Through my contacts with folks in the Arts and my kids from their High School music commitments, I have come to know a number of local musicians in fields outside of Traditional Music. Their gigs and events help to dampen down my wife’s complaints that she is a “session widow”. In March I was asked if I would be willing to play the part of the Narrator in the Steitz City Players production of Sondheim’s “Into The Woods”. Turns out they want the accent and the diction, imagine my surprise when I realized that I have to sing a couple of songs as well. I DON’T READ MUSIC! Never too late to learn I guess, so here we go “Into The Woods”.
St. Patrick’s Day and thereabouts
In March bars and restaurants have made their annual discovery of Irish Music.
(We will enjoy the bump in our revenues for the next week or so and then start practicing for next year.)
I will be playing a few gigs and sessions in the area over the next two weeks and if you are in the mood for it I’d love to see you at one of these events.
To uphold the traditions given to me by my mother Kathleen Scullion Carmichael I will be singing a lot of songs and baking a lot of bread over the coming week.
You can have a taste of my scones, songs, soup and soda bread at the Lebanon Art Center’s Celtic Soup Supper on Saturday March 11th at the Lebanon Art Center 770 Cumberland Street. A donation of $15 or more gets you soup, soda bread and a cup of tea or coffee with a scone.
Saturday 17th I will be at the Snitz Creek Brewery in Lebanon,With Eric and Naomi Zimmerman from 1:00 PM until 3:00 PM for our St. Patrick’s Day gig, part 1, and then off to Phoenixville to play for the crowds of revelers at their St. Patrick’s day bash.
Long Songs and Tall Tales
The ballad offers an opportunity to combine the art of storytelling with the singer’s art. The songs I’ve chosen range from a very old Scots song (Child#99) “Johnny Scott”, given an Irish twist, through a 19th century political ballad, “The Croppy Boy” detailing the betrayal of a young Irish rebel and finishing off with a recent cautionary tale for all insensitive percussionists “The Spoons Murder”.
These three songs and accompanying introductions should last 20 minutes and are part of the entertainment for the Coffeehouse Concert in the Barn at Fort Hunter Park on November 5th 2016.
All That and a Bag of Chips: July 29th 7-9:00 PM
This gig is an augmented solo gig with about 20 Comic Songs in the set list.
My session buddies have been invited to add instrumental set between the songs and so far I have the Harp and Fiddle duo Charles and Diane Kadyk, who will play Jigs, Reels, Hornpipes and Slow Airs between the Comic Songs