October19-21
by: Bobbie Hunter
Dawn broke on Friday morning, October 19th, amid ominous clouds and pelting rain. Cowboy poets
and musicians were traveling from throughout the state of Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, Arizona
, and as far away as Canada to participate in the tenth annual Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Show
known as "Spirit of the West." It would take more than inclement weather to keep them away.
Fay Briscoe (Idaho), organizer of the night show, worked closely with American Legion Post 49 to bring about the event. Our hats are tipped to Fay aswell as to the American Legion for their hospitality and effort toward making the weekend a memorable occasion.
Friday and Saturday sessions were well-attended. When the audience could no longer be seated on the main floor, it became necessary to create a second stage area to accommodate the over- flow. The full chairs and smiling faces were very gratifying to the performers.
The rain dwindled to a sprinkle as the day sessions drew to a close. Evening shows were held at the Jr. High School. On stage the glow of a "camp fire" invited one and all to gather 'round. The pre-show was handled by Sam Mattise (Idaho), recent winner of the CPI Golden Note award. Sharing the microphone were Corean and Allan Romriell (Idaho). Each of these acts regaled the audience with their unique and highly individualized musical styles.
Dallas McCord (Oregon) acted as emcee, and the night show proceeded under his capable direction. Dallas recently received the Will Rogers award from the AWA for Secondary Market DJ of the Year 2007. His picture can be found in the November/December issue of American Cowboy magazine. Dallas and PJ will soon release a new CD--you'll want to watch for it.
Other performers for the Friday night show included Smoke Wade (Nevada), freelance journalist and winner of Cowboy Poetry Rodeo's Silver Buckle, Reciter/Humorous Advanced division; Terry Raff (Idaho), noted Western music historian; Bobbie Hunter (Idaho), organizer of the event's day sessions; Sam DeLeeuw (Utah), a 2006 winner of Cowboy Poetry Rodeo's Silver Buckle, recipient of CPI's Silver Quill, and cowboypoetry.com's current Lariat Laureate. Also from Utah was Don Kennington, past winner of the coveted Silver Buckle award and "National Treasure" extraordinaire. A local favorite, the "Sweetheart of Treasure Valley", Mallory (Shiflet) DiBartolo (Idaho), performed a selection of favorites, much to the delight of her fans. The High Strung Band (Oregon) closed the show. Their series of high energy numbers roused the
audience to a toe-tapping frenzy. Landon, Hunter, and Morgan are phenomenally talented;
indeed, the entire Reddington family is a hit everywhere they perform.Fay Briscoe (Idaho) has earned a reputation for patriotic poetry. Representing true-blue, honest-to-goodness cowboys, Fay presented "Cowboy Up America", one of her original works. Good job!
Saturday morning brought gusts of wind that added energy and excitement to the day program. Performers were in top form and again performed to a full house. Other than the Reddington bunch, Necia Hunter (Idaho) was the youngest performer--fourteen years old. Having performed at Emmett since she was eleven, this year she expanded her performance by accompanying herself on guitar while singing the Johnny Cash song I Hung My Head. New-comers Dan Watson (Canada), and Dana and Lori Woods (Idaho), shared their talents, admitting that they are nearly "hooked" as a result of the heady experience. A grand mix of poetry and music filled the hall throughout the morning hours.
As at every gathering, the green room buzzed with activity. Any guesses on how many songs Sharon (Silver) Glenn and George Thompson a.k.a. Northfork (Idaho) know? And just how long is Marion Baird's harmonica? And how much music can Bruce "Loose lip" Pinson get out of his miniature harmonica? Can Lonnie Shurtleff's fingers really fly that fast over his guitar, or was it done with smoke and mirrors? They're all amazing!
The Saturday night pre-show was a treat, indeed. Northfork, Lonnie Shurtleff, Dana Woods,
Terry Raff (all Idaho), and Dallas and PJ McCord (Oregon), joined forces to present an
inspiring thirty minute segment. The audience was spell-bound under their influence, and the
music far exceeded expectations.The main show consisted of a Grand Finale--a rapid-fire "shoot out" of every entertainer who participated in the day sessions. Due to the large number of artists, each person's time on stage was very limited. There was no time to become bored when every two and a half minutes a new performer took center stage, trying his best to create a world of Western fantasy before the next poet or musician took the reins. The stage was hopping, the entertainment was a whirlwind of activity, and in an explosion of talent the show came to an end.
In keeping with tradition, Fay and Mel Briscoe opened their home to performers following the Saturday night show. They generously and graciously provided a late super for the group and offered one more "go 'round" to allow the performers an opportunity to wind down, to relive the evening's performances, and to create a memory that would last throughout the coming year.
Sunday morning brought sunshine to the valley as Cowboy Church convened at the American Legion hall. Barney Hill (Idaho) conducted the service. Poems and songs were shared for the ensuing hour and a quarter. Ralph Smith (Arizona), Peggy Dunow, Larry Shiflet, Eunice Wellard (all Idaho), Ken Wellard (Utah), and Glen Baird (Washington), were among those sharing their talents. A total of fifteen people presented their work.
Other performers present at the gathering were: Colleen Kohler, Sherry Jones, Nita Arnold,
Elden Thompson, Ben and Betty Clark, Don Shelman, Lisa Jensen, Bill Carr, Shannon Commers,
Lois Mecham, Terry Fuhriman, Vern Woodbury, Star Wentworth (all from Idaho). There was
certainly no shortage of talent! Plans are already under way for 2008--remember the date and
plan to join the fun next year.