Where, Oh Where has my Summer Gone????

The weather is spectacular, the colors are peaking early with all the drama of a Verdi Opera, I know I had summer, but is it already gone??  Unfair!  August did contain a wonderful week back up at Summerkeys in Lubec,Maine, where I think I had the best time yet.  The class of harpers were great fun, and a variety of abilities, and Sue Richards was her usual, incredible, warm and encouraging, inspiring taskmaster!  I love the tone she gets from her harps- great touch- light, yet confident, and that is what I am aiming for!  For myself, I was soaking up some more Scandanavian tunes.  Always have a surprise- little odd sounds or turns you don't expect.  Very haunting, often, as well.

The concert Sue gave with her band mate Carolyn Surrick (on the viola da gamba )was amazing, again.  They played a version of Bonnie at Morn that just ripped my heart out!  So, I am learning that, too.  Can't believe I never heard it before...and the words, when I tracked them down, aren't particularly special, but that tune....  And I found out I have been playing The Cliffs of Moher as this lovely, and dramatic slow air- only to play it for Sue and find her looking at me like I had sprouted an extra nose on my face!  It is a JIG- fancy that!!  So, I am now trying to speed that baby up and give it a bit of a kick!  Well, I had never actually heard that played either, so how was I to know?  Hey, if it sounds good, and I like it, why not?!  Of course, I realize I could be in big trouble if I tried to pull that off with a more knowledgeable audience!  But, I do think the beauty of folk music is it's ability to morph and change, depending on whose hands are on it at the moment.  Right? 

Actually got the husband away to the island of Nantucket for a few days in the middle of this month.  First time in 6 years!  He was overdue for a vacation.  I had nicely sprained my ankle the Tuesday before we left, so I was hobbling a bit, but biking was fine.  The weather was perfect, out there, and we extended our summer a bit.  My dream is to be a good enough musician to rent a place out there for months and play enough gigs to pay for the rental!  Dream on!!  Then you all could come visit and we could do duets and trios and so on!  Sound like fun???

Celtic Evensong is starting up at church in a week, and I need to get a gig list put together for that.  May have a new flute player to help me out, so will be aiming for sweet and simple...pretty much my usual fare!  Andee- you are in my thoughts and prayers as you start a new Irish adventure and mend a broken heart.  Pamela- you are also in my thoughts and prayers for healing energy as you face surgery and perhaps rehab.  You I hope to see soon!!

Have a lovely end of September, ladies!