The Minstrel, Craig of Farrington

 

  was created by Craig Merlin Broers in July, 1984 for the Minnesota Renaissance Festival (Shakopee MN) ... a wandering minstrel, specializing in love songs and bawdy songs, who (then) accompanied himself on the guitar.  MRF's entertainment director referred to the act as "guerilla street theatre."  MRF was Craig of Farrington's home for the seven seasons from 1984-90.  ["Farrington," by the way, was the name of the St. Paul MN street where the Broers family then resided.]

 

  purchased his first lute (an eight-course, fifteen-string Renaissance lute made by Japanese luthier, Kadono) in 1985 from Donna Curry's Music (Santa Fe NM).  Another instrument (same size, same luthier, same vendor) was purchased five years subsequently.

 

  released his first recording (on cassette/now out of print) Craig of Farrington - Early Music Entertainments in 1987, engineered by Alan Gray/Grayhouse Studio/Minneapolis MN.

 

  was hired by the Bristol Renaissance Festival (Kenosha WI) in its premier season; he now considers it his "home faire."  The Minstrel Craig of Farrington has become a well-known performer at this fine summer event, having strolled its streets through all of its existence ... and he is proud to boast of a protege:  Daniel Marcotte (Daniel Dowland - E-MAIL / WEB) who, following in Craig's footsteps, has become a fine lutenist and has become another effective street presence in the Bristol lanes.

 

  released his second recording Craig at Christmas - Faith and Mirth in late 1988, engineered by Rick E. Gilmore/Makin' Tracks Studio/St. Paul MN.

  released his third recording (on cassette/now out of print) The Bawdy Beautiful - Songs of Earth in early 1989, also engineered by Alan Gray/Grayhouse Studio/Minneapolis MN.

 

  was much sought after as a "Christmas Minstrel" throughout Minnesota's Twin Cities from 1985-91, where he could be found wandering about, performing and taking requests for holiday songs at all the finest specialty malls in the metropolitan area.

 

 

  expanded to his third Renaissance-themed venue, the now-defunct Virginia Renaissance Faire, (Fredericksburg VA) in 1996, and he performed there for all four years of its existence.  Upon his son's graduation from high school, he had the freedom to follow his performing career and to take to the road.

 

  released his fourth recording (on cassette) Craig's New Tape - Songs of Love in 1995, engineered by Karl Mulac/Renaissance Recordings/Barrington IL.

 

  joined forces with his friends The Minstrels of Mayhem (Jerry Barry and Ty Billings) in 1997, and toured with them for four seasons, during which time they introduced him to the Florida Keys Renaissance Faire (Marathon Key FL), Bobby Rodriguez's Florida Renaissance Festivals ("FlaRF South" near Fort Lauderdale FL and "FlaRF North" near Live Oak FL), the Ringling Museum Medieval Faire (Sarasota FL), the Bay Area Renaissance Festival (Largo FL), the Ohio Renaissance Festival (Harveysburg, OH), the Italian Renaissance Festival at Vizcaya (Miami FL), the Tennessee Renaissance Festival (Murphreesboro TN), and the Northern California Pleasure Faire (Vacaville CA).  While a part of the popular trio, Craig was instrumental in helping produce their hit CD:  The Minstrels of Mayhem NOW, engineered in 1998 by Bill Sellers/Encore Studios/Dayton OH.

 

  released his fifth recording (his first solo CD) Blue Upon Blue Upon Blue in 1999, engineered by Bill Sellers/Encore Studios/Dayton OH.

 

  returned to his solo career in late 2000.  He became the street minstrel for the premier season of the Louisiana Renaissance Festival (Hammond LA), and soon added the Georgia Renaissance Festival (Fairburn GA) and the Ohio Renaissance Festival (Harveysburg OH) to his schedule.

 

  released a pair of retrospective CDs:  Naughty Craig of Farrington and Nice Craig of Farrington (between them they include all the tracks from his three early non-Christmas recordings) in May, 2001.

 

  released, in February 2002, his sixth solo recording (his fourth CD): A Rhyme for Orange (and other slices of silliness) a collection of his very funniest songs.  "Craig Encounters Comedy." This CD is also available through CD BABY

 

  released for distribution, in May 2005, THE CRAIG OF FARRINGTON SONGBOOK -Vol. 1- a fully illustrated collection of eleven original compositions (seven complete songs and four original new lyrics, set to extant music) selected from his first four CDs.

 

  released in July, 2005, his seventh solo recording (his fifth CD): Easy Being LOVING, Easy Being LICENTIOUS - a two-disc collection of current favorites - fulfilling requests of many fans. One disc is dedicated to The Minstrel's beautiful side; the other to his bawdy side. This CD is also available at CD BABY.

 

  released, in January 2007, his sixth and seventh CDs - a 2-volume collection of his favorite recordings: THE VERY BEST OF CRAIG OF FARRINGTON, Vols. 1 & 2. (SWEET, SPICY) a retrospective piece, formulated to celebrate his twentieth year with Bristol Renaissance Faire. Volume 1 - 20 Years of Sweet Delights contains lovely music (including three never-before-released cuts) while Volume 2 - 20 Years of Spicy Delights is filled with more salty and frolicking offerings. They can be ordered individually from this site, or as a set from CD BABY.

 

  joined, in June 2008, with Jerry Barry, J. Bradley Collier, and Jimi Torrey (three other alumni of The Minstrels of Mayhem) to form THE NEW MINSTREL REVUE. Their new album, Far and Away, released in February, 2008, is now available at www.newminstrelrevue.com.

 

  re-released, in April, 2008, his Christmas cassette (Craig at Christmas-Faith and Mirth) as his 8th CD. It was engineered by Rick E. Gilmore/Makin' Tracks Studio/St. Paul MN in 1988.