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a note from John about our adventures...We busy ourselves preparing
for the holidays, and I know you are doing the same. It's incredible
isn't it? But we wouldn't change a thing. We are healthy and well,
Trish just received news, "4 year - still all clear"
from her cancer & treatments, and I, well let's just say that
my body is a finely tuned cholesterol producing machine so I "better
watch out, better not pout" better get regular exercise and
resist some holiday treats. Perhaps 'tis the season to sing instead
of snack.
Highlights of this fall and early
winter:
Proudly announcing the arrival
of a new CD. It's called "Fly
Around"! We have built a web page
with all the information, pictures, and sounds. This is a unique
CD in that there's extra computer interactive stuff. An mpeg video
of Trish clogging! There are mp3 files of poetry recitations,
lyrics, pictures, biographies, humor, and more.
At the end of September, we toured in upstate New York with the Susquehanna
String Band. We played schools in Malone, Canton, and Keesville.
We also had a wonderful day of music and outdoor activities at
the SUNY Canton Farm, including singing for the birthday of Harley
the 800 lb. pig. Also this month, we helped A
Gentle Wind (Donald
and Jill Person) put together a recording
of 12 Songs from America's History for Scholastic, Inc. (publishers
of those Harry Potter books).
October
began with the Mountain Music and Dance weekend at Great Camp
Sagamore. We were joined by Dan
Berggren, the
Newton Street Irregulars, (which includes Dan and Carmen &
Dick Gilman, and Steve Warner), Dan Duggan
and as a bonus Peggy Eyres and extraordinary fiddlers Cedar
Stanistreet and Sara Milonovich. The
tunes and songs were flyin'. There were many young people there
and their presence added alot of great energy. The next week found
us in our home town school, Greenfield Elementary. Students learned
songs and dances which they performed at the Harvest Festival
on Saturday the 14th. The night of the 14th we scooted on down
to Walden, NY, where Mom (Claire Kirk Lennon) was given an Honors
night by the Walden Star Chapter (Order of the Eastern Star).
After her 50 years in Star she has earned her share of honors.
Trish, my sister, Barbara Kirk, and I sang and Trish clog danced. What a night!!
We sang Mom a version of Hank Snow's "I've Been Everywhere"
with her local haunts substituted in the appropriate places. I
once again joined the Susquehanna String Band (Rick
Bunting, Dan Duggan and myself) for
the last weekend of the month in a residence at Alfred University
in Alfred, NY. A concert on campus and workshops and a concert
at the Alfred-Almond Central School. The concert at the elementary
school featured students from general music classes. Halloween
found Trish and I at Eden-Angola School in Eden, NY. This is an
annual stop for us mainly because we wouldn't miss the Halloween
Parade at the end of the school day for anything!
November
started with a Big Bang! The Vanaver
Caravan celebrated their 25th year anniversary.
Congratulations to Livia and Bill and all the members of the Caravan
(which Trish and I consider ourselves numbered with). They have
touched many lives throughout the world in so many positive ways.
The gala concert was given at the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie,
NY. A grand house for an especially grand event. Featured was
the show "Pastures of Plenty - Woody Guthrie in Dance and
Music" an original production conceived by Livia
and Bill and Woody's daughter Nora.
Musicians included Pete Seeger, Amy
Fradon, John Herald, Mark Murphy, Kevin Maul, Peter Eckland, Joyce
Anderson, Bill & Livia Vanaver, and Frank Matheis. Among the dancers; Livia
Vanaver, Amy Sarli, Amber Wirthman, Saria Young, Adrienne Barr,
David Packenham, Rachel Prince, Chris Murphy, Elijah Vanaver,
Anna Mazo, Bebhinn Murphy, Darrah Carr, Skye Humphries, Ramona
Staffield, Herman Sebek. I mention
them all by name because I'm so proud to know them all! A swing
dance gala followed the concert with Peter
Davis & Lindy Hop Heaven. They
are one great swing band. For the last number dancers and musicians
from Caravan past were invited up for the last freestyle and an
incredible version of "This Land is Your Land". Joining
the band were Michael Sansonia and
Andy Tierstein, joining the dancers
were Trish, Rachel List, Gina-Russell
King, Toni Smith, and Brenda Buffalino.
It doesn't end there, as a result,
of all this I've been invited to record on a new CD of John Herald's. It's
being produced by Amy Fradon and includes bass player Mark
Murphy and John Sebatian.
We were in residence for 4 days at
the Washington Montessori School in Washington, CT. Matilda Giampietro
invited us following a recommendation by Peter
and Mary Amidon, to present songs
and dances from the southern United States. Those kids did a wonderful
job performing play-parties, dances and historical songs! What
a nice school with a helpful and enthusiastic faculty.
Thanksgiving was spent (YUM, excuse me ...*burp*, sorry about
that) at Mom's house with the family and the wonderful "Aunt"
Jeannie Martin. At our house, with us in absentia, the Newton
Street Irregulars held forth with turkey and trimmings in advance
of their sold-out Caffe
Lena show with us and special guests
Greg Clarke and Jenny Berggren. The next morning, himself cooked buckwheat
pancakes for all and later that day Trish and I took Dan, Nancy
and Jenny Berggren over to the Ndakinna
Wilderness Project on Middle Grove Road
in Greenfield Center, NY. Joe
Bruchac (Native American author, poet,
and storyteller) took us for a hike over the 80 acres and our
walk ended in the longhouse where Joe started a small fire and
we visited and shared stories.
December:
Among the events coming up for us there's the Victorian Streetwalk
in Saratoga Springs (11/30) , concerts in Stamford (12/1), Danby
(12/2) and Ithaca, NY (12/3). Our annual Holiday Show at Caffe Lena
(12/15) with Addie & Olin Boyle, Linda Schrade
and David Kiphuth promises hilarity
and some pretty songs. The Mountain Snow and Mistletoe show rolls
into the Troy
Savings Bank Music Hall (12/16 and 17)
with Chris Shaw
and Bridget Ball, Brian
Melick, me and this year's special guest,
Camille West . This is always an amazing event. Another annual
concert for us, and one that is near and dear to our hearts, is
the Nine Lessons and Nine Carols service at Christ Episcopal Church
in Ballston Spa, NY (12/18, Monday evening 7pm). We were introduced
to this service of traditional carols and scripture lessons and
prayer by our friend Field Horne, this will be the 7th annual service. The guest
musicians this year will be Linda
Schrade and Sara Milonovich. Our
year will wrap up on Last Night, or I should say, First Night,
in Saratoga Springs, NY. We'll be holding forth at the Salvation
Army building and will be joined by Cedar
Stanistreet.
May your holidays be merry and peace filled ... Be careful out
there.
Sincerely, John & Trish
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