The Lehigh Valley Folk Music Society
formed a performing group of volunteer musicians in 1996 who have
played for hundreds of audiences throughout the Lehigh Valley for nearly 20 years. The group changed
it's face many times over the years - from as few as 4 members to as many as 9 on stage - as new musicians
joined and others retired from the group - but all shared a common
goal: they all loved to play and sing folk music.
This site recognizes all of the past members
of the performing group who voluntarily dedicated their time, effort and artistry to promote the mission of
the Society and provide audiences across the Lehigh Valley with an enjoyable folk music experience.
Thanks folks!
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Kristin E. Benjamin (1951-2014) "You are now singing
with the angels, but you will be in our music forever"
Kristin was one of the founders of the Society and past President.
She managed all of the major Society activities and was active in local music circles to promote the Society and the band.
She was a permanent fixture in the group for 20 years until retiring in 2013 due to failing health. Kristin was a walking music
encylopedia of all genres of folk songs and always led the singing at jam sessions and in the band. Kristin played a strong rhythm guitar,
autoharp, recorder, fiddle, ukelele and even bass for the band. Kristin was particularly fond of the music of the Carter Family and country
classics and her sweet voice was impeccable, singing melody or harmony, whatever
the band needed. Kristin was also a singer/songwriter and her original recordings of Too Late, My Angel in America,
and Let Her Go, are available on the Society CD, "Garlic and Angels". Sadly, this past March, Kristin passed away after a long battle
with cancer, but during her battle she always endured to seldom miss a performance with the band.
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Jack Vass
Jack was with the band for 9 years and retired in December 2013. His love of Revival Folk,
especially the music of the Kingston Trio, added a new flavor to band performances when he joined. Jack had a strong beautiful male voice
and always worked hard to perfect three-part harmony in whatever songs we played.
Jack played lead and rhythm guitar on his vintage Martin 12-string and sometimes played the bass and the long-neck banjo for the band.
He handled the bookings for the band and composed many original songs done in the folk style of the fifties
and sixties. Three of his songs, Angel of Mine, I'll Go on Loving You, and My Louise are recorded on the Garlic and
Angels CD.
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Edie (Kuhns) Englert
Edie was one of the founding members of the Society, a bright and cheerful person who added an uplifting personality to our
music, our jams and always volunteered to help with Society activities.
She played rhythm guitar regularly with the band until about 2006 and sometimes came back to fill in when someone was absent.
Edie was especially fond of singing the old songs, especially the Carter Family and she loved Gospel and bluegrass music
and for years never missed a practice, a gig or a jam sesssion. Edie met Charlie Englert, who was one of our regular Society members,
and they are now happily married. Edie was not a songwriter until her late husband passed after
which she wrote a very beautiful emotional song in his honor, called "I Can't Let You Know". Edie kindly shared her song with the Society,
and being too shy to sing it herself, asked Kristin to record it on the Garlic and Angels CD.
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Carol Lighthiser
Carol joined the band early in 1997, and regularly attended jam sessions. Carol played a strong steady rhythm
guitar on her Alvarez and added a middle vocal harmony to all of the band's music as well as on the
Generation and Gospel CDs. Carol left the band in about 2004 when she moved away from the Valley.
Her and her husband Tom now reside in Sunbury in central Pa.
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Deanne Saab
Deanne was one of the originators of the Society. She was a true troubador of folk music and played and sang with the band until
2004 when she retired from performing. Deanne managed her own small business and was the Society's Treasurer until 2006.
Deanne had a powerful alto voice suited well for many of the folk songs the band performed. She often soloed melodies
and helped the Society record the Generation and Gospel CDs, and she always volunteered her time and her business acumen
to run the Society activities. Not every folk group has a dedicated percussionist, but Deanne, a multi-talented string player,
took up and added a variety of percussion instruments to the band's sound. She was especially proud of her
collection of djembe and doumbec drums and many other types of percussive instruments which she played
throughout her many years with the band.
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Lamont Schaffer
Lamont, who hailed from Slatington, Pa. founded the Lehigh Valley Folk Music Society in 1994. His first meeting and jam session was
held at the Sr. Citizen Center in Allentown and he was successful in attracting a number of interested folk music lovers. Lamont
dearly loved the old time music and loved to entertain children and have them participate with the old folkers.
He played a variety of instruments too, but was especially fond of mandolin and guitar, which he played with the performing group between 1996-1997.
Lamont moved on in 1997 to perform his own solo show leaving the band and the Society in the competent hands of Kristin Benjamin. The Society
dedicated its first CD, Genernation after Generation to Lamont.
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Cary Rufe
Cary, from Catasauqua, joined the performing group in late 1998, having been recruited by Edie, but he remained with the band for only a few short years.
Cary did not join in the vocals but brought specialized instrument skills in the bluegrass style to the band especially with his mandolin and
5-string banjo picking. Cary left the band shortly after recording the Generation After Generation CD. He was a tremendous influence to Karen as she was
learned quickly to play the mandolin under his tutorial.
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Mark Locher
Mark hailed from Quakertown and was the son-in-law of Cary, being the youngest member ever in the band. Mark joined the band when
Cary joined in late 1998 and left also with Cary a few years later. While in the band, Mark played the electric bass
and was instrumental in providing all of the bass tracks for the Generation After Gneration CD.
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Pam Smith
Pam was from the Allentown area of the Valley and was invited to join the band in 2010 after appearing at several
jam sessions where she displayed a remarkable talent and an
in depth knowledge of hand held percussion instruments. Her sophisticated drumming technique added tremendously
to the songs. She played several major concerts with the band at Musikfest but left the band abruptly in 2012.
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Scott Atkinson
Scott was from Bethlehem and joined the band early in 2002 and remained with the band until he moved away to
Ohio around 2005. He was a talented musician and songwriter and at that time was one of the editors of Sing Out magazine.
Scott was a young musician who loved singing folk music and as editor of the magazine had a tremendous knowledge of the subject.
He added a deep bass voice to the band's vocal harmonies and his awesome lead
vocal on the Home Beyond the Sky CD recording of Down by the Riverside stands apart from all other Society recordings.
Instrumentally, Scott could play just about every instrument we had in the band, but his favorite and important addition to our
live sound and to the Gospel CD recordings at the time was the Dobro and the blues harmonica.
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Alice Guille
Alice hailed from Montgomery County. She was a member of the Bucks County Folk Society and joined our Society with her
husband Ralph early in the 2000 time frame. They both participated eagerly in our monthly jam sessions. Alice was an excellent
autoharpist and auditoned for the band in the 2005 timeframe. However, Alice only played with the band for a very short time, as her husband
became ill and she was forced to drop out to take care of him.
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Bob Paradise
Bob Paradise joined the original 1996 band for a year playing the guitar with the band until
he moved away to Florida. He is now deceased.
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Alton Park Lady
Our next tribute goes to an African-American lady who hailed from the Alton Park area of south Allentown
and who discovered the Society through the Senior Citizen Center. Unfortunately, no one remembers her name,
but she performed with the Society band periodically in the 1996-1997 timeframe. Her picture here was taken
from one of the band performances at a church picnic in 1997.
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Rob Lennick
Rob was a member of the band in 2014. He was an excellent finger picker of both 6- and 12-string acoustic
guitar with a long history of playing folk music. His enthusiasm on and off stage was an asset to the band.
Unfortunately, other callings in life took Rob away. An Allentown resident and Boston native, he now resides
temporarily in Arkansas where, as a Rabbi, he is helping a new Jewish congregation.
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Bob Stein
Bob from Allentown joined the band in 2017 and performed with the band for only one year.
Bob deep bass voice added a unique addition to our vocal harmonies. Bob also played rhythm guitar but
his exceptional trained drumming and other percussion added a unique flavor to the band. Unfortunately, Bob had to leave
the band early due to personal reasons.
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