Jose F. Helu Jr.

We are a group of friends ranging from professional musicians to amateur music lovers who have gotten together to record this one song (The Fairy Princess) as a personal tribute.

Joseph Knudsen has sung in a series of non-professional singing groups including a few different Messiah presentations, the Newtown, CT Choral Society, high school and college concert choirs and community choral productions. He also leads music for his Church. This is his first individual recording.

Beryl Knudsen has always loved to sing. She finds great joy in singing harmony in her church's choir and informally with friends. She and her husband, Joseph, live in Danbury, CT and have four children who love music. She is happy to relate that her two daughters, age 9 and 14, already exceed her in musical ability.

Bill Campbell specializes in 6 & 12 string guitar, mandolin and 5 string banjo. He is a founding member of The Reel Thing; an instrumental trio specializing in English, American and International folk dances. The Reel Thing provides dance music for callers throughout Southwestern Connecticut, and also performs in costume for Colonial period events. In addition he has been playing for instructional programs at the Housatonic Valley Waldorf school and for groups from the Homeschooling network.

Julie Sorcek has been playing flute since she was ten years old, and has been off and running ever since. She added piccolo in college, and has had extensive experience playing with high school and college symphonic bands, and in the late '80s and early '90s with the Danbury Community Orchestra. Currently a full time performing musician, Julie plays with the contra dance band The Reel Thing (www.geocities.com/reelthingct), where, in addition to flute, she adds saxophone and occasionally bodhran to the musical mix. She is becoming well known on the Connecticut contra musicians' circuit, having played as a guest artist with the contra dance bands Jane's Gang and Out on a Whim, and also having appeared with The Reel Thing at the NOMAD (NOrtheast Music And Dance) Festival in New Haven, CT. Her love of folk and Celtic music stems from childhood, and she very much enjoys the opportunity to play music from both of these genres, first with the folk duo Sheebeg and Sheemore, and now with the trio Fairfield Crossing (www.geocities.com/fairfieldcrossing). Julie also performs as a soloist at the First Congregational Church of Bethel, CT. Her love of all kinds of music have led her to continue to expand her repertoire on the flute - beyond the New England contra dance, colonial and Celtic music she performs with the Reel Thing and Fairfield Crossing, she also performs jazz and blues with other professional musicians in the greater Danbury area, and old-time and bluegrass music at the Fiddlers' Brawl on the first Thursday of each month, and from time to time at Roger Sprung's bluegrass/old-time/Celtic jam in Sandy Hook, CT, the first Saturday of each month.

Andy Woodruff is a tenured member of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, and also performs with Trio di Camerati in Bethel CT, the Vladimiroff Piano Quartet in Brewster NY, and the Fiddlers’ Brawl in Bethel. He is particularly known for bringing his cello into various types of music other than classical. He believes the cello has wonderful potential as an expressive instrument, and plays classical, Celtic, international dance, folk, and most recently, swing. He is a frequent performer at festivals such as the annual New England Folk Festival Association in Natick, MA. He teaches cello and electric bass and makes his home in Bethel, Connecticut.

Jose Helu started on the accordion, and he apologizes to all music lovers. He has sung in choirs since high school, including the Greenwich Choral Society, the Fairfield Chorale, the Dessoff Choirs, and the Madiera Bach Festival. In addition to composing, he knows more than three chords on the guitar, noodles around on the piano, and lately has taken up the hammer dulcimer. His interests range from science and math to film and video production, and when moved he writes a tune.