Concerts
Old-time music concerts: We play old-time songs and tunes, mainly from the southern Appalachian mountains which we have learned on our travels through the area and from source recordings, both 78s from the 1920s and newer field recordings. The song repertoire includes old ballads as well as newer songs from the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and Doc Watson, We have incorporated hymns from the Sacred Harp and other American hymnals, but accompany these with our instruments and we take into account that many of these melodies are indeed much older and have roots in the old world. We have also found tunes which clearly stem from central and northern European couple dances and explore the different ways these are played and danced to.
Feleboga String Band: Feleboga loves playing for dancing and we have often split our performances in a concert part and a dance. Our repertoire includes driving fiddle tunes, often with lyrics, as well as more laid-back tunes and waltzes.
A Norwegian Tour: Although we have concentrated on learning the repertoire of Tovdal fiddle master Salve Austenå (1927-2019), we have also had the opportunity to learn a wide range of dance tunes and to play for popular dance evenings. In this program we present a variety of tunes for vanlig fele (violin) and hardingfele as well as demonstrate several dances. The oldest tunes and dances are from the countryside traditions dating from the 16th.c. while the newer dances and their melodies are imported from Europe in the 19th c. We often collaborate with Hans Olav Gorset for this program, adding historic flute, recorder and seljefløyte (willow flute).
Our Norwegian story: As a duo, Elizabeth and Hans have built a performance telling how two immigrants to Norway have found their way into this musical culture. In addition to playing the music this performance includes dancing to recordings and in dialogue with archive films of dance shown as a backdrop. Elizabeth plays fiddles, while Hans plays guitar, banjo (something we found in recordings of Norwegian immigrants to Wisconsin) and “munnharpe” and sings stev.
Dances
Square Dance / barn dance: Feleboga has played for square dances in the US, Norway and Iceland. Alix is an experienced caller of southern squares, big circle dances and some older social dances. These use relatively simple figures which are explained before each dance making them possible (and fun!) for all ages regardless of previous experience. Hans-Hinrich has learned calling from Phil Jamison, an expert caller from North Carolina.
Norwegian dance:
Feleboga has played played for "gammeldans" in Oslo at the Sunday dances at BLS, and we have played for the older "bygdedans" of Telemark, Setesdal and some other areas in Norway, Germany and the US.
Workshops
American dance: Feleboga can offer dance workshops in big circle and square dance figures. In addition, Alix can teach flatfooting, or southern style clogging, a solo dance that incorporates both simple, basic figures and more complicated variations.
Norwegian dance: Feleboga teaches Norwegian dances and has done so for a long time. Hans-Hinrich has developed a course he calls "Telegangar quick and dirty" where he teaches the rudiments of one of the oldest dances in Norway in a short time, so that the participants can take part in a dance party right after. He has taught students in Norway, Germany, Sweden, Poland, the US and Thailand. Alix Cordray is one of the most experienced dance teachers in Norway and has a huge repertoire.
tunes and songs: Elizabeth can teach fiddle styles and repertoires, mainly form Kentucky. Paul has taught singing styles and repertoire, and Hans-HInrich old-time guitar.
Lectures
Hans-Hinrich is a musicologist and has given talks and lectures on many topics concerning traditional musics. With Alix he has also given talks about Appalachian dance traditions.