O lucky Jan...

Photo: Michael Keller (West Virginia Division of Culture and History)

Thanks to Jan Michielsen of 4 Wheel Drive (D/NL/B) for the news that he will be going to the Appalachian String Band Music Festival on 4-8 August 2010 at Clifftop, West Virginia - news which at once fills us with consuming envy.

Clifftop (as the festival is usually known) is the main pilgrimage centre for the old-time music world. The festival's website and MySpace economically describe it as:

A five-day mountaintop gathering of musicians and friends with contests, concerts, workshops, square dances, camping and a hymn-sing. West Virginia masters are presented to an audience of more than 3000 musicians and string band music lovers from around the world. Over the history of this festival, more than 20 foreign countries and 48 of the 50 states have been represented, with many returning year after year...

For a full-flavour taste of what this means as an experience - West Virginia Public Broadcasting made in 2008 a 27-minute documentary film which can be seen on YouTube. (And while you're there, check out the associated videos, including the profiles of Hazel Dickens.)