The Chelsea Standard
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
MFC hosts annual Winterfest
By Sheila Pursglove, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: January 17, 2008
It's time to celebrate winter with music and fun at the annual Winterfest event, set for Jan. 26, a fund-raiser for the Michigan Friends Center north of Chelsea.
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Fun gets under way at 1:30 p.m. with cider, treats and activities before an hour-long concert at 3 p.m. featuring Gemini, the twin musicians San and Laz Slomovits.
The family concert offers sing-alongs, hand motion tunes, folk tales and music from around the world, while the twins play a range of instruments - violin, guitar, slide guitar, pennywhistle folk flutes, mandolin, harmonica and hand-percussion, including the bodhran and the bones.
The brothers, who hail originally from Hungary and now call Ann Arbor home, have been making music for over three decades, and have performed in concert halls, festivals, community centers and elementary schools throughout the United States and Canada. In 1997 they began performing with symphony orchestras, including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Kansas City Symphony.
Since 1988, the pair has released six recordings for children and families. These recordings have won a number of awards including ones from Parents' Choice Magazine, the American Library Association, the National Parenting Publications (NAPPA), and the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts.
Gemini's first video, "Fancy That," was voted one of the Top 10 children's videos by the American Library Association and Random House in their book "1992 Best of the Best."
A compilation, "The Best of Gemini," received a 1999 Directors' Choice Award from Early Childhood News, and a Silver Honors Award from Parents' Choice Magazine. "Volume 2 of the Best of Gemini" includes their newest original songs, and traditional songs from all around the world.
"Laz and San really warm up Michigan Friends Center with their music, and I love to see both kids and adults engaged and enjoying themselves," says MFC organizer Pat Micks. "Everyone has a good time.
"I've been involved with Winterfest for the past four years and I always look forward to the next one. I love to see the Center filled with families - it really energizes the space. I always enjoy the songs, all the instruments, and the backdrop of spruce trees beyond the windows. We invite folks to share the warm space and winter beauty of Michigan Friends Center. Folks can take a walk, enjoy the woods, see the lake, and have snacks and hot cider before the concert."
Cross country skis, sleds, snowshoes or mukluks are welcome, and participants are invited to enjoy some time inside or outside at the lake with friends.
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