1. Högtidsmarsch (Ceremonial march) - lydia ievins (Montague, MA). A traditional Swedish bridal march from Västmanland, played here on 5-string fiddle and harmonium. The majesty of this tune perfectly suits the grand sound of the harmonium. Recorded on Koivu, lydia's duo album with Helsinki-based pianist Juha Kujanpää. www.lydiamusic.org
2. An excerpt from If a tree could wander, by Rumi. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
3. The Setting - Wild Asparagus (MA and VT). This song by Ralph McTell is on Wild Asparagus’s album From the Floor Up. Wild Asparagus is Becky Tracy, David Cantieni, George Marshall, Ann Percival, and Stuart Kenney. http://band.wildasparagus.com
4. Wild swans, by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Read by Ben Williams (Northampton, MA). Ben writes, “For me, like many I have a close personal connection with the poem Wild geese by Mary Oliver—the parallels to this poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay were intriguing to me, and speak also of the longing for freedom evoked in seeing wild birds overhead.”
5. Dininha - Mary Lea (Brattleboro, VT). This Brazilian choro waltz is on Between Two Worlds, by Mary Lea and Friends. https://dancefiddler.com
6. Landscape, by Charles Baudelaire. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
7. Aida - Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand (NY and NC). This original tune, with Andrew, Noah, and friends, is on The Waltz Album from 2015. https://andrewandnoah.bandcamp.com/
The opening music is “The Pearl in Sorrow’s Hand” by Julie Vallimont, from her album Dark Sky, Bright Stars. Produced by Julie Vallimont. Mixed and mastered by Dana Billings. All content courtesy of the artists, all rights reserved. This series is supported in part by the Country Dance and Song Society, NEFFA, CDS-Boston, and Pinewoods Camp. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting it via Patreon: www.patreon.com/starsintherafters
Hello, everyone. This is just a quick update to say that Stars in the Rafters will be going on pause for a couple weeks while I deal with a situation. Unfortunately my apartment was flooded recently, and I have to relocate on short notice. Once life settles down back to normal and I can set up my home recording studio again, Stars in the Rafters will be back! Take care, everyone. - Julie
1. Ruth’s Waltz - Dave Wiesler (Newark, DE). This original waltz is on Dave’s 2001 album Cracks and Shadows. https://davewiesler.com
2. An excerpt from The Once and Future King, by T. H. White. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
3. Kilcommon / The Volunteer - Airdance (MA, VT). This set of tunes is from the 2000 album Rodney Miller’s Airdance. https://greatmeadowmusic.com/miller.html
4. When this is over, by Susan Reid (Montpelier, VT). Read by Ben Williams (Northampton, MA).
5. Tide and the River Rising (Oars) - Cindy Kallet (IN). Cindy composed this song for a memorial service held for a close friend of her father. It seems to fit occasions of birth, marriage, despair and hope just as well. Cindy recorded ‘Oars’ on Dreaming Down a Quiet Line. www.cindykallet.com
6. The winter bird, by Jones Very. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
7. Snowmelt - Owen Morrison (Washington, DC). Owen plays this original waltz with Naomi Morse, Anna Patton, and Dave Haughey on Daybreak, his album of original waltzes. https://owenmorrison.com/
The opening music is “The Pearl in Sorrow’s Hand” by Julie Vallimont, from her album Dark Sky, Bright Stars. Produced by Julie Vallimont. Mixed and mastered by Dana Billings. All content courtesy of the artists, all rights reserved. This series is supported in part by the Country Dance and Song Society, NEFFA, CDS-Boston, and Pinewoods Camp. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting it via Patreon: www.patreon.com/starsintherafters
1. Irish Girl - Lissa Schneckenburger (Brattleboro, VT). This song is from Lissa’s 2005 eponymous album. https://lissafiddle.com/
2. My worst habit, by Rumi. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
3. All That You Ask Me - Airdance (VT, MA). This is from the 2000 album Rodney Miller’s Airdance. https://www.greatmeadowmusic.com/
4. 1888, by Rumi. Read by Charis Boke (Springfield, VT).
5. The Discharged Drummer - Nightingale (VT). From Nightingale’s album Sometimes When the Moon is High. Nightingale is Becky Tracy, Keith Murphy, and Jeremiah McLane. https://www.nightingalevt.org/
6. Never Love Thee More - Alchemy (MA, VT). Alchemy performs this English Country Dance tune on their album Turning of the Hour. Alchemy is Eric Martin, Rachel Bell, and Karen Axelrod. https://rachelbellmusic.com/
7. Like the moon, by Susan Reid. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
8. None So Lovely - Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand (NY, NC). This song is on their album A Certain Tree. https://www.andrewandnoah.com/andrewandnoah/dev/music/
The opening music is “The Pearl in Sorrow’s Hand” by Julie Vallimont, from her album Dark Sky, Bright Stars. Produced by Julie Vallimont. Mixed and mastered by Dana Billings. All content courtesy of the artists, all rights reserved. This series is supported in part by the Country Dance and Song Society, NEFFA, CDS-Boston, and Pinewoods Camp. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting it via Patreon: www.patreon.com/starsintherafters
1. Great Falls - lydia ievins (Montague, MA). A cheerful polska. Someday lydia’s town will reclaim this name, first bestowed on her area (in a variety of languages) when it was known as a peaceful gathering spot for the Native tribes who congregated here. Recorded on Koivu, lydia's duo album with Helsinki-based pianist Juha Kujanpää. www.lydiamusic.org
2. Now winter nights enlarge, by Thomas Campion. Read by Margaret Youngberg (Greenfield, MA).
3. The Stormy Scenes of Winter - Keith Murphy (Brattleboro, VT). Keith sings this traditional song on his 2005 solo album, Bound for Caanan. https://keithmurphy.bandcamp.com/
4. Bright star, by John Keats. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
5. Morag’s Waltz - George Wilson and Friends (NY). This track is on the Great Meadow compilation album Contra Roots and Branches. https://www.greatmeadowmusic.com/crb.html
6. An excerpt from For one who is exhausted, a blessing, from To Bless the Space Between Us, by John O’Donohue. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
7. La Gueussinette - Tidal Wave (QC) - This mazurka by Stephen Jones is on Tidal Wave’s eponymous debut album. http://home.total.net/~j.saintcyr/index\_eng.html
The opening music is “The Pearl in Sorrow’s Hand” by Julie Vallimont, from her album Dark Sky, Bright Stars. Produced by Julie Vallimont. Mixed and mastered by Dana Billings. All content courtesy of the artists, all rights reserved. This series is supported in part by the Country Dance and Song Society, NEFFA, CDS-Boston, and Pinewoods Camp. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting it via Patreon: www.patreon.com/starsintherafters
1. Wherever You Go When You Sleep - Wild Asparagus (MA and VT). This song, with words by Keith Murphy and music by David Cantieni, is on Wherever You Go. Wild Asparagus is Becky Tracy, David Cantieni, George Marshall, Ann Percival, and Stuart Kenney. http://band.wildasparagus.com
2. Nocturne, by Sir Charles Douglas George Roberts. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
3. Middle of Night - Elixir. Kate Barnes wrote this waltz when she was experiencing insomnia. This track is from Elixir’s second album, Rampant. https://elixirband.bandcamp.com
4. Darkness, by John Crowe Ransom. Read by Ben Williams (Northampton, MA).
5. Lady Night - Eloise & Co. (Brattleboro, VT). Eloise & Co. is Becky Tracy and Rachel Bell. This song, by Noah VanNorstrand and Kailyn Wright, is on More, Please! https://eloiseandco.bandcamp.com
6. Night and sleep, by Rumi. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
7. Cold is the Night - Kallet, Epstein, & Cicone (MA and IN). Ellen Epstein & Michael Cicone requested that Cindy write a song for the trio to sing. One bitterly cold winter night, stopped by the side of the road, and atop the hood of her car on the drive from Amherst to Boston, Massachusetts, she obliged. www.cindykallet.com
The opening music is “The Pearl in Sorrow’s Hand” by Julie Vallimont, from her album Dark Sky, Bright Stars. Produced by Julie Vallimont. Mixed and mastered by Dana Billings. All content courtesy of the artists, all rights reserved. This series is supported in part by the Country Dance and Song Society, NEFFA, CDS-Boston, and Pinewoods Camp. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting it via Patreon: www.patreon.com/starsintherafters
1. Jamestown Homeword Bound - Jeff Warner (Portsmouth, NH). Jeff notes, “Jeff Davis, my music partner for twenty years, found this song in Joanna Colcord’s 1938 book, Songs of American Sailormen.” It can be found on his most recent album, Roam the Country Through. www.jeffwarner.com
2. Pray, by Pádraig Ó Tuama. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
3. Buonaparte - Keith Murphy (Brattleboro, VT). Keith wrote some additional lyrics for this traditional song he recorded on Bound For Caanan, his 2005 solo album. https://keithmurphy.bandcamp.com/
4. After sunset, by Grace Hazard Conkling. Read by Ben Williams (Northampton, MA).
5. Joy After Sorrow - Bare Necessities (MA and VT). Bare Necessities is Jacqueline Schwab, Mary Lea, Earl Gaddis, and Kate Barnes. This tune is on their album Nightcap. https://barenecessities.bandcamp.com
6. Making peace, by Denise Levertov. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
7. Ring Out, Wild Bells - Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem (Middletown, CT). Rani’s original setting of text by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, is on their 2016 album Wintersong. https://raniarboanddaisymayhem.bandcamp.com
The opening music is “The Pearl in Sorrow’s Hand” by Julie Vallimont, from her album Dark Sky, Bright Stars. Produced by Julie Vallimont. Mixed and mastered by Dana Billings. All content courtesy of the artists, all rights reserved. This series is supported in part by the Country Dance and Song Society, NEFFA, CDS-Boston, and Pinewoods Camp. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting it via Patreon: www.patreon.com/starsintherafters
1. Winter Snow / Never Go Astray / Lion’s Mane - Jeremiah McLane (Sharon, VT). This track is on Jeremiah’s most recent solo album, The Grinding Stone. The first tune is a traditional English carol; the others are original tunes by Jeremiah. www.jeremiahmclane.com
2. The art of winter, by Susan Reid (Montpelier, VT). Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
3. Courage - Cindy Kallet (Bloomington, IN). Cindy Kallet wrote the verses to this song, but the words to the chorus came directly from an e-mail sent to her by Grey Larsen, at a time when life was especially challenging for both of them. It was recorded on their duo album, Cross the Water. www.cindykallet.com
4. I taste a liquor never brewed, by Emily Dickinson. Read by Margaret Youngberg (Greenfield, MA).
5. Chili and Chocolate - Eloise & Co. (Brattleboro, VT). Eloise & Co. is Becky Tracy and Rachel Bell. Becky played the beginning of this melody as an air for her sister Ruth's wedding. She dedicates the tune to Ruth and her husband Dave. This track is on More, Please! https://eloiseandco.bandcamp.com
6. I taught myself to live simply, by Anna Akhmatova. Read by Ben Williams (Northampton, MA).
7. O Successores Fortissimi Leonis - Cardamom Quartet (Boston, MA). Cardamom Quartet is Lisa Goddard, Rachel Panitch, Gillian Gallagher, and Ariel Friedman. Rachel writes, “This ancient song by Hildegard von Bingen was arranged for string quartet by Lisa Goddard. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, each member of Cardamom Quartet recorded their part separately from home - and this special arrangement allowed them to play "together" without the use of a click track.” Check out the video Lisa produced. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xumOD3tdkR0 http://www.cardamomquartet.com/
The opening music is “The Pearl in Sorrow’s Hand” by Julie Vallimont, from her album Dark Sky, Bright Stars. Produced by Julie Vallimont. Mixed and mastered by Dana Billings. All content courtesy of the artists, all rights reserved. This series is supported in part by the Country Dance and Song Society, NEFFA, CDS-Boston, and Pinewoods Camp. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting it via Patreon: www.patreon.com/starsintherafters
1. Villagers All - Andy, Robin, Arthur, and Emma Davis; and Emma Schneider (Brattleboro, VT). Andy writes, “Here is a song that we have sung at the Brattleboro Christmas Eve pub sing over the years. Our family created this virtual performance this year. Words by Kenneth Grahame from The Wind in the Willows, music by me.”
2. Joy and sorrow, an excerpt from The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran. Read by Ben Williams (Northampton, MA).
3. North: Northern Air - Crowfoot (VT and QC). Crowfoot is Jaige Trudel, Adam Broome, and Nicholas Williams. This track is from their 2005 album Nadajai. www.crowfootmusic.com
4. Kindness, by Naomi Shihab Nye. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
5. El Sueño de la Muñaquita - Mary Lea (Brattleboro, VT). Steve Proctor, Keith Murphy, and Ralph Gordon play this waltz by Paraguayan composer Augustin Barrios Mangore on Mary Lea’s album Between Two Worlds. https://dancefiddler.com
6. For the raindrop, by Ghalib. Read by Charis Boke (Springfield, VT).
7. Evergreen - Becky Tracy (Brattleboro, VT). Becky plays this Keith Murphy waltz on her eponymous solo album. https://blackislemusic.com
The opening music is “The Pearl in Sorrow’s Hand” by Julie Vallimont, from her album Dark Sky, Bright Stars. Produced by Julie Vallimont. Mixed and mastered by Dana Billings. All content courtesy of the artists, all rights reserved. This series is supported in part by the Country Dance and Song Society, NEFFA, CDS-Boston, and Pinewoods Camp. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting it via Patreon: _www.patreon.com/starsintherafters
1. Bright Wings - Bright Wings Chorus (VT). This song by Brendan Taaffe is on the 2013 Bright Wings Chorus album Signs and Wonders. https://brendantaaffe.bandcamp.com/
2. The word, by Tony Hoagland. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
3. Soul of the Limestone Rock - Nightingale (VT). This waltz by Jeremiah McLane is on Nightingale’s 1996 album Sometimes When the Moon is High. www.nightingalevt.org
4. I dwell in possibility, by Emily Dickinson. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
5. The Star of Bethlehem - Tim Eriksen (Amherst, MA). Tim’s setting of this hymn text is on his 2011 album Star In The East. https://timeriksen.bandcamp.com
6. When you must start again, by Sarah Hirsch (RI). Read by Ben Williams (Northampton, MA).
7. Spark in the Dark - Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT). Julie plays this original tune with Noah VanNorstrand on her solo album, Dark Sky, Bright Stars. https://julievallimont.com/
The opening music is “The Pearl in Sorrow’s Hand” by Julie Vallimont, from her album Dark Sky, Bright Stars. Produced by Julie Vallimont. Mixed and mastered by Dana Billings. All content courtesy of the artists, all rights reserved. This series is supported in part by the Country Dance and Song Society, NEFFA, CDS-Boston, and Pinewoods Camp. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting it via Patreon: www.patreon.com/starsintherafters
1. Singing in the Land - Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem (Middletown, CT). This traditional Appalachian song is on their 2016 album Wintersong. https://raniarboanddaisymayhem.bandcamp.com
2. In between the sun and moon, by Pádraig Ó Tuama. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
3. Winter Blossom Waltz - Owen Morrison (Washington, DC). Owen wrote this waltz for the wedding of Kent Gilbert and Diana Hultgren. It’s on Daybreak, his album of original waltzes. https://owenmorrison.com/
4. Sure on this shining night, by James Agee. Read by Ben Williams (Northampton, MA).
5. Silent Night - Tim Eriksen (Amherst, MA). Tim’s version of this traditional carol is on his 2011 album Star In The East. https://timeriksen.bandcamp.com
6. The shortest day, by Susan Cooper. Read by Julie Vallimont (Brattleboro, VT).
7. Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming - Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem (Middletown, CT). This traditional German carol, accompanied by clawhammer banjo, is also on Wintersong. https://raniarboanddaisymayhem.bandcamp.com
The opening music is “The Pearl in Sorrow’s Hand” by Julie Vallimont, from her album Dark Sky, Bright Stars. Produced by Julie Vallimont. Mixed and mastered by Dana Billings. All content courtesy of the artists, all rights reserved. This series is supported in part by the Country Dance and Song Society, NEFFA, CDS-Boston, and Pinewoods Camp. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting it via Patreon: www.patreon.com/starsintherafters
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