Hello, everyone. This is just a quick update to say that Stars in the Rafters will be going on pause for a couple weeks while I deal with a situation. Unfortunately my apartment was flooded recently, and I have to relocate on short notice. Once life settles down back to normal and I can set up my home recording studio again, Stars in the Rafters will be back! Take care, everyone. - Julie
1. Ruth’s Waltz - Dave Wiesler (Newark, DE). This original waltz is on Dave’s 2001 album Cracks and Shadows . https://davewiesler.com 2. An excerpt from The Once and Future King , by T. H. White. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT). 3. Kilcommon / The Volunteer - Airdance (MA, VT). This set of tunes is from the 2000 album Rodney Miller’s Airdance. https://greatmeadowmusic.com/miller.html 4. When this is over , by Susan Reid (Montpelier, VT). Read by Ben Williams (Northampton, MA). 5. Tide ...
1. Irish Girl - Lissa Schneckenburger (Brattleboro, VT). This song is from Lissa’s 2005 eponymous album. https://lissafiddle.com/ 2. My worst habit , by Rumi. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT). 3. All That You Ask Me - Airdance (VT, MA). This is from the 2000 album Rodney Miller’s Airdance . https://www.greatmeadowmusic.com/ 4. 1888 , by Rumi. Read by Charis Boke (Springfield, VT). 5. The Discharged Drummer - Nightingale (VT). From Nightingale’s album Sometimes When the Moon is High . Ni...
1. Great Falls - lydia ievins (Montague, MA). A cheerful polska. Someday lydia’s town will reclaim this name, first bestowed on her area (in a variety of languages) when it was known as a peaceful gathering spot for the Native tribes who congregated here. Recorded on Koivu , lydia's duo album with Helsinki-based pianist Juha Kujanpää. www.lydiamusic.org 2. Now winter nights enlarge , by Thomas Campion. Read by Margaret Youngberg (Greenfield, MA). 3. The Stormy Scenes of Winter - Keith Murphy (Br...
1. Wherever You Go When You Sleep - Wild Asparagus (MA and VT). This song, with words by Keith Murphy and music by David Cantieni, is on Wherever You Go . Wild Asparagus is Becky Tracy, David Cantieni, George Marshall, Ann Percival, and Stuart Kenney. http://band.wildasparagus.com 2. Nocturne , by Sir Charles Douglas George Roberts. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT). 3. Middle of Night - Elixir. Kate Barnes wrote this waltz when she was experiencing insomnia. This track is from Elixir’s ...
1. Jamestown Homeword Bound - Jeff Warner (Portsmouth, NH). Jeff notes, “Jeff Davis, my music partner for twenty years, found this song in Joanna Colcord’s 1938 book, Songs of American Sailormen .” It can be found on his most recent album, Roam the Country Through . www.jeffwarner.com 2. Pray , by Pádraig Ó Tuama. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT). 3. Buonaparte - Keith Murphy (Brattleboro, VT). Keith wrote some additional lyrics for this traditional song he recorded on Bound For Caanan ...
1. Winter Snow / Never Go Astray / Lion’s Mane - Jeremiah McLane (Sharon, VT). This track is on Jeremiah’s most recent solo album, The Grinding Stone . The first tune is a traditional English carol; the others are original tunes by Jeremiah. www.jeremiahmclane.com 2. The art of winter, by Susan Reid (Montpelier, VT). Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT). 3. Courage - Cindy Kallet (Bloomington, IN). Cindy Kallet wrote the verses to this song, but the words to the chorus came directly from an...
1. Villagers All - Andy, Robin, Arthur, and Emma Davis; and Emma Schneider (Brattleboro, VT). Andy writes, “Here is a song that we have sung at the Brattleboro Christmas Eve pub sing over the years. Our family created this virtual performance this year. Words by Kenneth Grahame from The Wind in the Willows , music by me.” 2. Joy and sorrow , an excerpt from The Prophet , by Kahlil Gibran. Read by Ben Williams (Northampton, MA). 3. North: Northern Air - Crowfoot (VT and QC). Crowfoot is Jaige Tru...
1. Bright Wings - Bright Wings Chorus (VT). This song by Brendan Taaffe is on the 2013 Bright Wings Chorus album Signs and Wonders . https://brendantaaffe.bandcamp.com/ 2. The word , by Tony Hoagland. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT). 3. Soul of the Limestone Rock - Nightingale (VT). This waltz by Jeremiah McLane is on Nightingale’s 1996 album Sometimes When the Moon is High . www.nightingalevt.org 4. I dwell in possibility , by Emily Dickinson. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT)...
1. Singing in the Land - Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem (Middletown, CT). This traditional Appalachian song is on their 2016 album Wintersong . https://raniarboanddaisymayhem.bandcamp.com 2. In between the sun and moon , by Pádraig Ó Tuama. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT). 3. Winter Blossom Waltz - Owen Morrison (Washington, DC). Owen wrote this waltz for the wedding of Kent Gilbert and Diana Hultgren. It’s on Daybreak , his album of original waltzes. https://owenmorrison.com/ 4. Sure on...
1. Heart of the World - Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem (Middletown, CT). This song by Rani Arbo is from their 2015 album Violets are Blue . https://raniarboanddaisymayhem.bandcamp.com 2. For my morning mirror , by Susan Reid (Montpelier, VT). Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT). 3. Piper on the Hill - Dave Wiesler (Newark, DE). Dave, Susan Brandt, and Earl Gaddis play this original tune on Cracks and Shadows . https://davewiesler.com 4. An excerpt from The old astronomer , by Sarah Williams....
1. Time Will End - Nightingale (MA and VT). Nightingale is Keith Murphy, Becky Tracy, and Jeremiah McLane. This tune by Jeremiah can be found on The Coming Dawn , Nightingale’s first album. https://www.nightingalevt.org 2. Memory of Cape Cod , by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT). 3. Great Memories - New England Tradition. This waltz is the final track on Farewell to the Hollow . New England Tradition is Bob McQuillen, April Limber, and Peter Colby. https://www.g...
1. Högtidsmarsch (Ceremonial march) - lydia ievins (Montague, MA). A traditional Swedish bridal march from Västmanland, played here on 5-string fiddle and harmonium. The majesty of this tune perfectly suits the grand sound of the harmonium. Recorded on Koivu , lydia's duo album with Helsinki-based pianist Juha Kujanpää. www.lydiamusic.org 2. An excerpt from If a tree could wander , by Rumi. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT). 3. The Setting - Wild Asparagus (MA and VT). This song by Ralph...
1. Soaring High - Crowfoot (VT and QC). Crowfoot is Jaige Trudel, Adam Broome, and Nicholas Williams. This track is from their 2006 album As the Crow Flies . www.crowfootmusic.com 2. Thank you , by Ross Gay. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT). 3. Beautiful Life - Jeff Warner (Portsmouth, NH). Jeff learned this song, a country and bluegrass standard, from Jeff Goering, an Ohio fiddler. It can be found on his most recent album, Roam the Country Through . www.jeffwarner.com 4. And the people...
1. Margaret Mary Robinson / The Sweetness of Mary - Tim Ball and Sophie Orzechowski (Ithaca, NY). This set of Cape Breton tunes is from Tim and Sophie’s album Life of their Own . https://timandsophie.bandcamp.com/releases 2. I walk the unfrequented road , text of the hymn by Frederick Hosmer. Read by Ben Williams (Northampton, MA). 3. Valse por Pélé / Early - Wild Asparagus (MA and VT). This waltz set, with a song by Greg Brown, is from Wild Asparagus’s album Wherever You Go . Wild Asparagus is ...
1. Pacific Sunrise / The Sun Still Shines / The Reel MacGyver - Chimney Swift (Boston, MA). Chimney Swift is Cecile Leroy, Daniel Raine, Yaron Shragai, and A.Z. Madonna. “Pacific Sunrise” and “The Sun Still Shines” are by Cecile, written on a red-eye flight to New Zealand. A.Z.’s improvisations over them turned into “The Reel MacGyver.” This track appears on their album, Fly Me Home . https://chimneyswift.bandcamp.com/ 2. The Mary Ellen Carter - Ian Robb (Ottawa, ON). Finest Kind (Ian, Ann Downe...
1. Praise song for the day , written by Elizabeth Alexander and read by her at the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. For a video, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_vLBnFk-OFc 2. Regain / Psalm of Life / Plant Un Chou - Nightingale (VT). Nightingale is Keith Murphy, Becky Tracy, and Jeremiah McLane. “Psalm of Life” is a Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem set to music by Lotus Dickey. https://www.nightingalevt.org 3. Everything is going to be all right , by Derek Mahon. Read by Ben Williams (Northampton,...
1. High Clouds - Greenfield Dance Band (MA and VT). This waltz is the title track on the album the Greenfield Dance Band recorded for Great Meadow Music. The Greenfield Dance Band is David Kaynor, Mary Cay Brass, Peter Siegel, and Stuart Kenney, with guests. https://www.greatmeadowmusic.com/kaynor.html 2. Late migration , by Susan Reid (Montpelier, VT). Read by Lorelei Erisis (Northampton, MA). 3. C'est Aujourd'hui Grande Fête - Keith Murphy (Brattleboro, VT). This track is from Keith’s first so...
1. Belle of Greensboro / Till havs I motorbåt (To sea in a motorboat) - lydia ievins (Montague, MA). The first waltz, by lydia, is named for Mary Jellicorse, a gracious and graceful dancer. The second is by fiddler Sixten Engström, who lived way up in northern Sweden and held a great love for fishing. Played here on 5-string fiddle and piano. Recorded on Koivu , lydia's duo album with Helsinki-based pianist Juha Kujanpää. www.lydiamusic.org 2. Imagine that , by Susan Reid (Montpelier, VT). Read ...
1. Everything Will Be Alright - Echo Women's Choir (Toronto, ON). Rachel Bokhout writes, “This is a live 2014 recording of the Echo Women's Choir, performing with singer-songwriter Victoria Moon Joyce. We offer this for the podcast as a reminder to keep faith - this season too shall pass. Blue skies are coming, and we'll gather again to make music once more.” This track, with words and music by Reverend Dr. James Edward Cleveland, can be found on the choir’s 2018 album One Voice . www.echowomens...
1. The Winter Rose / Verdant - Maivish. Maivish is Adam Broome (guitar) and Jaige Trudel (fiddle). This previously unreleased track includes two tunes written by Jaige. www.maivish.com/ 2. The Apple Picker's Waltz / The Beautiful Lights Of Burlington - Pete Sutherland (Burlington, VT). This track is from Pete Sutherland’s 1984 album Poor Man’s Dream . www.petesposse.com 3. Meadowlarks , by Sara Teasdale. Read by Ben Williams (Northampton, MA). 4. Hills / Mulqueen's - Nightingale (VT). Pete Suthe...
1. Land of Beauty / Ashmead’s Kernel - Maivish. Maivish is Adam Broome (mandola) and Jaige Trudel (fiddle). This previously unreleased track includes two tunes written by Adam. www.maivish.com/ 2. Pied beauty , by Gerard Manley Hopkins. Read by Margaret Youngberg (Greenfield, MA), with musical accompaniment by Rachel Panitch (Boston, MA). 3. A Dream for Dorothea - Owen Morrison (Washington, DC). Owen wrote this tune for his paternal grandmother, who lived her entire life in Oakland, CA. Performe...
1. Jean-Paul Jigs: Le Tourment / Korolenko - Arise & Go (Newfield, NY). These tunes are both by Québécois musician and composer Jean-Paul Loyer and are from Arise & Go’s recent album Meeting Place . https://ariseandgo.bandcamp.com 2. Like barley bending , by Sara Teasdale. Read by Ben Williams (Northampton, MA). Ben writes, “Like much of Sara Teasdale's poetry, I feel I can see the images she is describing, and I hope we all, like barley bending, are able to rise again from our pain and ...
1. Serenity Knoll / Dragon Hatchery - Buddy System (Brattleboro, VT and Asheville, NC). These tunes were written for two dear friends in the dance community from Jonesborough, TN. Performed by Julie Vallimont and Noah VanNorstrand on their album Ride the Wheel . www.buddysystemband.com/ 2. Morris Set - The Teacups (Medford, MA and UK). These delightful tunes are from the Teacups! The Teacups are Alex Cumming, Kate Locksley, Rosie Calvert, and Will Finn. from their upcoming album In Which… , avai...
1. The Bee’s Knees / Hey, Rusty! / A Boy’s Lament for His Dragon - Joanne Garton (Montpelier, VT). Performed with Michael Ayles, Simeon Chapin, Hollis Easter, and Aaron Marcus on Joanne's 2019 album The Bee's Knees . Joanne says, “‘The Bee's Knees’ was written one summer night in gratitude for the friendship of two amazing friends who truly encompass the tune's name. ‘Hey, Rusty!’ comes from a fiddle soulmate in Melbourne, Australia. ‘A Boy's Lament’ was learned from my piping teacher, Ken MacKe...
1. Beeswax Sheepskin - This recording was made standing in the woods at Pinewoods Camp outside of the main dance hall, C Sharp, at dusk, listening to the sounds of the birds and the evening dance happening. Recorded by Julie Vallimont at ESCape!, 2019. 2. Allie Crocker’s Reel / Lamplighter’s Hornpipe - Two rousing New England tunes, as performed by some of the Maine Fiddle Camp staff: Lissa Schneckenburger, Alden Robison, Benjamin Foss, Bennett Konesni, Corey DiMario, and Julie Vallimont. Record...
1. Pipe March: Caber Feidh - Mike MacNintch, piper. From Live from C Sharp , an album recorded by Tom Pixton at Pinewoods during the 2010 Scottish Sessions. https://www.pixton.org/livefromcsharp/index.html 2. The first camp, or, Prayer of a desperate folkie for the assimilation and eternal evocation of the glory around her , by Alexandra Christine Steffan. Read by Anna Patton (Brattleboro, VT). 3. Spread the Joy - Various campers and staff, from Cascade of Music and Dance at Camp Louise, 2019. W...
1. Le Canal en Octobre / En Flandres - Anadama (Portland, ME). Anadama is Amelia Mason (fiddle), Bethany Waickman (guitar), and Emily Troll (accordion). This pair of schottisches by Frédéric Paris can be found on their new CD, Way Back When , available for purchase on Bandcamp and their website. www.anadamamusic.com http://anadama.bandcamp.com 2. Aboard at a ship’s helm , by Walt Whitman. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT). 3. Anderson’s Coast - Everest Witman (Montréal, QC). This tune is...
1. Aurora's schottis / Hägg bland björkar (Bird-cherry among birches) - lydia ievins (Montague, MA). A pair of friendly schottis tunes by lydia, played here on nyckelharpa and piano. The second owes its name to lydia’s family's namesake tree (Swedish "hägg" = Latvian "ieva"). Recorded on Koivu , lydia's duo album with Helsinki-based pianist Juha Kujanpää. www.lydiamusic.org 2. Hyla brook , by Robert Frost. Read by Margaret Youngberg (Greenfield, MA). 3. Owl’s Cowl - Chimney Swift (Boston, MA). C...
1. Golden Gate Waltz - Everest Witman (Montréal, QC). This tune is from Nova’s album Little Sky , featuring Kathleen Fownes on fiddle, Everest on guitar, and Guillaume Sparrow-Pepin on accordion. www.novatriomusic.com 2. Stars , by Sara Teasdale. Read by Ben Williams (Northampton, MA). 3. Tuula’s - MAC (CA and WA). This tune is performed by the band MAC, featuring Elias Alexander, Ryan McKasson, and Colin Cotter. It is found on their album Perfectly Manufactured Reality . www.tunesbymac.com 4. I...
