Last evening and Sunday evening

Tuesday evening, we went to one of Mary Cay's summer sings, this one led by Andy Davis. He had chosen six British "pub songs" for us to learn. It was quite fun, and he taught us some things about the phenomenon of "pub singing" and making up harmonies, along the way. After the sing we stopped by John & Cynthia's - they live just down the road from the West-West Church. We sat on their screened porch, and it was very comfortable. They had made some of their yummy, gluten-free, chocolate chip coookies. I had one - I don't usually eat that late - and it was goood! There was a lot to talk about, but a high-point of the evening was when they brought out a portatif organ they had borrowed from their friend, Wendy Redlinger. It has wooden pipes, and is quite lovely to look at, and even more fun to play. You rest it on your leg, operate the bellows with the left hand and play the keyboard with the right hand. I could see spending a lot of time with it. We heard some people playing a similar instrument on YouTube. It sounds great - John thinks the ones with metal pipes actually sound more organ-like than the ones with wooden pipes.

John holding the Portatif organ.

A contemporary, German-made portatif organ with metal pipes.******************************* Sunday evening, there was a concert of Quebecois Music given outside at Main Streets Arts, Saxton's River, by Trois Amis, which is in fact Mary Cay Brass (piano and accordian), Andy Davis (piano and accordian) and Laurie Indenbaum (fiddle). We went with Eliza and Cliff Bergh. John and Cynthia were planning to join us, but John didn't feel up for it. It was a fun concert of happy music - lots of jigs and reels. It was all dance music, and some folks got up and danced. Mary Cay and Andy sort of played "musical chairs" switching back and forth between piano and accordian. The weather was perfect. A very nice evening! We are enjoying a lot of music this summer.

Trois Amis, in one configuration. . . .

. . . . and in another.

Part of the audience . . . . Tom Goldschmid and Kathy Leo in foreground.