Editor's pick: House concert

Folk music en famille

Sunday, August 13. 1:00 p.m. The home of John Ziv and Deborah Rubin, 594 Route 97 in Sparrowbush. $10. email rte97music@earthlink.net or 845/858-7890.

Last year, Sparrowbush’s John Ziv had an inspiration while attending an intimate evening of music at a residence in New York City: why not replicate the experience at his house on the Hawk’s Nest, with its spectacular view of the Delaware River, in a community rich in musical and artistic activity?

His idea came to fruition last Labor Day with his first house concert featuring Keith Kendrick, a Derbyshire musician who treated the guests to a unique participatory experience. Encouraged by the success of the first concert, Ziv has invited Jerry Epstein, a well-known New York City-based performer of American and Canadian traditional music, for a concert next Sunday, August 13.

“The great thing about a house concert is that the audience and the setting are an integral part of the performance. Unlike a concert in a large hall, the intimacy of a house concert gives the event a special energy,” said Ziv. “This is the way that traditional music has been performed for hundreds of years, so more than just about any other venue, the house concert recreates the original feeling for this kind of music.”

Epstein is a singer and master of several musical instruments. He specializes in ballads, songs of the Northeast United States and Canada, as well as work songs and songs of history. He has been performing for more than 40 years, including at a large number of festivals in the U.S., the British Isles and Australia.

A light barbecue will be provided for the audience along with the concert. Tickets, including the barbeque, cost $10. The concert is sponsored by the New York Pinewoods Folk Music Club.