This one is in response to more sad news: the passing of Juel Ulven – another extraordinary folkie who shared his love of folk music and touched countless lives.

I adapted an old trad song (because Juel loved old trad songs) in his honour. The festival referred to in the song is the Fox Valley Folk Festival, which takes place in a lovely park on an island in the Fox River, and was one of countless folk projects founded by Juel.

His Name Was Juel
to the tune of The Galway Shawl
new words ©Vikki Appleton Fielden, August 2022

At Lake Geneva in old Kane County
On a pleasant island one autumn day
I spied a fellow behind the sound desk
His lovely festival took my breath away

His name was Juel, he was a diamond
He shared his music with one and all
Now all Fox Valley mourn his finale
Though no one knows how he did it all

He brought us singing, barn dances, stories
He taught so many to love them too
Though we will miss him, his lines will linger
The gifts he gave us will see us through

His name was Juel, he was our diamond
His gift of music did us enthrall
Now all Fox Valley mourn his finale
But we'll remember what he gave us all