About
about Us
Hudson Valley Sally
“After hearing Hudson Valley Sally do a set I thought, right now the Weavers are looking down and smiling and saying ‘yeah, that’s how it’s done!’ [They]…are carrying on that legacy, and beautifully.”
— Jeff Rantzer, Folk Project musician and emcee
Hudson Valley Sally started up in 2012, singing for an outdoor event in Yonkers, NY. At the time, there were five of us. We were all members of Walkabout Clearwater Chorus, which Pete Seeger had founded in the mid-80s to carry on the work of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater “where the boat can’t go”.
Subsequently, Jenny Murphy had to leave due to other committments, and then in 2020, John Fisher moved to western Mass. during the pandemic. The current trio tries to stay true to the commitment expressed in the phrase ” Activist Music Old, New and Original”.
We love to collaborate with other musicians, such as Bev Grant, Ruben Gonzalez, Mario Cancel-Bigay, Fred Gillen and many others.
Bio
Biographies
David Tarlo
David Tarlo, who hails from Montreal, Quebec, was already leading his camp in the daily hootenanies when he was 12 years old. Since moving to New York in 1972, this folksinger, guitarist, banjo player and song leader has used his powerful baritone voice to inspire people and lead songs at numerous political and environmental rallies and events. David has been a member and song leader of the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus for 25 years, and was the musical director for its two CDs. David performed as a lead singer and chorus member on Pete Seeger’s Grammy-winning album Pete Seeger At 89.
David is a founding member (with Caryl Towner and David Bernz) of Stone Soup. For 10 years Stone Soup performed at concerts and many union and activist events, and produced the highly regarded CD River of Life.
Along with Bruce Springsteen, Dar Williams, Tom Morello, Emmylou Harris, and others, David contributed vocals to the 2012 Pete Seeger-Lorre Wyatt album, A More Perfect Union.
Terry Colliton
Terry Colliton has been singing in school and church choirs since she was a child, including performing at the Kennedy Center in the fifth grade.
She joined the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus in the early 2000, where she met the other members of Hudson Valley Sally. She served as the Music Coordinator for Walkabout from 2010 to 2014.
Terry now also sings with The Stonewall Chorale, the Nation’s first LGBTQ+ choir. An educator and activist, Terry finds joy in any action that might make the world a more welcoming place for everyone.
Laurie Siegel
Raised in a musical family, Laurie made her stage debut at age 3 performing a piano piece in her music teacher/grandfather’s annual student recital.
Laurie and her brother, Peter began singing together as a folk duo in their early teens. Living in Albany during the 90’s, Laurie and Peter, were involved with the Eighth Step Coffee House, hosting a Wednesday open stage night there from 1993 until 1997. In 1992, while working aboard the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the brother and sister team met fellow crew member, Creek Iversen, and the Harmonious Hogchokers was formed. The trio performed regionally throughout the 1990’s.
Over the past decade, Laurie has been involved with a variety of musical projects. True to her Hudson Valley folk and activist roots, Laurie is a devoted member of the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus. Aside from lending her solo and harmony vocals, Laurie plays guitar, bodhran and other rhythm instruments. She was a contributing vocalist on Pete Seeger’s Grammy-winning CD, Pete Seeger at 89.
Along with Bruce Springsteen, Dar Williams, Tom Morello, Emmylou Harris, and others, Laurie contributed vocals to the 2012 Pete Seeger-Lorre Wyatt album, A More Perfect Union.