David Coffin is a firm believer in not doing anything full-time. While he’s been on the Revels stage since 1980 and performed as Master of Ceremonies since 1990, he also presents two very interactive School Enrichment Programs with Revels: The History of the Recorder and A Maritime Voyage in Song. March through November, David can also be found on the Boston Harbor, narrating harbor history and running the crew onboard the high-speed stunt boat, Codzilla. Working with kids is a passion for David, so taking over 10,000 inner-city kids out to the Harbor Islands every summer since 2000 through Save the Harbor/Save the Bay has been a nice way to round out his year.

During the pandemic, David created over 600 videos on TikTok trying to teach young people what a real sea chantey is (i.e. NOT WELLERMAN!) A byproduct of these videos is the digital album The Sound of Time, a series of “one take” songs requested by followers on the app. David has produced a series of virtual concerts, one of which became a digital album; A Revels Hymn Sing. David has several other solo CDs to his credit and was also featured in the Amazon Prime movie Blow the Man Down as the Singing Fisherman.

In his years with Revels, including 10 years standing behind Jack Langstaff and 33 years spent trying to fill his enormous shoes, David learned an awful lot about performing from Jack. He also owes a huge debt of gratitude to Paddy Swanson for giving him his various onstage roles and for preserving and honoring “the part that Jack built.”

Elijah Botkin graduated from Northeastern University in 2015 with bachelor’s degrees in Music History & Analysis and Mathematics. During his time at Northeastern, Elijah founded and directed the Northeastern Madrigal Singers; was President, Bass Section Leader, and Assistant Director for the NU Choral Society; and sang with and arranged for the award-winning a cappella group Distilled Harmony. In 2015, Elijah won the award for Outstanding Arrangement for his arrangement of Distilled Harmony’s quarterfinal-winning set in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella. In the same year, his arrangement of “Nothing Feels Like You” by Little Mix also won a CARA (Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award) for Best Mixed Collegiate Song. In 2014, Elijah was granted the Gideon Klein Award in order to write his composition The Closed Town, which was premiered by the Northeastern University Chamber Choir in April 2015. Currently, Elijah continues to direct the NU Madrigals and serves on the Board of Trustees for Chorus pro Musica. He also sings with the Boston-based chamber choir Carduus and serves as their Treasurer and Business Manager.

Great Meadows Morris and Sword is a group of high school-age students from the Greater Boston area who perform traditional English morris and rapper sword dances. Since 1999, Great Meadows Morris and Sword has danced at festivals and special events throughout Massachusetts and New England, including NEFFA and the annualLilac Sunday event in Boston’s Arnold Arboretum. Great Meadows also has performed on the international stage, including the Dance England Rapper Tournament and the 2004 World Sword Spectacular in Whitby, England.

Sammy Wetstein (Fiddle) found his love for music traveling between multigenerational folk music workshops and festivals in search of a musical community to call home. His journey led him to pursue a degree in folk and jazz string performance at Berklee College of Music where he became versed in a variety of styles, performing, recording, and teaching throughout the worlds of classical, jazz, and traditional Celtic, New England, Bluegrass and Old time fiddle music.

As a multi-instrumentalist fluent in playing accordion, guitar, mandolin, bass, violin, and viola, he has appeared at venues such as the Newport Folk Festival, Grey Fox Bluegrass festival, and the Smithsonian.  He has served as faculty at camps and workshops such as Maine Fiddle Camp, The Swannanoa Gathering, The Ashokan Center, Fiddle Hell, Pinewoods, and the IBMA Kids on Bluegrass Program, and co-directs a number of weekend folk cello retreats throughout the year.

Sammy has appeared alongside artists such as the Grammy-winning 8 Bit Big Band, jazz icons Joe Lovano and Kenny Barron, renowned string players including Eugene Friesen, Darol Anger, Mike Marshall, and Jason Anick, and toured with trailblazing folk artists Jake Bount and Nic Gareiss. Advocating for furthering the role of the cello in traditional music, he has been featured on Bluegrass Today and Sirius XM Bluegrass Junction. In 202,4 his new acoustic quartet Catfish in the Sky was a winner of the Freshgrass band competition, and his Celtic trio was voted one of the top 5 Celtic bands of 2022 by Irish and Celtic music podcast

Inspired by bonds of community forged through music, Sammy plays music in hopes to bring others together, and in his teaching, he works to encourage string players of all ages and backgrounds to find freedom in their music, explore global music styles, and play music as a means to exist in community while better understanding oneself.

Tom Pixton (Accordion) has been active in a variety of traditional music scenes for more than 30 years and is a dear friend of Revels. He has been a regular Revels performer since 1997, appearing on numerous stage and recording projects as accordionist, arranger, singer, and bandleader. He works regularly with many traditional dance camps and festivals around the US. Learn more about Tom at https://www.pixton.org/.

Jeff Binder is a theatre artist and arts leader whose work spans directing, playwriting, producing, education, and nonprofit administration. He brings a lifelong commitment to storytelling that fosters empathy, joy, and a sense of belonging across generations and communities.

Binder spent nearly three decades performing on Broadway, in regional theatres across the country, and in London’s West End. He later served as Associate Artistic Director of Gulfshore Playhouse in Naples, Florida, where he helped shape artistic programming, expand education initiatives, and support a successful capital campaign culminating in the opening of a new state-of-the-art theatre complex.

As a playwright, Binder’s modern adaptation of Scapino is published by Samuel French and has enjoyed record-breaking productions. He is deeply passionate about building artistic homes that honor tradition while welcoming new voices and is energized by styles and performances that are uniquely theatrical.

Jeff is thrilled to join the Revels family along with his daughter Annika, husband Mike, and dogs Quincy and Penny – with occasional, reluctant participation from his creaky old cat, Torch.

Tom Kruskal, from Sudbury, Massachusetts, fell in love with the Anglo concertina at the age of 13 while attending the Berea Christmas Dance School in 1962. Tom plays Anglo concertina and banjo for Orion Longsword and the Pinewoods Morris Men and is leader and founder of youth teams Velocirapper, Candyrapper, Beside the Point, Great Meadows Morris, and Sword and Hop Brook Morris. A frequent musician at Pinewoods since 1966, Tom’s playing for display dance is strong, driving, rhythmic and attentive to the needs of the dancers and the dance.

Don Veino is one of the organizers for the Monday night contra dance series at the Concord, MA Scout House. This dance specializes in highlighting our local New England talent and also helping new dancers and performers get their start working with experienced performers and dancers.

He currently serve as the Vice President and administer the website for the Concord Scout House, Inc. and help the organization with technology issues consultation and implementation.

Don has also been writing quite a few contra and other types of dances recently. His dances have been called in several venues across North America and overseas.