Valandra!, Manke, me and Libby before the event.

So.

I planned to share some audio from my Saturday night gig at the Guthrie in today’s post, but my Saturday didn’t quite go according to plan.

Long story short, I left my recorder, the necklace I wanted to wear and my purse at home. (Fortunately, I brought some cash to get out of the parking ramp or it could have been a complicated evening. *rueful smile*)

But as my work in improv has taught me, you have to stay in the present in order to participate. So I released my disappointment (and expectations) and chose to be in the moment with my beautiful fellow singers.

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It paid off, we sounded great! We kicked off the musical lineup for the evening with the first of two “mini-sets.” In between our sets, violinist David Sutton did his magic from the catwalks. With a loop-er and some pedal effects, he made his violin sound like a quartet! We came back on stage for another two numbers, including a beautiful improvisation based on a round (By the Waters of Babylon) Ms. Libby taught us.

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I missed the juggler, Cale, who apparently dazzled despite being on crutches. (Actually, I heard he incorporated them into his act. *grin*). And then MC Dan Chouinard chatted up the event guests as up-and-comers Cedar Avenue got ready for their set.

We moved into the fundraising portion of the evening and while I don’t know how much money Pfund raised, I can report that the action during the live auction was fast and furious! *grin*

Dan and Lori (Dokken) did a duet accompanied by Dan on accordion and then Michael Monroe took the stage with his midi guitar. With it, he showed us how he can become an entire band, playing drums, bass and other instruments on the guitar and singing backing vocals for himself. Again, all with the help of looping technology.

The sizzling salsa septet 7 Steps to Havanna got the crowd on its feet to end the evening with dancing although I admit taking time out from the dancing to sample the Guthrie desserts. *smile*

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P.S. Thanks to Dan Chouinard for snapping the photo of us!

I spent the past week singing, singing, singing so I didn’t do much writing (writing, writing). *smile*

Tuesday, I sang with my friend Ann Potter at the MCTC faculty recital.

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Thursday, I joined the women at Honoring Women Worldwide for a profound evening discussing health and spirituality. A bonus for me is that my singer friend Sara Thomsen joined me (and I got to sing one of her great songs!).

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And then Saturday night, I joined Trio Tipo for a really fun set at the Grand Opening of John’s Pizza Cafe. They were so great to us and made us feel very appreciated and welcome. (I love venues that support live music!) My cup runneth over when I sang a cappella and everyone in the place clapped along.

A member of the Echoes of Peace choir sent me this poem she wrote. It is her response to the Pastures of Plenty concert, which focused on immigration issues.

“It might be terror
that propels us.
It might be hunger
or despair.

But it is hope
that bears us.

Hope moves upon the waters.

And, though the threads unfurl
across the distances,
they do not break

the threads that bind us …
to our landscape,
to our language,
to a loved one’s face.

Hope moves upon the waters

in the shape of a ship,
in the shape
of a desperate raft …

a lone figure in a river
on a moonless night.

Hope moves upon the waters.”
– Deborah Cooper