the traditions in which they sing.  Folk musicologist Mary DesRosiers acclaims Windborne for “the purity of their voices, strength of their material, and attention to detail in their arrangements.”

Their repertoire includes music from all over the globe, including the Republic of Georgia, Bulgaria, Corsica, Basque Country, and Quebec, but they remain deeply rooted in American folk singing traditions.

In addition to touring with Windborne, all four have performed extensively in the US and throughout the world with Village Harmony, Northern Harmony and the Renewal Chorus. In 2010 Windborne won first place in the Young Tradition Vermont Showcase Competition. They have appeared at folk festivals and concert venues around New England, and have taught workshops at universities in the northeast.  In 2014, Windborne toured as musical ambassadors to Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Angola with American Music Abroad, a program supported by the US Department of State.

“The singers of the Windborne… have a deep understanding, both musically and culturally, of the traditions from which they draw much of their repertoire. Their singing is a feast of a capella harmony.” -Peter Amidon

Their latest album, “Songs On The Times: A Songbook & Album for Social Action“, highlights the important role that music has played in political and social movements over the past 400 years and is designed to be used in present and future movements.

Windborne will also present a singers’ workshop on the afternoon of their SFS concert, 1-3PM at the Home Street Bank, Community Room 7307 Greenwood Ave N. Seattle, WA 98103.
Vermont-based quartet Windborne is known for connecting audiences with the history and musical background of their songs. At this workshop they’ll delve even deeper! This workshop will have a dual theme – They will concentrate both on songs of labor and social movements that they researched for the 2017 book and CD “Songs On The Times”, AND they will also concentrate on songs from much different musical cultures, such as the Republic of Georgia, Basque Country, Bulgaria, Lithuania, and maybe even Quebec .

Whether or not you plan to attend their evening concert at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, this workshop is an excellent chance to hear them sing and talk about the source-singers they’ve learned from, all in an intimate setting (space for approximately 30 people to attend).

This is not a ticketed event. Seats will be filled on a first come first served basis.

Suggested Donation $10-25 by ability