A musical celebration of fellowship took place at the Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora last week as the Fox Valley Folklore Society celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Ann Strang of Campton Hills has been part of the group for years and agrees the benefits have been about music and relationships.
“I’ve been a member of this group over 30 years. We’ve been singing together forever and it’s been an opportunity to be with friends and hear and meet a bunch of singer-songwriters and performers who are mostly charming people we’d like to keep,” she said. “I’m an introvert but now I meet people more easily and I enjoy greeting the new people.”
Founded back in 1975, the longstanding not-for-profit organization has continued to build relationships and an appreciation of music through regular sing-arounds, barn dances and its annual Folk Music and Storytelling Festival.
Cheryl Joyal, a board member and director for the Folk Music and Storytelling Festival, said she has been part of the group for at least half its existence, joining in 2000.
“We currently have about 150 members but with supporters of our events that number is much higher,” she said. “Membership has been steady. We’re trying to attract younger people as we have an aging population and we’re trying to get more of a younger crowd. We need to work with the social media platforms which some of us are not too comfortable with yet.
“COVID really hurt us,” she said. “We didn’t try to do membership then, but we’re probably adding about 25 a year right now.”
Joyal said the regular sing-arounds on Wednesday evenings at the Roundhouse remain a major focus of the group and would be the emphasis of the 50th anniversary celebration.
“We’re bringing in a number of our veteran members who are trying to make an appearance and celebrate with us as well as kind of gear up for our festival which turns 50 in 2026,” she said. “With our sing-arounds, it’s a very community event. Somebody just starts playing and if people know the song, they just join in. There are people who have written songs by themselves and it’s a community of people who want to share music and make them comfortable about performing and playing in front of other people.
“People that wrote a song are often encouraged and told by others they like it and to keep writing,” Joyal added. “It’s sort of like a pass-the-baton as we move through the evening. It’s a true community and extended family. People are bonding through music and learning about other ways of doing things.
“I think we’re in for a revival,” she said. “There are so many people interested in this music and I think the new Bob Dylan movie might give us a little bit of an oomph.”
Nearly two-dozen members braved cold temperatures to attend the event last Wednesday night at the Roundhouse.
Larry Swenson of Batavia, 74, who serves as the president of the board of directors of the group, said he has been a member since 1976. He said the group used to have over 300 events a year and now “doesn’t do as many.”
“We meet here once a week at the Roundhouse and we also have a virtual sing-around since COVID,” he said.
During Wednesday evening’s sing-around, each in attendance took a turn and could either perform a song, make a request from someone else or decline to participate and just listen.
John Morris of Carol Stream said he has been a member of the group since 2015.
“It’s about being with people. We’ve got something in common which is harder and harder to find with strangers these days,” Morris said. “People always have choices when they come. There are people who just sit and listen. I play and specialize in maritime music.”
Kathi Murphy of Yorkville said she is a former air traffic controller and joined the group after retiring.
“I was looking for something new to do and bought myself a ukulele and learned it,” she said. “I joined about a decade ago and I push myself to learn new songs and practice and I look forward to seeing my friends.”
For more information on the Fox Valley Folklore Society, go to foxvalleyfolk.com or find the group on Facebook.
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.