Spinning yarns and captivating crowds

Cellphones were silenced and there was not a March Madness basketball game in sight as a hushed crowd settled in at the Burke Arts Council for the debut of the Table Rock Storytelling Festival on Saturday, March 22.

Morganton’s Michael Reno Harrell’s performance reminded attendees of the enduring power of the human voice, proving the ancient art of storytelling remains relevant, even in the current age of digital distractions.

Harrell held the audience spellbound as he wove tales of childhood adventures and misadventures, interspersing the stories with his own songs.

The writer, poet, musician, singer/songwriter, and master storyteller has collaborated with Deborah Jones to establish a new tradition for Burke County. The quarterly Table Rock Storytelling Festival will continue in June when well-known tale-spinner Connie Regan-Blake will be the featured performer.

September’s installment will see Josh Goforth take the stage at the Burke Arts Center, and December’s festival installment promises to offer a special evening to local fans as storyteller Tim Lowery brings his unique rendition of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” to the center.

“Storytelling is an art form,” Harrell said. “All you need is a voice. You don’t have to play the harmonica; you don’t have to have a group of people to do it. It’s just a performer.”

The next session of the Table Rock Storytelling Festival will take place at the Burke Arts Council on June 24. Information and tickets will be available on the arts council’s website at burkearts.org.