Marcy Prochaska: Hammered Dulcimer

Yesterday I performed as part of the Yellow River Festival, which celebrates county history in the mid-1800s.

I don’t know if any of the music I played was written in that exact time period, and I don’t know if anyone in Marshall County knew any of those tunes at that time, but I did play some “old” music — here’s my set list:

Hewlett (O’Carolan)
Carolan’s Draught (O’Carolan) / Sleepers Awake (Bach)
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (Bach)
Prelude in Em for lute (Bach)

Sir David Davidson of Cantray / Glenlivet (Scottish)
Staten Island / Julia Delany (Irish)
Banish Misfortune / Swallowtail Jig (Irish)
Easter Thursday (English)

Third Street Market (M. Prochaska)
Kittatinny Tunnel (M. Prochaska)
The Storm / One Wintry Night (J. R. Smith)

I am curious as to how much research other festival musicians did. Did anyone for sure play something either written or just known and played in this county during this time period? I confess historical research is not at all up my alley.

Besides music, there were demonstrations and exhibits and crafts and food — some historical, some modern — as well as a display of plans for a larger park in that area, which has been prone to flooding. I didn’t get a chance to look at the display; I wonder what flood prevention strategies the plan includes, or what the neighbors think of the plan. Some vacant commercial buildings have already been demolished.

Before the festival officially began, I got to do a short TV interview for a local station covering the festival. The reporter asked me what it’s like to learn the dulcimer, and I blabbered somewhat incoherently but enthusiastically. Then I got to play a tune, which was much easier.

Despite being ridiculously nervous and particularly worried about being out of place (unhistorical and all), I had a good time and played reasonably well, and no one ran away screaming. In fact, they’ve asked me to consider opening the festival next year.

The town of Plymouth is having its second annual Yellow River Festival on Saturday, June 7. I’m new in town, but from what I hear, it’s got crafts and food and music and such somewhat focused on the town’s pre-1900 history.

I will be playing from 11 to noon.

My set list is still developing, but I’m planning some O’Carolan and Bach (both 18th C), some British Isles stuff (reels, jigs, a 3/2 hornpipe), and some original and contemporary stuff.

We just got back from Steve and Kati’s wedding. Steve is the worship team leader at our church, and Kati often runs the computer (which projects lyrics, sermon texts, and occasional video clips on the screen up front).

I arrived a few minutes later than I’d planned; a few folks were already seated. My stand was already set up, so it was just a matter of getting the dulcimer out of the case and picking up the hammers.

Steve and Kati left all the musical decisions up to me, which was especially nice for my first wedding after having Amy — I got to choose familiar or easy things.

It was a pretty wedding, in a smallish Brethren church with wooden pews and arched windows. I got to be off to the side on the platform so I could clearly see the processional, which helps so much with timing.

The bride wore a white mermaid gown with a red sash, matching the bridesmaid’s dresses. The flower girl scattered silk petals as she walked with the ring bearer, and both managed to stay up front for the ceremony, though by the end they were sitting on a step.

Amy called out “Mama” a few times during the prelude, but was otherwise pretty quiet sitting with daddy in the pews.

A few folks came up to see and chat, including a fellow who just recently bought a 15/14, inspired by Rich Mullins. I haven’t done any work on Mullins, so I couldn’t do much to specifically address that interest, but he still seemed interested in the fact that I teach, and perhaps some of what I could teach him would be applicable.

Another person commented, as I was packing up to leave, that he could tell from the sound that it was a dulcimer, but was surprised, when he walked in, to see that I was playing with mallets. I know a lot of folks think the mountain dulcimer and hammered dulcimer must be related because they share the dulcimer name, but I hadn’t before heard anyone say they think the two sound alike. Huh. I wonder how common that perception is?

For prelude music I played:

“Come Before Winter” by Jim Taylor
“Easter Thursday” English country dance tune
“Praeludium I” and “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” by Bach
“Winter East and Kensington” original
“Timberline Wander” by Tim Seaman
“Josefin’s Waltz” by Roger Tallroth

For the processional:

“Canon in D” by Pachelbel

For the unity candle:

“Menuet” by J. J. Quantz

For recessional / postlude:

“Third Street Market” original

“Calliope House” by Dave Richardson / “Merrily Kiss the Quaker” traditional / “Morrison’s Jig” traditional (except I completely blanked on the B part and had to fudge and found my way into…) / “Swallowtail Jig”

“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” w/m by Robinson / Nettleton

Local musicians and music teachers Liza and Mark Woolever got a jam started at Opie’s Deli in Plymouth.

Opie’s reminds me of Ithaca. The guy behind the counter has his grey hair in a ponytail. They emphasize wholesome, natural, least-processed foods. Their bread comes from a local bakery run by nuns. (The bakery is part of a farm that also raises beef and produce.)

We play in the back room. There are a bunch of fiddles, a couple guitars, banjos, and mandolins, a fancy washtub bass, a bodhran, a whistle, a flute, a group of listeners, and me. Everyone is either a student and / or a friend of the Woolevers’. One of the listeners has a hammered dulcimer and takes my card, saying she’ll get in touch about maybe starting lessons.

Mostly we play fairly slowly; mostly we play songs with three chords and keep them that way. For two jigs we also take time to play them a few times at dance tempos, which is fun. People sing when there are words.

It was refreshing to get out and play.

And the French onion soup was fabulous.

I just finished my business taxes. How funny; my net profit for the year is an even six bucks.

(Partly because I sold a decent number of CDs, which is a deduction in terms of cost of goods sold, and partly because I had to recapture as income prior depreciation from a computer and software that I no longer use much for business. Hey, that sounds like I know what I’m talking about.)