Then & Now Duo

On Sunday, July 12, 2026, at 2:00pm in the Betty Strong Encounter Center, the “Then & Now” duo comprised of singer-guitarist Barbara Sabella and fiddler-violinist Beth Preheim will bring new life to oldies. Admission is free, but freewill donations are encouraged. They will play many songs by the Gershwins, Rodgers & Hart, Hoagy Carmichael, and more. Many of those tunes were popularized by singers like Etta James, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Louis Armstrong, and Carly Simon. Barbara likes to sing pop, country, old time folk, blues, gospel, and jazz. The words matter, and she smooths out the music to honor the stories that the songs tell. She regularly plays with a string band in Canton, SD, a hub of the South Dakota Friends of Traditional Music crowd. She and cohorts frequently “practice in public” to bring music to folks who might not get out that much. Beth picked up her first violin in 1972 in the Congo. She plays fiddle in various bands across all genres: Celtic, Americana, cow punk, rock, blues, jazz, and old-time and Scandinavian fiddle. She has taught both classical violin and various fiddle styles to more than 100 students. Beth also founded a ukulele club and adds vocals, ukulele and other folk instruments in a performing ukulele group called the Prairie Waves.