And more wonderful music!

Music plays a big role in our lives. Since my last post, which was last Sunday, after Andy Davis' concert, we have been involved in at least seven musical events (and I may be forgetting something). (1) Monday we were part of a group of about eight singers from the Guilford Church who went to the home of Tom and Nancy Ragle and sang hymns for them - for about a half an hour. Nancy is recuperating from surgery, and Tom is in his 90's, so they don't get out a lot, and they really enjoyed our coming there to sing. Tom was sporting a new beard, and looked very handsome (no photo, sadly). (2) Tuesday we had a River Singers rehearsal in the evening. (3) Wednesday we watched a video of an Irish musical extravaganza called Celtic Sojourns which is produced in the Boston area. We paid to see that, but it was worth it. Great show! You can probably find a clip of that on YouTube. (4) Saturday morning I led a rehearsal of Palm Sunday and Easter music by the Dummerston Choir. There were seven of us - not bad. I spent a lot of time on Thursday and Friday preparing the music for that. (5) Saturday evening, John and Cynthia gave me a birthday present of a trip to Barre, VT (up near Montpelier - about a two-hour drive from home) for dinner and a fantastic concert at the Barre Opera House of a Quebecois Band called Le Vent du Nord. Wow, it was one smoking concert - i.e., very high energy, people coming up to the orchesta pit and dancing spontaneously, etc. We literally had front row seats, so we were practically in the show ourselves! It was wonderful music, five men, quite the musicians and quite the showmen - considered one of the best, perhaps the best Band of its kind. Check them out on YouTube. We went to a Chinese restaurant in Barre for dinner before the show - it was good, not Panda, but good, and we also drove up in our car together so we had a good visit too. A wonderful evening! (6) This morning was Palm Sunday at Dummerston Church and I led the choir. They sang well! You can see and hear the service on Facebook - go into Facebook and then search Dummerston Congregational Church. I think anyone can view it. (7) This afternoon we had an extra River SIngers rehearsal from 4:30-6:00p.m. That is a lot of music and it was all fun. That keeps me young and alive, I'm sure. Here are some pictures:

A scene from the Celtic Sojourns concert on Zoom.

Interior of the Barre Opera House hall.

Le Vent du Nord.

At the Chinese Restaurant.

The full stage at Barre Opera House

Two Members of Le Vent du Nord, one playing the hurdy-gurdy.

Le Vent du Nord - singing a cappella. (Heads of dancers in foreground).

Dancers in the orchestra Pit.

Another view of Le Vent du Nord

Two scenes from church this morning in Dummerston - from Facebook. One shows me directing the choir, the other includes Shawn Bracebridge, our pastor, in the pulpit.