Weekly broadcasts of the
Best of Bound for Glory
Every week we feature a recording from our archive of live
Bound for Glory shows. Spend Sunday nights with us
on your radio at 93.5 FM or through the Internet.
Click here for ways to listen to the show.
Is there something you would like to hear? Email us here
On your radio November 9—Tim Ball & Alex Fortier—broadcast of the live show
A recording of the live show on 10/26/2025
Tim Ball’s music tells stories about hard work, immigration, community, and joyous celebration. After 20 years performing in Celtic and contra dance bands and a lifetime of playing traditional fiddle music, his debut solo album Upstate Crossroads was the No. 1 CD of January 2023 on the FAI Folk music chart. Upstate Crossroads sheds new light on fiddle tunes and traditional songs from all corners of New York State, drawing repertoire and inspiration from the surrounding Irish-American, New England, Canadian, and Old-Time/Bluegrass traditions.
Besides his extensive fiddle music repertoire, he plays guitar in the acclaimed Celtic trio Arise & Go, which weaves together a unique blend of traditional Scottish, Irish, and Atlantic Canadian music. Tim performs frequently with well-loved Renaissance festival bands and has toured throughout the northeastern US with many contra dance bands. In addition, he’s performed and taught at respected music and dance camps such as Ashokan and Pinewoods. Over the years, Tim has cultivated a rare ability to approach each style of music that he plays on its own terms, always interpreting in his unmistakable voice.
Tim is being joined for this concert by Alex Fortier. Alex has been studying and playing piano in various idioms since the age of six. His traditional accompaniment stylings range between classic New England, Quebecois, and Cape Breton styles. He has a love of tradition and a penchant for harmonic substitutions and development. Having graduated from University of Rochester’s Music program in 2019, Alex is now working both solo and with various projects out of Rochester, NY.
On your radio November 16—
Bread & Bones
Originally broadcast 3/14/2010
“They are entertainers of the first order, producing gorgeous harmonies, captivating lyrics, and witty banter. We are always thrilled to welcome them back to the Ball & Chain.”—Barbara Ebling, Ball and Chain Café, Brandon, Vermont
Bread and Bones is a Vermont-based acoustic trio performing original music with a strong traditional-roots foundation. Made up of Richard Ruane, Beth Duquette and Mitch Barron, their sound is characterized by imaginative two- and three-part harmonies over solid guitar and bass work.
In addition to their original music, they also perform traditional songs from America and the British Isles, songs by other songwriters and a few jazz standards. Richard Ruane’s warm baritone voice blends beautifully with Beth Duquette’s expressive alto. Ruane plays guitar, ukulele, mandolin and banjo. Mitch Barron adds his wonderful presence on fretless, fretted and upright bass and vocals.
Ruane’s songwriting has been compared at times to Richard Shindell, Richard Thompson and John Gorka. The sound of their harmonies has been compared to Tim and Molly O’Brien, and their CD “I Know Stories” was named Vermont’s Best Traditional Album of 2008.
LIVE Bound for Glory!
November 23, 2:00 pm
At the Lansing Area Performance Hall
Anne Hills
“Anne Hills is such an exquisite singer that it’s understandable that people might be swept up in the pure beauty of her voice and thereby overlook her writing. That would be a mistake. For me, Anne’s writing, in songs like ‘Follow That Road’ and many others, is as direct, melodic and deep as any work being done today. She is quite simply one of my absolute favorite songwriters.”–Tom Paxton
Anne Hills is one of the most beloved voices of the contemporary folk music scene, receiving awards and recognition for her live performances, her unique solo and collaborative recording projects, and her overall artistry and benefit work. Her song “Follow That Road” was the title cut of the Martha’s Vineyard Songwriter Retreat and has been a certified folk classic since the late 1990s.
Anne was born in Moradabad, India, the third daughter of educational missionaries. Raised in Michigan, she attended Interlochen Arts Academy where she formed her first folk trio. She was also the female vocalist with the Big Band that turned out future jazz greats Peter Erskine, Bob Mintzer and Chris Brubeck. She moved to Chicago’s fertile folk scene in 1976 and co-founded the folklore center Hogeye Music, still a force in the Chicago music scene. As a singer, actress, writer, and musician Anne Hills has continuously built a reputation of merit. She has received numerous honors and awards over the years.
Whether she is singing her own songs, the words of six-year-old Opal Whiteley, or her song settings of the Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley; accompanied with her guitar, banjo, or simply a Tibetan bell, she puts her whole heart and soul into the moment. You won’t want to miss a chance to hear her songs and stories in person. She tours extensively, winning over audiences with her warm, lively and humorous performances.
Come be a part of Bound for Glory’s new series of monthly live shows on Sunday afternoons at 2 pm in the Lansing Area Performance Hall at 1004 Auburn Road, North Lansing, NY.
On your radio November 23—
Andrew VanNorstrand
Originally broadcast 2/10/2019
Andrew VanNorstrand is an accomplished singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer from upstate New York. As a member of the Great Bear Trio, Giant Robot Dance and the Andrew & Noah Band he has toured extensively and has been a featured performer and instructor at many well-known festivals and music camps. His repertoire incorporates a wide range of musical genres and he loves exploring the connections between music and dance. His original music often focuses on issues of identity, faith, gender and a search for understanding in rural America.
Considered one of Western New York’s leading traditional musicians, Andrew VanNorstrand has been playing beautiful music since he was a lad. With his brother, Noah, and their mother, Kimberley Yerton, they have delighted dancers as the Great Bear Trio—which has recently grown into the 6-piece band, Great Bear. He has performed on festival stages, concert halls, dance floors and living rooms all over North America and beyond. Fiddler, guitarist, producer, Andrew excels at whatever music he turns to.
On your radio November 30—John Roberts
Originally broadcast 9/16/2018
John Roberts is a singer of folksongs from the British Isles. Born and raised in Worcestershire, England, of a Welsh family, he currently lives in Schenectady, NY. He came to the United States many years ago to go to graduate school at Cornell, but, as they say, it didn’t take. And so he became more of a folksinger than he was already.
He is known for his work with Tony Barrand, another ex-pat Brit who arrived at Cornell at the same time as he did. They became the two lively Brits who sang folksongs, often wore funny hats, and went on to sing at folk festivals such as Fox Hollow, Mariposa, Philadelphia, Hudson River Revival, and Old Songs.
John accompanies his songs with banjo or concertina–or sings them a cappella, depending on how he feels the song. The music of the sea is one of his specialties. As well as a solo CD, “Sea Fever”, he has recorded sea songs albums with Tony Barrand (“Across the Western Ocean”) and with the trio Ye Mariners All.
John still occasionally performs concerts with Tony, but these days he mostly performs solo, or in tandem with Debra Cowan, an American singer of both traditional and more recently composed songs, with strong ties to the British Isles. They recently recorded a CD together – “Ballads Long & Short”. John has taught folksong and folksinging at various camps and summer schools including Pinewoods, Mendocino, and Augusta in Elkins, West Virginia.
On your radio December 7—Anne Hills—broadcast of the live show
A recording of the live show on 11/23/2025
“Anne Hills is such an exquisite singer that it’s understandable that people might be swept up in the pure beauty of her voice and thereby overlook her writing. That would be a mistake. For me, Anne’s writing, in songs like ‘Follow That Road’ and many others, is as direct, melodic and deep as any work being done today. She is quite simply one of my absolute favorite songwriters.”–Tom Paxton
Anne Hills is one of the most beloved voices of the contemporary folk music scene, receiving awards and recognition for her live performances, her unique solo and collaborative recording projects, and her overall artistry and benefit work. Her song “Follow That Road” was the title cut of the Martha’s Vineyard Songwriter Retreat and has been a certified folk classic since the late 1990s.
Whether she is singing her own songs, the words of six-year-old Opal Whiteley, or her song settings of the Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley; accompanied with her guitar, banjo, or simply a Tibetan bell, she puts her whole heart and soul into the moment. You won’t want to miss a chance to hear her songs and stories in person. She tours extensively, winning over audiences with her warm, lively and humorous performances.
On your radio December 14—Winter Solstice show
The longest night of the year. Winter solstice is probably our oldest holiday, going back much longer than we have had writing. It’s the holiday from which all the others grew.
It’s good to celebrate. It brings us together as a community, more than as a family. And there are a whole lot of songs. Some are about the holiday itself, some are about coming together every year at this special time. And some just seem like a good idea.
There’s no ritual attached to Winter Solstice, no way of celebrating correctly. These songs come at the shortest days from many directions, and we can find our own places as we celebrate together.
On your radio December 21—Christmas show
Join us for Christmas songs that you won’t hear in the shopping malls.
Some people celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, some as a gathering of families, some for incredible food. And there are songs to help us all along. Christmas is very powerful, very central to a lot of people, and for hundreds of years we have had songs to help us gather.
We have famous Christmas carols and twentieth century pop songs which you know. But in addition, we have less well-known older songs, and a whole lot of songs written by newer folksingers, each taking a different view of the holiday. Most are serious, but some are just plain funny. Some will make us think.
On your radio December 28—New Year’s show
Well, you all know Auld Lang Syne. And it won’t really surprise you that Bound for Glory will play a couple of versions of this, with different tunes.
But there’s so much more for New Year’s. There are songs to make you celebrate, songs to make you laugh, songs to make you think. Some of them are old songs, many of them are new. Some celebrate the change in the calendar, some the changes in our lives. Some will surprise you.
On your radio January 4, 2026—Twelfth Night show
It’s the end of the holiday season, and we all have to face January in Ithaca. But there are Twelve Days of Christmas, and they cover a lot of territory.
We have songs, many of them ancient, for celebration of this particular holiday. Plus, we have wassail songs, for going door to door, begging for bread and beer, as we’re sure that you all do every year. Don’t you?
There are songs that count to twelve. Most of us know the Twelve Days of Christmas. But it’s not alone. We’ll count to twelve in many different ways.
And there are songs that just seem appropriate for the ending of this season.
Live Bound for Glory shows—
starting our new season in January 2026!
The new series of live Bound for Glory shows will be returning in January 2026 in our new venue—the Lansing Area Performance Hall. The shows are on the 4th Sunday of the month at 2 pm.
These once-a-month live shows will be recorded for broadcast on a future Sunday’s WVBR’s Bound for Glory radio show. The Lansing Area Performance Hall is a wonderful, acoustically rich converted church on Auburn Road in Lansing. We have chosen a mid-afternoon time to make it easier for everyone to come join us in the live audience, and the shows will be hosted by our dear friend Travis Knapp. We’ll announce our Spring, 2026 lineup soon.Come be a part of Bound for Glory’s new series of live shows coming back in the new year at the Lansing Area Performance Hall, 1004 Auburn Road (Route 34), North Lansing, NY