A Time to Fiddle

Hannah Farnum began her fiddle adventure at the age of six when her brother’s bass teacher introduced her to Ricky Boen. A former world champion, as well as Texas and Missouri state champion, Ricky is also an excellent teacher. From her early days of playing tunes like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and “Liberty” to the hoe-downs,

A Time to Fiddle

Hannah Farnum began her fiddle adventure at the age of six when her brother’s bass teacher introduced her to Ricky Boen. A former world champion, as well as Texas and Missouri state champion, Ricky is also an excellent teacher. From her early days of playing tunes like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and “Liberty” to the hoe-downs, rags & waltzes you will hear on this album, Ricky has coached her each step of the way.

In late 2004 Hannah began playing a few tunes with the family band and in a short time became a full-time member of the group.

From age 7 to 10 Hannah made an annual appearance at the Snyder Park Fiddle Contest, competing in the Peewee Division. She placed in the top 4 each year and brought home the 1st Place award for two years.

In 2011 she began competing again, this time in the Junior Division. She has placed 4th in the Downtown Branson Contest for two years running and has taken 2nd place honors at Appleton City, and in 2012 at Jana Jae’s American Heritage Music Festival in Grove, Oklahoma. Her most memorable contest thus far has been the Walnut Valley Old-Time Fiddle Contest in Winfield, Kansas in September 2012. There she placed 3rd out of 25 contestants of all ages (with sequestered judges), and was awarded a brand new Gama Elite Birdseye Maple violin made in Romania. You’ll hear this instrument on track 19 “Be Thou My Vision” and 20 “That’s a Plenty”.

Hannah is a very petite young lady and was still playing a three-quarter-size fiddle when she turned 14. At that time she graduated to a full-size instrument and began playing the violin that belonged to her Grandpa Gene, who died when she was just a baby. Her paternal grandmother, Joanie Chwastek, who was one of Hannah’s biggest fans and who has helped fund the cost of her fiddle lessons for 9 years, gave it to her.

Her maternal grandmother, Irma McCaskill, is likewise a huge support to Hannah, often driving many miles to hear her compete, providing her constant encouragement as well as funding for this recording!

Besides the Texas-style fiddling she plays for competition, Hannah also enjoys Irish fiddle music and has twice attended O’Flaherty’s Irish Music Retreat where she participated in classes with Brian Conway and Randall Bays. You’ll hear a sampling of her Irish tunes on the tracks 13 & 16.

Also included on this recording are two tunes (tracks 15 & 18) featuring some twin fiddling with her sister Maggie. Maggie has also been a student of Ricky’s since February 2010 thru about 2015.

Credits: Hannah Farnum – Fiddle Benjamin Farnum – Rhythm Guitar / Daniel Farnum – Bass Fiddle

Additional instrumentation by the Farnum Family includes… Norm Farnum – Banjo on tracks 4, 6, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19 & 20 Tricia Farnum – Penny-whistle on tracks 16 & 19 Benjamin Farnum – Mandolin on tracks 11, 18, 19 & 20 Nathaniel Farnum – Bodhran on tracks 13 & 16 Maggie Farnum – Fiddle on tracks 15 & 18

Recorded & Engineered by Greg Bailey / Stone County Recording Studio Cover photo by Jesci Boatright / JayDee Photography Layout by Betty Kottkamp / MTB Studios

Song List

1. Billy in the Low Ground
2. Roxanne Waltz
3. Cotton Patch Rag
4. Leather Britches
5. Wednesday Night Waltz
6. Clarinet Polka
7. Tug Boat
8. Tammy
9. Black & White Rag
10. Say Old Man, Can You Play the Fiddle?
11. Ashokan Farewell
12. Back Up and Push
13. Reel Set (Honeymoon Reel / Cooley’s Reel)
14. Ookpik Waltz
15. Faded Love
16. Jig Set (My Darling Asleep / Apples in Winter)
17. Stardust Waltz
18. Red Wing
19. Be Thou My Vision
20. That’s a Plenty

Song of the Bandit

This album is, in part, a tribute to two of the greatest singers and song writers I know of: Marty Robbins, and Bob Nolan of The Sons of the Pioneers. Their music instilled me with a love of singing, and more than that, of storytelling. I hope the joy they’ve given me will be passed on to you through this collection. It is also

Song of the Bandit

This album is, in part, a tribute to two of the greatest singers and song writers I know of: Marty Robbins, and Bob Nolan of The Sons of the Pioneers. Their music instilled me with a love of singing, and more than that, of storytelling. I hope the joy they’ve given me will be passed on to you through this collection. It is also a fulfillment of the many requests from friends and family for a recording of these poems and songs.
I thank God for music and the ability to sing; my Grandma, Irma McCaskill, for encouragement and funding this project; John Fullerton for all his work arranging and coaching our harmony vocals, numerous pre-studio sessions, and for singing with me on The Lilies Grow High; and Greg Bailey for his patience and expertise in the recording studio, pointing out all my imperfections, mixing & mastering, and playing the third beat ‘chop’ on El Paso, which blew all our minds.

Special thanks to my family who all get to hear more than their share of sour notes and strange (yodeling?) sounds that come out of me. Without their support (i.e. nagging), instrumental abilities, singing and camaraderie, this album would never have been finished. And a big thanks to Katie, who sometimes says that I sing better than Marty Robbins, and who suggested Song of Wyoming, which has become my favorite song on the CD.

This album is lovingly dedicated to the memory of my Grandpa Bill McCaskill.

Credits: Song arrangements by Daniel Farnum Daniel Farnum ~ Lead Vocals & Upright Bass Benjamin Farnum ~ Mandolin & Guitar / Hannah Farnum ~ Fiddle & Vocals Norm Farnum ~ Banjo & Vocals / Trish Farnum ~ Piano, Penny-whistle & Vocals Greg Bailey / Stone County Recording – (417) 598-3702 John Fullerton / Branson’s Singing Cowboy – (417) 230-9447 Betty Kottkamp / MTB Graphics Studio – (417) 294-3660

Leaning… on His Everlasting Arms!

Every day of our lives we find ourselves Leaning on the Everlasting Arms of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May He be a constant comfort and blessing to you and your family.

We dedicate each of our song selections, especially “God Send Us Men” – written by Frederick Gillman in 1909 – to all who look toward the

Leaning… on His Everlasting Arms!

Every day of our lives we find ourselves Leaning on the Everlasting Arms of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May He be a constant comfort and blessing to you and your family.

We dedicate each of our song selections, especially “God Send Us Men” – written by Frederick Gillman in 1909 – to all who look toward the Kingdom of God “on earth as it is in Heaven”. We are so pleased that you have chosen to take some of our music home with you. We want to thank you all – family and friends – for your help and encouragement with this album, and for supporting us as we pursue our music and ministry at home and on the road.

Credits: Song arrangements by the Farnum Family Norm ~ Banjo & Vocals, Guitar on God Send Us Men Daniel ~ Bass & Vocals / Benjamin ~ Mandolin & Guitar Hannah ~ Fiddle & Vocals / Nathaniel, Maggie & Matthew ~ Vocals Trish ~ Piano, Penny-whistle & Vocals And to our son, Daniel… Great job with the photography!

Special appreciation goes to our multi-talented friends: Greg Bailey/Stone County Recording for his invaluable help throughout the recording, mixing and mastering process; and Betty Kottkamp/MTB Graphic Studios for her graphic & design work.

The idea for this Folk Psalms album came about through a special gift from Pastor John & Alice Weaver: a copy of The Book of Psalms for Singing. Published by the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, this Psalter contains the 150 Psalms arranged in rhyme & meter and set to familiar hymn melodies for easy singing. Since the banjo

The idea for this Folk Psalms album came about through a special gift from Pastor John & Alice Weaver: a copy of The Book of Psalms for Singing. Published by the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, this Psalter contains the 150 Psalms arranged in rhyme & meter and set to familiar hymn melodies for easy singing. Since the banjo does not lend itself well to some hymn melodies, we decided it would make an interesting project to try singing the Psalms to folk tunes instead (from whence we get the term Folk Psalms). Back in early 2002, we (Norm & Trish) began by arranging 3 or 4 psalms as part of our gospel music program, adding more as time went along and incorporating the children as they became proficient on their instruments. Finally in 2008 we were able to get the last three Psalms arranged to complete the dozen tunes on this recording. This project ended up taking nearly two years to complete, so the songs we recorded most recently reflected certain improvements in the children’s musical skills. Hannah also graduated from the ½ up to the ¾-size fiddle during the recording process. The tunes are in numerical order rather than the sequence recorded. Then in 2009 we began work on a companion songbook, now available separately, to partner with this recorded album. The Folk Psalms Companion contains chords, words & informational notes for each tune, plus an educational section. Besides the Weavers, we have many to thank for their help & encouragement with this album… • Above all we thank our Heavenly Father for the wonderful songbook He provides in His Word. It is a joy to sing the Psalms and realize anew just how fresh & timeless His Word is. • To the multi-talented Greg Bailey for his invaluable help throughout the recording process and for his mixing & mastering skills that helped hide our rough edges. ☺ To Betty Kottkamp for her expertise with the original & subsequent jacket layout & packaging. • To Alycia Chadwick for “babysitting” some of our youngest ones during numerous recording sessions; and to our many friends & family, thanks for your prayers & support.

We hope you will be blessed by the contents of this Folk Psalm collection and find it an effective means to hide His Word in your heart.

All arrangements by the Farnum Family Norm ~ Banjo & Vocals, Guitar on Psalm 119 Daniel ~ Bass & Vocals Hannah ~ Fiddle & Vocals on Psalm 67 & Jesus Loves Me Trish ~ Piano & Vocals, Penny-whistle on Psalms 24, 47 & 149 Benjamin ~ Mandolin Nathaniel ~ Vocals on Psalm 51 & Jesus Loves Me Maggie ~ Vocals on Jesus Loves Me Greg Bailey ~ Stone County Recording / Betty Kottkamp ~ MTB Studios / Disc Makers

Be sure to order our Folk Psalms Companion songbook to supplement this album (available elsewhere on this page).

This was our very first family album! We were all so young back then... and some of us didn't yet have any gray hair. Go figure!

Tomato Pickin’

We are happy to share our first “Farnum Family” recording with you. What a blessing it has been to watch the children’s talents develop over the last few years and have an album to show the fruit of their

This was our very first family album! We were all so young back then... and some of us didn't yet have any gray hair. Go figure!

Tomato Pickin’

We are happy to share our first “Farnum Family” recording with you. What a blessing it has been to watch the children’s talents develop over the last few years and have an album to show the fruit of their labors!

We have many we wish to thank, but must start with our wonderful savior, Jesus Christ, who has made it all possible. We thank Him for life, love, family, friends and this marvelous gift of music that adds so much joy to our lives. We are nothing without Him.

A big “thank you” to the children’s grandparents for their love, support and help with instruments and lessons. We love you all! …to Jim, Teresa and Sterling for being the greatest “first-door” neighbors in the world and for introducing us to the song, “If You Believe.” We also appreciate the baby-sitting you provided during several of the recording sessions! …to Ricky Boen (Hannah’s fantastic fiddle teacher) for his patience and perseverance with our little “Missouri Mule.” …to D.A. Callaway, Talent Coordinator at Silver Dollar City, for giving us a wonderful venue to share our music. …to the Boatrights, the Naylors, Maaziah Mountain, The 97th Regimental String Band, the Homestead Pickers and many others whose music has inspired us to learn new songs. …to “Prince John” who faithfully prays for our family and our music ministry – God bless you, brother! And to all the dear ones near and far who encourage us with their love, prayers, friendship and support, our heartfelt thanks and a bushel of hugs! …to Greg Bailey, Stone County Recording, our great appreciation for making the studio experience as painless as possible for Daniel, Benjamin and Hannah. We applaud your many talents and “fun to be around” personality! We have many fond memories of the Bailey Farm, including the cows, the baby chicks, the black snake in the chicken cage (with the chick inside the snake – ugh!), and playing fetch with Bess (his Border Collie). …to Betty Kottkamp, MTB Studios, for her excellent graphic design work, efficient CD duplication and packaging; and Marylou, for drawing our Tomato Vine. And last, but certainly not least, to our precious blessings – Daniel, Benjamin, Hannah, Nathaniel, Maggie and Matthew – thanks for being such troopers during the whole recording process. God willing, we look forward to making music with you for many years to come.

As you can see, we have chosen to title this album Tomato Pickin’ in honor of Norm’s favorite garden treat and most requested song: Homegrown Tomatoes! Thanks and God bless you all!

The Farnum Family

Come and Rejoice 1989 - Don Moen & Gerrit Gustafson

Come with rejoicing, the Father is calling. Those who would worship in spirit and truth; Come with your singing, come with thanksgiving. Jesus, our Savior, has made all things new.

Chorus: Come and Rejoice, O Holy Nation, Come and sing Praises to Him; Come and bow down, worship before Him,

Come and Rejoice 1989 - Don Moen & Gerrit Gustafson

Come with rejoicing, the Father is calling. Those who would worship in spirit and truth; Come with your singing, come with thanksgiving. Jesus, our Savior, has made all things new.

Chorus: Come and Rejoice, O Holy Nation, Come and sing Praises to Him; Come and bow down, worship before Him, Jesus, the King of all kings, Jesus, the King of all kings.

The Lord of Creation is full of compassion, Sealed in splendor adorned with all grace; Majestic and glorious, reigning victorious, Now and forever enthroned on our praise.

With the sound of the trumpet He summons the nations, Calling a priesthood to go in His Name; To show forth His Power to this generation, To worship, before Him, a Kingdom of Praise.

Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. Psalm 95:6

CREDITS: Norm Farnum — Banjo, Lead & Harmony Vocals Tricia Farnum — Piano, Lead & Harmony Vocals Obie Jones — Bass & Guitar on Cross Your Heart / Dig Another Well Michael Peebles — Harmony Vocal on Let All Things Now Living Final Mix & Mastering — Obie Jones / In-House Productions, Hollister, Missouri Cover Design & Layout — Norm & Trish Farnum / Photography — Caleb Wheat Printing — Quick Print, Springfield, Missouri