Our Last Summer in Virginia

This was a bittersweet summer; sweet to perform with these wonderful people, bitter to be saying good-byes.

Kim Forquer (violin) and I met through our church. She’s the one who organized the seasonal coffeehouses. For our first and only gig together, we played classical music for her friend’s wedding ceremony at the Italian Gardens in Maymont Park. It was a pleasure to work with Kim, and it was a fun challenge to arrange Baroque pieces for dulcimer and violin.

Later in the summer, I had the great honor of performing with my dulcimer teacher Timothy Seaman for two wedding receptions. Pictured is the wedding of my friends Marty and Gordon at the William and Mary Alumni House. Marty is also a musician; she bought my first dulcimer when I bought a new Jerry Read Smith, and she plays and teaches piano, too.

The WoodSong Trio’s final gig was Carolyn’s friend’s wedding at the Manor House in Kings Charter. You know how you always forget something when you pack for a trip? Tom forgot his suit, and we didn’t have time for him to go back across town to get it. Fortunately, the DJ for the reception lent Tom his outfit for the ceremony.

It was hard for us to say goodbye when the time came. It’s rare to find ensemble partners who fit together both musically and personally like the three of us did, and we’ll miss playing together.