The Helicon trio doesn?t like to break tradition. When the trio decided to go their own musical ways in 1998, they agreed that they would get together at least once a year for a reunion concert ? their very popular Winter Solstice.
“We went out in our own directions, but we kind of looked at each other and said ?Well, it would be silly to stop doing this one concert,?” said Ken Kolodner, one of the founding members of Helicon. “This is the way we kick off the holiday season and it seems to have great meaning for a lot of fans. A lot of people keep coming back.”
The Baltimore-based trio consists of Ken Kolodner on hammered dulcimer and fiddle, Chris Norman on wooden flute and tin whistle and Robin Bullock on guitar and cittern. Playing together since 1986, the three musicians toured through the U.S., Canada and Europe until 1998.
The trio plays music from Irish and Celtic to African and Asian and everything in between. “I guess you could say we played world music before people even called it that,” Kolodner laughed. “We mostly picked out traditional tunes that we?ve enjoyed playing, but put them into our own style.”
Helicon will be performing their 21st Annual Winter Solstice Reunion concert in the Kraushaar auditorium at Goucher College today at 3:30 and 8 p.m.
“In this concert our music is pretty much from all over, French Canadian, Irish, Appalachian, African, South American, Andean, and etcetera, we bounce all over the place,” Kolodner laughed. “And we weave in traditional Christmas carols, but we don?t perform them in quite a traditional way.”
Kolodner said that Helicon?s plans for the future are really just to keep getting together to perform in the Winter Solstice concert. “We sat down and talked about it, and we have a great time catching up and playing music,” Kolodner said. “We said, ?Let?s just keep doing it.?”
JUST THE FACTS
Helicon?s 21st Annual Winter Solstice Reunion Concert
Goucher College, Kraushaar Auditorium, 1021 Dulaney Valley Road, Baltimore
Times: 3:30 and 8 p.m.
Cost: $26
More info: 410-243-7254
