Midsommer Music Festival Artists Bios

Black Hawk Pipes and Drums

The Black Hawk Pipes and Drums is headquartered in the Quad Cities and affiliated with the QC Scottish American Society.

Members of the pipe band come from the Quad Cities and surrounding communities. Uniforms are traditional Scottish attire, with the kilts being the Black Watch tartan.  The band plays traditional Scottish bagpipe music.

Jansson 5

Jansson 5, born in late 2011, is a folk/country/blues trio based in Bishop Hill, IL. Named after village founder, Eric Jansson, the group   features diverse musical feels with an authentic Midwestern flavor. Nathan Hahn leads the band on guitar and vocals, Curtis Hawkins holds down the low end, and percussionist Josh Morrissey sets the pace.

Hammer & Pick

Hammer & Pick has been performing in the Bishop Hill/Galesburg area for nearly 30 years.  The 2014 members of the band are Jon Wagner, Jan Sams, and John Heasly.  All musicians do vocals, blending their musical styles and harmonies, performing a variety of tunes, including Celtic, folk, bluegrass, blues, and gospel.

River Bend Bronze

River Bend Bronze is a  community handbell choir,   based in the Quad City  area.  The choir’s pieces  range in style and  complexity from  arrangements of pre- existing melodies (mostly  hymn-based) to original compositions for  handbell choirs.

 Bear Clan of Sweden

Bear Clan of Sweden gets their name  from the meaning of their last name    “Björn”, translated to “Bear” in English.  Simon and Sheri Björn are from Tjällmo, Sweden, and will be  performing traditional Swedish folk  songs and some good old American songs.

Rusty Pickup String Band will be playing for the Old Fashioned Barn Dance at the Colony School. The dance will begin at 7 p.m. and end at 10 p.m. Veteran caller, Gail Hintze will do the calling in this air conditioned Colony School.

Ernie Sandquist

Ernie is an expert Swedish Accordion player who has played throughout the Midwest for more than fifty years. He’s played for the last several years for Julfest in Rockford. Er- nie grew up in Jokkmokk, Sweden. Ernie will lead the procession from the park to the Colony School and will play for the maypole dancing.