MANSFIELD, PA— Crow Hill, a five member blue grass 
band from Berks County, PA, will perform with the Mansfield University Festival Chorus in their spring concert on Saturday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 17 at 2:30 p.m. in Steadman Theatre.
Crow Hill will join the Chorus for A High Lonesome Mass, a mass in bluegrass style. The words “high, lonesome” come from Bill Monroe’s famous description of bluegrass music. Composers Sharp and Ramsay combine the sound of southern vocal and instrumental harmony with the traditional form of the mass using early American hymn tunes and bluegrass instruments.
Formed in early 2015, Crow Hill might just be the newest bluegrass band in Berks County, or Pennsylvania, for that matter. However, this band has been around for years as members of other local bands with a combined total of over 100 years of musical experience—not all of it bluegrass. Crow Hill’s musical background includes: classical, country, blues, barbershop, gospel, rock, folk, and celtic. A performance by Crow Hill is apt to include a tune from any of these genres—played in the bluegrass tradition.
Three of the band’s five members played with Blue Mountain Junction (BMJ) until 2013 when that group disbanded. BMJ is best known for its seven-years of performances at the Kutztown Folk Festival. A song, Pennsylvania Dutch Girl, written by member Mark Strauss is still heard on local radio programs.
Crow Hill’s members are Steven Simpson on banjo and mandolin, Mark Strauss, bass and mandolin; Judy Terwilliger, fiddle; Andy Wlasniewski, bass and ukulele, and Matt Wlasniewski on guitar. All five members are vocalists and Crow Hill’s harmonies stand out during their performances, especially in their gospel numbers.
2015 was good to Crow Hill with appearances at Kutztown Folk Festival, Old Dry Road Fall Festival, as the host band, Reading Berks Council of Churches Music Fest, Berks County Summer Concert Series and the Mountain Folk Fest in Allentown.
2016 has been very kind to Crow Hill so far with more playing dates and larger venues. This summer’s appearances will include featured band for the Early Bird Fiddle Festival in Reading, the Berks Country Fest at the Evergreen Club in Fleetwood, an outdoor concert for Music in the Grove, East Earl, stage appearance at the Lyons Fiddle Fest in September and the host band for the Old Dry Road Farm Fall Festival in September.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens and $5 for students and children. They can be purchased online at music.mansfield.edu or by calling (570)662-4710. Tickets will also be available at the door.
The concert is supported in part by student activity fees.