Nan Miller
Dame Nankins, formerly of the Abbey of Columba


Nan Miller is the current and founding musical director of The Court Revelers. A Soprano for TCR she has also sung Alto and Tenor for various singing groups. (Yes, she’s trisectional) In 2003 Nan along with two other alumni of The Revelers, who entertained at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival and elsewhere for many years, founded TCR and many former Revelers joined the new group. Previous to TCR, Nan sang with The Revelers for three years, two of which serving as the musical director of the group. Nan began working at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival in 1989 at “King of the Log,” a game that has been the springboard for many performers at the festival. (2008 marks her 20th year at MRF). Nan has sung with several community singing groups, church choirs, and small ensembles in her many years of performing since leaving the University of Minnesota Chorus (The Geneva Eschweiler Singers, The Hot Dishes and others).

She has also acted, sung and choreographed in community theatre groups over the years, and co-directed the Children’s Musical at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in south Minneapolis for over ten years. Her film credit is Midnight Chronicles (release date: 2007).

Nan loves singing and working, both on and off stage, with the ensemble that is The Court Revelers. As musical director she guides repertoire choice, musical quality and performance excellence. She has authored the liner notes for both of the CD recordings available by The Court Revelers.

She especially loves talking to MRF guests who are old and new fans of The Court Revelers and says “They add delight to our days.” and playing with the talented cast of MRF. She says The Court Revelers are a special group: handpicked for a sound quality, a spirit of cooperative work, and a healthy dash of zany….“We make fun, family and music simultaneously!”

Karen Huse
Jane Fairfax

Karen is excited to have her inaugural year as a Court Reveler! She is a 8 year veteran of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival and has also performed at the Long Beach Renaissance Festival in Long Beach, California and back in her college years at the Revelle College Renaissance Festival at the University of California at San Diego. She has spent most of her time at the Minnesota festival as chief hawker for King of the Log, but has also performed on various stages as lead singer for the trio "Lord Nose and the Boogies".

Karen is a lyric soprano, training in classic and operatic styles. She had her introductory solo recital in 2002 at the Twin Cities Vocal Arts Studio while studying under Angela May, and performed in multiple Vocal Arts Players productions. She also plays the piano and trumpet.

Karen works at Wells Fargo Mortgage in Institutional Risk Management and lives in St Louis Park with her husband, David, and daughter, Rose.

Stacy Cole
Anastasia Forsythia Gruenwald

An alto at heart, Stacy moonlights with the Court Revelers as a first soprano. 

In her other life, she's a business technology analyst with US Bancorp Investments. In her free time (insert laughter here), Stacy enjoys camping, fishing, and spending time with her hubby and two giant dogs.  he also strives to tear down walls, both literally and figuratively, but mostly literally...

Stacy is a person of few words and prefers to keep it that way.

Emily Dyess
Winifred Everdean

Emily is incredibly excited to be singing with the Court Revelers this year! While never having worked at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival before, she has been coming to Festival every year since she was five years old. She is very pleased to be able to sing at festival this year with such a talented group of vocalists.

Emily is trained as a soprano by Dr. Tana Field and went to school at Luther College in Decorah, IA. Emily gave a soprano/baritone recital during her junior year at Luther and has sung in three of the seven choirs at Luther College, in which she sang both soprano and alto: Pike Kor (Aurora), Cathedral Choir, and Collegiate Chorale. Emily has her Bachelor’s degree in music with minors in education and German. Since leaving Luther College, Emily has sung with her church choir, of which she is an assistant director, the South Metro Chorale, under the directorship of Loren Squires and Tim Malone.

Emily has been in many plays and musicals: HAIR, Show Boat, The Sound of Music, We Are (an original piece created at Luther College), Kabuki Lady Macbeth, and The Importance of Being Earnest, just to name a few.

Emily is currently substitute teaching for the Shakopee, Eden Prairie, and Prior Lake/ Savage area school districts as she seeks to secure a more permanent music teaching position in the Twin Cities Metro area.