Music rings on..............

Well, today finished our
WONDERFUL two days with Madeline MacNeil. Awesome concert & thought provoking workshops.

Such a sweet, sweet and gracious lady!!!!

Her angelic voice flowed through the rafters of the sanctuary. Yet when she sang "Summertime" from Gershwin's 'Porgy & Bess', she gave me goose-bumps!!!

Then she instructed the audience to join her with a Jean Ritchie song. Again, her vocal magic worked it's charms!!! I was in the back of the sanctuary by the sound-booth and the humming of the audience gave the song an ethereal feel...WOW!!!!

All who attended the concert was presented with a royal treat!!!

THANK YOU MADDIE!!!!!!!!!

This morning, Thursday, we all arrived at the church for the workshops. Maddie beat me to the church. For those who know me...that wasn't a huge surprise. :- o

We went about set up the room, moving four large tables and chairs, so the hammered dulcimers would have sufficient room. Their first workshop began while Elaine and I set about making coffee and put out the "nutritional food"-- Hiss's Donuts!!! (Yum!)

I missed the first hammered workshop, as I'd planned to take pictures....but the batteries died. grrrrrrrrrrr But I was ready with new batteries following a short 10 minute break.

Rejuvenated by the nutritious food Maddie began her second Hammered workshop.

During both of these workshops Elaine, John and myself chattered away in the kitchen. We were having such a good time chatting we forgot where we were and were hushed by the workshop attendees....not once but TWICE!!!! .....we bad! ;- )

These hammer workshops were such fun!!!! As I got a chance to see so old friends.

With the workshop completed it was time to grab a lunch. We went to David B's an interesting little restaurant in Barberton, OH. Lunch was good but we enjoyed the conversation even more!!!

Maddie told us a story of a friend of hers that kept talking about a Bob. Bob like this, Bob didn't like that, etc. At first her friend confused Maddie....this friend spoke as if Bob was a horse. Then she made reference to Bob going to dinner and to the theater. By now Maddie was sorely confused. Once established that Bob was a guy and NOT a horse this friend say...Maddie I'd like to join us at my place today....the friend wanted Maddie & Bob to jam at her place. Not feeling comfortable about this jamming idea Maddie's friend continued to pressure Maddie to join them. Maddie decided that she better get a little more information about this Bob fellow before she'd consent to set in on a jam. Her friend said I'm sure you'd know Bob. After listing several jobs in Europe and here in the states as well as the and FILMS he'd made, Maddie's friend finally got around to tell her that Bob was in fact Robert Duval. Maddie was flabbergasted to say the least!!! That afternoon she and Bob (Robert) jammed at her friends place. After all these years of being in the public eye I never once even considered that Robert Duval played guitar!!! True story!

Well after lunch we hightailed it back to the church for the next two workshops, which were for mountain dulcimer.

Again another friend who moved to Oberlin a couple months ago, for work. It was GREAT to see Jim! He made a very special trip from Oberlin just the the "Hymn's with Harmonies" workshop.

The normal protocol for this type of music event is to offer workshops followed by the concert. Well do to time constrains we flipped the norm. But flipping the events schedule I was able--for the first time!!!

To actually sit in on the workshops!!!!! YA!!!! What a treat!

We rolled through the two workshops as if they were only 30 minutes long. When in reality they lasted 3 HOURS!!!

Maddie put a wrap on her last workshop. We all chattered briefly until I reminded all that I wanted to get a shot of everyone. With some issues with my camera I managed to get a couple really nice shots!!!! I simply wished the camera had moved!!!! But here's the resulting shot.

WHAT A GOOD TIME WE ALL HAD THURSDAY!!!