The Great Lobster Boil

Lem Snow (1903 - 1986) was born in Campbellton, Notre Dame Bay, later settling in Deer Lake where he worked for Bowaters Co. as caretaker of the powerhouse there. This job afforded him considerable idle time, which he spent developing his talent for composing clever rhymes and verses. Accompanying himself on the tenor banjo, he also performed original songs such as The Great Lobster Boil and Sailing Along the French Shore.

A festival like ours contributes to the general preservation and encouragement of traditional folk music by bringing performers from areas where culture survives and is regarded as part of the everyday lives of people, to audiences in places like Vancouver where these traditions have long since died out if they existed at all. Lem Snow is one of these traditional performers. He's from Newfoundland and is well into his eighties. Thus he grew up in a period, not only before television existed but before radio as well, when the central form of entertainment was music and stories made and brought to people by small groups of friends, family and neighbours. Lem's repertoire contains many songs and recitations which he himself has authored as well as material which he has picked up over the years. In addition to telling stories and singing songs Lem plays a mean banjo.