May … With What
Pretty Music Shall We Charm the Hours?
"May! Queen of blossoms,
And fulfilling flowers,
With what pretty music
Shall we charm the hours?
Wilt thou have pipe and reed,
Blown in the open mead?
Or to the lute give heed
In the green bowers?" - Lord Edward Thurlow, May
And fulfilling flowers,
With what pretty music
Shall we charm the hours?
Wilt thou have pipe and reed,
Blown in the open mead?
Or to the lute give heed
In the green bowers?" - Lord Edward Thurlow, May
“Tra la, it's May, the lusty month of May
That lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray;
Tra la, it's here, that shocking time of year
When tons of wicked little thoughts merrily appear.”
That lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray;
Tra la, it's here, that shocking time of year
When tons of wicked little thoughts merrily appear.”
(fr.
Camelot, sung by Julie Andrews)
On
April 7th, we gave a very successful poetry and music performance at Poetry Express
in Berkeley, the weekly poets reading now held at Himalayan Flavors on University
Avenue. We presented a combination of poetic songs such as Chappell’s Dance
of the Desert, and my poetry that was part workshop, part demonstration of the interweaving
of the two art forms. We will be reprising this idea in Alameda in the upcoming
months. Also look for pending house concert announcements in the summer. Stay tuned!
We
had a wonderful concert at our Bread and Roses show at Novato Healthcare Center
on April 23, 2014. Tracey Rose was our host, and “host in training,”
Carrie Sownie gave us a great writeup that gives you a very good picture of what
our Bread and Roses shows are like:
“The
audience was ready for the show with warm cups of coffee or tea and wrapped up in
blankets. Chappell and Dave Holt were charming performers and took us on a journey
through the classics like Frank Sinatra to old New Orleans jazz tunes. They played
love songs from the 40’s, boogie-woogie tunes from the 50’s and even
some original songs they had written. At one point Chappell asked the audience if
there were any Cole Porter fans out there and a spirited 'Yes!' came from
the audience.
“Many
of the boogie-woogie tunes were a favorite. Some guests danced in their chairs,
clapped along and tapped their feet. The staff loved it too and danced while assisting
the folk. Some staff even poked their head in to enjoy the music before getting
back to their work. A favorite moment was when Chappell sang a song that she had
written for Dave for their 35th anniversary. It was a beautiful song that inspired
an audience member with a purple sweater and beaded necklace to get up and waltz
with another staff member.
“The
performers sang many sing-a-longs, such as 'My Favorite Things' and 'Peace
like a River' where the audience sang along softly. There was even a request
to sing 'Over the Rainbow' that Chappell promised to sing next time. Afterwards
the performers received many thank yous and hugs from the audience.”
Our
Chappell & Dave Traveling Americana Poetry show is on the road to promote the
CD Stone & Fire which we just released. If you’d like to order it directly,
please send a $17 check (includes $2 shipping) payable to Dave Holt to 1335 Kenwal
Rd., #A, Concord, CA 94521.
We will be traveling for the first half of the
month of May as many of you know. Please follow us on Facebook as we post photos and updates from the road.
Two
weeks later, Chappell returned to S. California with her vintage dealer friend and
client, Barbara Grigg, who had booked her booth at the Vintage Textile Show held
at Pickwick Gardens, Burbank. After the hard work of doing the show, there was more
fun staying overnight with friends from the “Western Bebop” band Cow
Bop. Go take a listen at 
Hollywood Theater: Thursday, May 1st, 7 to 9pm.
Our
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