2008 Appalachian Festival

We were this weekend in Shepherdstown to attend Rachael's 13th Appalachian Festival. The Friday concert was great! A local group "Fox Hunt" was fantastic. Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/lefoxhunt. Rachael said in Friday evening's concert that this was her lucky 13 Festival. (Well -keep reading!)

The lawn of McMurran Hall was the site of the group sing on Saturday afternoon.

I loved this young lady who played "You Are My Sunshine" as we sung.

Saturday's evening concert featured Dr. Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. Ralph Stanley (born February 25, 1927), also known as Dr. Ralph Stanley, is a legendary American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. The concert was sold out!

Remember Rachael's lucky 13? Small problem was that on Saturday around 11:30 A.M. Rachael received a call from Ralph Stanley's tour bus driver! The bad news was that the bus was broken down as they were traveling the 600 plus miles from their last show in Kentucky (No oil pressure!). The good news was that they were along Interstate 81 just outside of Martinsburg, WV. Twas only about 30 miles from Shepherdstown! Rachael went into action and finally located a shuttle service that could pick up the band and their instruments.

Ralph Stanley at 81 years young is amazing. I loved his rendition of "Amazing Grace". The concert was over around 10:45 P.M. Dr. Stanley and his band had to leave Shepherdstown at 5 AM on the next morning in order to board a plane at Dulles International Airport in Washngton D.C. for California. They were scheduled the next day to perform at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco! That schedule would kill me quickly at my young age of 61 - how he has done it for the past 60 plus years is a mystery to me!