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Hank and Claire are Hank Payne and Claire Favro, who have been singing tight-harmony duets together since 2008. In that time they’ve released two CDs, gotten married, and settled near Seattle, WA. Hank and Claire perform folk (traditional and contemporary), swing, standards, and a few originals. Hank’s “Shade Tree Mechanic” won a prize in the 2016 Tumbleweed Music Festival Songwriting Contest. They sing a cappella or with guitar, bowed psaltery, dulcimer, banjulele and mando-guitar.

We met in 2008 studying therapeutic music. Right away we knew our voices blended well and we realized we wanted the same things musically and in life. Both of us have been making live acoustic music for years, stretching back to coffee house days of the 60’s though in different parts of the country: A little songwriting, the occasional paid gigs at weddings and community events, a real concert or two.

Neither of us gave up our day jobs, but kept our guitars close at hand. Each of us also longed for a singing partner. So when we started out at age 58 to explore the possibilities for singing, playing, collaborating, sharing lives—right away we needed to figure out what Hank and Claire would represent, what would drive our choice of songs, what would make us different from any other folksinging duo.

It’s partly in the songs we choose. We don’t care so much what style they come from—pop, jazz, gospel, folk. We don’t worry about whether they are original, traditional, and/or contemporary. We are drawn to songs that touch us in the heart or in the funny bone.

And it’s partly in the spirit with which we make the songs our own and share them with you. We are dedicated to perpetuating the tradition of live music, recognizing its powerful potential for building community and nurturing the human spirit.

CD:  Heart of the Matter (2010): covers of Tom Paxton, Michael P. Smith, Bill Gallaher, Chuck Pyle, Lou and Peter Berryman and others, as well as Hank Payne originals.

CD:  Home at Last (2014): covers of Doc Watson, George Harrison, Jay Ungar, Pete Seeger, Utah Phillips, and more, plus Hank Payne originals.

“Enjoy sweet harmonies, a bit of sentiment, some fun, and a big dose of heart? You’ll love Hank and Claire.”   -Portland Folklore Society review

“Guitars, psaltery, and dulcimer back the lovely lead and harmonizing voices. All clean, clear and full of   life—just like when you see them in person.”  – Chris Lunn, founding member International Folk Alliance

Special programs available:

Pete Seeger: The Man and the Music

Hank and Claire take listeners back in time with their banjo and 12-string guitar as they sketch the line from Pete’s passion for social justice issues (labor, war, civil rights, and the environment) to the music he inspired.  Learn the back stories and sing along with songs like “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” and “Turn, Turn, Turn.”

“Hank and Claire’s work presenting the music and philosophy of Pete Seeger is an important contribution to the one warm bloodline of activism and compassion that is the last, best hope of mankind.”   -Tom May, River City Folks

Hootenanny, Then and Now

Hank and Claire share their love of live music-making in an hour of community singing, complete with back stories and all the chorus words.  There’ll be songs that you already love, like “Freight Train” and “Last Thing on My Mind” plus some from today’s creative folkies. Find out where the 60’s Folk Revival came from and come prepared to SING!  Raise your voices with your neighbors in celebration of life, love, rivers, trains, and who knows what else?

“Truly consummate professional performers, seamlessly blending well researched history, visuals, live music and audience participation into a memorable experience.”  -Poulsbo Public Library, Washington State

“Simplicity and honesty in the sound and arrangements of lovely tunes.”  -Tom May, River City Folks

The Oceans of the World in Song

The music of the sea — maritime music, nautical music. Whether they be contemporary songs with the sea as a theme, ancient ballads of fearsome pirates, or shanties, (or ‘chanties’, if you prefer) the traditional work songs sung aboard the tall ships to organize the labor of the crew enabling small groups of men to accomplish tremendous feats of strength.

Those crews were English, Irish, Welsh, German, French, from the West Indies, The United States and other sea going nations, but the music itself was inspired by the oceans that link all these places together and cover two thirds of our precious planet.  William Pint and Felicia Dale take all of this as a source of inspiration for their music – giving it their own spin.  The result is an unusually energetic and exciting approach to folk music.

William Felicia have boundless enthusiasm for creating music and sharing it with their audience.  Critics have delighted in their recordings and crowds have listened, laughed, shed a tear and sung along with them wherever they have played.

With guitar, hurdy-gurdy, octave mandolin, violin, whistles, harmony, joy and pure energy, Pint and Dale entertain and perhaps enlighten as well, giving listeners an insight into another age. There is humor and drama on a great scale.

The hurdy-gurdy or vielle-à-roue (a rarely seen and heard musical instrument dating from the 12th century) features a keyboard and a cranked wheel. It produces sounds similar to a bagpipe with drones, melody and rhythmic percussion.  Traditionally used in French dance tunes, it is capable of a wide range of musical expression.

William and Felicia record on Waterbug, one of America’s most respected independent labels. At this time they have recorded ten critically acclaimed albums:  Port of Dreams, Hearts of Gold, Round the Corner, When I See Winter Return, Hartwell Horn, White Horses, Seven Seas, The Set of the Sail, Blue Divide, and Midnight on the Seas.  Eight of these albums are devoted to music of the sea, primarily traditional songs from the great Age of Sail.

A concert performance will include traditional and contemporary songs and tunes gathered from their many travels, songs and music from the rich heritage of the sea, and, of course, the inevitable hands-on hurdy-gurdy demonstration to a group of fascinated onlookers.

Lyrics to their recorded songs, reviews, concert tour dates, biographies and additional information can be found at www.pintndale.com.

Although he primarily writes for the Country market and Film and TV, Dan Lowe describes himself as a ‘Roots/Americana’ artist. His music is eclectic, interweaving elements of rock, country, folk, jazz, the blues, and R & B. When asked what makes his music unique, Dan says, “It’s taking all of the above and blending them into something that I typically perform on solo acoustic guitar!” While he is currently based in Nashville, Tennessee, Dan typically bounces between there and Portland, Oregon.

“I was born and raised in Alaska, where I got swept up in Beatlemania and the British Invasion at an early age,” Dan says in describing his background. “My love for all kinds of music propelled me to learn any instrument I could get my hands on, although I concentrated heavily on the piano and guitar – as they were the primary tools used in songwriting, which became my obsession. I really believe that my love of music – in all forms – is what has kept my own both timeless and contemporary.”

Along the way, Dan has won several awards and honors as both a songwriter and a performer, but his current pride and joy is the upcoming release of his new album, “No Running From The Storm (Songs Of Life, Love, And Loss)” by Dan Lowe & The Skeletal Remains.

William (Chico) Schwall was born in Illinois and has lived in Oregon for half a century. He has sung at Labor rallies. designed music for theatre productions, created folk song camps for kids, played in pit bands, fiddled for dances, guested with the Eugene Ballet and Symphony, Oregon Bach Festival and Oregon Festival of American Music, released three albums of original music and traveled the country, often by rail, playing festivals, concerts and venues of every stripe.  He says “I play a couple or three instruments, ignore genres and try to tell you something you don’t already know. I sing mostly my own songs, but I don’t shy away from heritage material from all over space and time.”

He currently curates a concert series, “Chico Schwall’s American Roots,” now in its fourth season, and tries to learn something new every day. He believes there IS enough to go around, that history matters and hearts can heal.