Metku Quartet features Richard Koski on accordion, Katrina Mackey on Fiddle, Michael Ludgate on Mandolin and Phil Robinson on guitar. They play Finnish and Finnish American dance tunes from the Finger Lakes communities of Spencer, Van Etten, Newfield, and Trumansburg, New York.
This concert celebrated the completion of the tune book, Finnish Dance Tunes of the Finger Lakes, a valuable collection for musicians and scholars interested in Finnish American history and folklife. It combines transcriptions of Finnish American schottisches, polkas, and waltzes alongside historic photos and oral history interviews recorded by Richard with many of the people who listened and danced to this beautiful music. See the band members about purchasing a copy directly from them.
Katrina, Michael, and Richard’s work to sustain this local Finnish-American music heritage for the next generation has received multiple grants, including two Folk Arts Apprenticeships and one Individual Artist Grant from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). This project has also been presented twice nationally during FinnFest in Duluth, Minnesota.
This Polka medley includes “Juhannus Tanssit (Midsummer Dance)”, “Kiperä Polka (Tricky Polka)”, and “Porvoo Polka (Polka from Porvoo)”. Juhannus, also known as St. John’s Day or Midsummer, is a tradition going back centuries in Finland. In the Old Days, it was celebrated on the first day of summer to ward off evil spirits and ensure good crops and fertility. “Porvoo Polkka” was originally a very popular song in Finland around 1900 called “Kun Eklöfin Augusti Porvoosta tuli”. Later in 1906 it became a workers song called “Perustuslaillisten riemumarssi.”
— Finnish Dance Music of the Finger Lakes of New York
On March 8, 2020 Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts hosted Toivo’s seasonal time change dance. Local traditional dancer and musician Katrina Mackey teaches viewers how to dance the “Rattikkoon,” a traditional Finnish polka. The band even throws in a Cajun tune for good measure!
Inspired by their Finnish heritage, Michael Ludgate (mandolin, kantele, banjo) and Katrina Mackey (fiddle, flute) formed Metku to learn more about traditional Finnish music and dance. They are often joined by Philip Robinson on guitar and master accordionist, Richard Koski, who has played Finnish-American folk music since 1970.
On March 8, 2020 Trumansburg Conservatory of Fine Arts hosted Toivo’s seasonal time change dance. Local traditional dancer and musician Katrina Mackey teaches viewers how to dance the “Rattikkoon,” a traditional Finnish polka. The band even throws in a Cajun tune for good measure!
Inspired by their Finnish heritage, Michael Ludgate (mandolin, kantele, banjo) and Katrina Mackey (fiddle, flute) formed Metku to learn more about traditional Finnish music and dance. They are often joined by Philip Robinson on guitar and master accordionist, Richard Koski, who has played Finnish-American folk music since 1970.
