Carnegie guitarist at Stecoah Aug. 18
BETH FIELDS Contributing Writer

STECOAH - Wayne Henderson's top-notch finger picking is a source of great pleasure and pride to his friends, family and fans in Grayson County, Virginia. Wayne's guitar playing has also been enjoyed at Carnegie Hall in three national tours of "Masters of the Steel - String Guitar".

In addition to his reputation as a great guitarist, Henderson is also a luthier of great renown and a recipient of the 1995 National Heritage Award presented by the National Endowment for the Arts. Known for the famous "Henderson Guitar", he produces about twenty instruments a year. He is almost as well known for the mandolins he makes. Doc Watson, a good friend of Henderson who sometimes stops in at Wayne's shop said, "That Henderson mandolin is as good as any I've had my hands on. And that's saying a lot because I've picked up some good ones".

Henderson will be joined by noted vocalist and accomplished musician, Helen White. Known for her crystal clear voice and pure pitch, she brings a fresh tone to their Appalachian folk and string band music. A native of Alleghany County, North Carolina, Helen founded the Junior Appalachian Musicians or JAM program in 2001. The JAM program teaches local youth how to play guitar, mandolin, banjo and fiddle. Both Henderson and White were featured on Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" radio show in November 2006. Rounding out the program will be Jeff Little on Stecoah's historic upright piano. Jeff has played at the Smithsonian Institution's Baird Auditorium, The Mall in Washington, DC, and on his own tour in Asia, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, and Tanzania.

This is one show that should not be missed for its sheer quality of performance and high energy entertainment. Show time is at 7:30pm and tickets are $8 for adults and $2 for students.

This year, An Appalachian Evening is more than just music. An authentic Appalachian dinner will be served on Saturday evenings before the concerts. The dinners are served at two seatings - 5:30 and 6:30pm in the new Stecoah dining room. The dinners are open to the public and concert attendance is not required.

The menu on August 18th is buttermilk fried chicken, macaroni

& cheese, greens and fields peas. Each entrée is served with fresh biscuits or rolls, cornbread, spiced apples and cucumber, tomato and onion salad. Prices are $12 for adults, $9 for students and $6 for children. Reservations are required. Lighter fare is still available in the main building as in years past. Please call 828-479-3364 for more information and reservations or visit the new website, www.StecoahValleyCenter. com.