So… yesterday I celebrated my fifth hammered dulcimer anniversary with a concert.

The venue was the Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University. The concert was upstairs in a beautiful gallery, with a huge landscape behind us, a persian rug for kids (and flexible adults) to sit on, a couple of benches in the back, and chairs lining the sides.

The museum is a wonderful space acoustically; the instruments carried well, and the natural reverb made my voice sound nice. I felt that the trio’s faster pieces got a bit swallowed up in the big space — they didn’t feel as lively to me as they should have, but that may have just been my nerves.

The room was comfortably full; someone estimated maybe fifty people were there. I don’t think I’ve had more than thirty before, so that was great.

Many thanks to the museum director, Frank Robinson, and director of development, Lynne Williams, and other museum folks for making the event possible. To Sherj and Katherine for running the refreshments and CD sales; to Mary Ann, Sheryl, Stephanie, and Mom for making / bringing / mailing food; to Lisa’s husband for videotaping; to Lisa, Jerry, and Craig for their part in the performance; and, especially, to my patient and supportive husband.

Here’s the set list. Originals are marked with *. Except for the songs Rad Te Mam and In the Cool of the Day, all pieces feature hammered dulcimer:

Pas de Deux
(Duo with Lisa Fenwick, harp and flute)

• La Rotta / Bunch of Rushes / The Chanter (harp)
• Carolan’s Draught / Sleepers Awake (flute)
• Allemande (harp)
• In Him Will I Trust* (flute and voice)

No Loose Threads
(My first CD)

• Variations on a Three-Year-Old Theme*
• Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (flute)
• Rad Te Mam* (guitar and voice)
• Road to Lisdoonvarna / South of the James*

Unrecorded

• In the Cool of the Day* (guitar and voice)
• Praeludium for lute
• Sheep May Safely Graze (guitar and flute)
• Third Street Market*

break

What Child Is This?
(My second CD)

• Fallen* (fiddle and guitar)
• What Child Is This? / Menuet
• Easter Thursday (fiddle and guitar)
• Noel Nouvelet / Wexford Carol

The Hanshaw Trio
(With Jerry Drumheller on fiddle and Craig Higgins on guitar and mandolin)

• Out on the Ocean / Morrison’s / Kesh (fiddle and guitar)
• Staten Island / Julia Delany (fiddle, mandolin, and guitar)
• Irksome Girl* / Midnight Maze* (fiddle and guitar)
• Winter East and Kensington* (fiddle, flute, and guitar)

Encore:

• Dennis Murphy’s / John Ryan’s