What a fall this has been! I see that my last Musical Musings post was at the end of August. And many things have ended and many things have begun since then.
I have enjoyed playing in the band Gaelic Muses for the past year and a half, and at the end of September, one of our members decided to go a different direction than the band was headed, so we sadly came to an end as a three-piece band. But! That means the beginning of an exciting new duo! We have renamed, rebranded, and revised our set list to include more vocal numbers and even more variety in sounds and textures than before! I got busy building the new website which you can check out here: https://celticmoonduo.com/
Here’s a fancy new QR code:
We’re still in the process of creating
the site but all the links are live and ready to browse. In fact, I’d love to
hear any comments you might have – even if just to report broken links, missing
photos, etc.
I’m now bringing my harp and guitar in addition to the fiddle, nyckelharpa, mandolin, tenor banjo, and concertina, so Lynda and I get to do some harp duo pieces as well as double guitar tunes! Here’s a photo from a recent rehearsal:
I had composed a song that became the title track of my CD “Rendezvous with the Moon” and decided that had to be a tune we do. I added harmony that I will sing, and Lynda is playing a lovely strings/piano sound along with my harp. I thought of this song in particular because of the reference to the moon, and a special mention of wolves (notice our little logo on the website). The bridge ends with “The end is the beginning is the end is the beginning is the end…” Here’s the recording from my CD – come to our next performance to hear the two part harmony and rich textures! Click the link or use the QR code below.
https://tinyurl.com/RendezvouswithMoon
Another end has been my weekly walks with my sister, Linnette on Fridays. Not just my fractured tibial plateau to blame, but a wonderful new beginning for my Fridays. Actually a return to a regular gig from the pre-pandemic era – I’m back playing bedside music on my double-strung harp at Stanford Hospital for patients, family, and staff! And it’s not really an end to my walks with Linnette, just a reshuffling of scheduling…
We take a selfie on most of our walks – here’s a recent one:
Last but not least is the end of crowded rooms and lack of storage as we add a sunroom to our little home. We’re excited to have the extra space, and are having a great time shopping Craig’s list for a few furniture items, choosing window shades, and flooring, and watching it take shape! So far, we have a concrete slab floor, walls, ceiling, windows, and sliding doors. Electrical is getting hooked up this week, and flooring and window shades in a couple more weeks. I’m looking forward to moving my sewing machine, book packaging materials, and kitchen table out there! Jon’s looking forward to having a new space to chill and also to work out.
May our endings always lead to new beginnings!
Verlene
