Strangelings 12/13/08 Tunbridge VT - Part 2

[mad baggins]

It was chilly and crisp in VT for the Strangelings holiday show, the
day after the full moon. I netted the door prize from the
Strangelings for best Solstice costume. It consisted of my best Eric
Lee imitation, all in leather, complete with a cape. Eric Lee --
often imitated, never duplicated. I missed seeing Eric.

For this show, the Strangelings were the same quintet that played
5/25/07 at the Guthrie Center -- Maura Kennedy, Pete Kennedy,
Christina Thompson Lively, Rebecca Hall, and Ken Anderson.

Maura, Chris, and Rebecca processed up the center aisle from the back
in complete darkness, holding candles and singing "Dona Nobis Pacem"
as a round. It was an eerie evocation of a Ceremony of Lights and
Carols that sent shivers up my spine, with the 3 women sounding just
like a choir of angels singing.

Season of the Witch
Harvest Moon
Tanglewood Tree
Hard Way to Learn
Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming
Wildest Sea
Greensleeves
Nuah
Man of Poor Fortune
Johnny Come Down to Hilo
How Beautiful Are the Feet
Coo Coo

** A-Soalin (full-length version)
Matty Groves
Sculptor's Song
Wayfaring Stranger
** Troika (Prokofiev)
Didn't It Rain
Scarborough Fair / Canticle
** Don't Cross That Mountain
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
White Bird

Stand (encore)

"Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming" and "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence"
were both done a cappella as a duo by Maura and Chris.

"Greensleeves" (same tune as "What Child Is This") was an electric
sitar solo by Pete.

"How Beautiful Are the Feet" is the selection from Handel's "Messiah"
that Pete and Maura have been doing.

"A-Soalin' " was done in a full-length version for the first time by
the Strangelings -- Chris verse 1, Pete sitar solo, Maura verse 2.

"Troika" was a selection from Sergei Prokofiev's "Lieutenant Kije,"
played by Pete as an electric sitar solo.

"Don't Cross That Mountain" was a new song by Hungrytown (Rebecca &
Ken).

The Strangelings debut of "Stand" was at the 5/25/07 Guthrie Center
show, so I thought it was appropriate to be done by that same Fab Five
of musicians this time too. It was also appropriate to the ecumenical
approach to the whole show, for instance "Dona Nobis Pacem" followed
directly by "Season of the Witch." I mean, the Christians burned the
witches, right?

My drive home from Tunbridge VT on lonely route 89 was my best drive
home ever, from any show. If it's going to be a lonely highway, make
it a trip worthwhile, and seeing the Strangelings on that chilly crisp
Vermont night, the day after the full moon, made it all so very
worthwhile.