One of the most festive holiday celebrations around, “A Winter’s Solstice Celebration,” is sure to put anyone in a festive, holiday mood. Filled with stirring music, good humor, and a bit of medieval history, the show is a collection of songs, poetry, skits, and short plays selected by director Carol McManus of Sandwich. The elements of the show are seamlessly interwoven, the 24 cast members gracefully choreographed by Michele Colley. Patti Anderson is music director. This very satisfying production is at the Cotuit Center for the Arts through December 18.

Some of the Solstice cast, clockwise from upper left: Peter Cook, Cynthia Cook, Alex Cook, Robert Bock, Rebecca Hill, and Kaitlin Cook. Josh Cox in the center. Photo by Daniel Fontneau, Cotuit Center for the Arts.

The show is enhanced further by its unique treatment of intermission, which was an unexpected pleasure. Audience members are invited to bring their own feasts to this medieval celebration and they are seated at long tables rather than in rows of chairs. At last Friday’s production, the start of intermission signaled the opening of often elaborate picnic dinners and community festivities, in the manner of a medieval solstice celebration. People were congenial and good-humored, sharing food and conversation. The cast joined in, offering cider and shortbread cookies to all. Specially themed cocktails may be purchased before the show and during intermission.

A very festive, feasting intermission! Photo by David Kuehn, Cotution Center for the Arts.

There is a splendid member art exhibition in the gallery to browse during intermission, for any who choose not to participate in the feast, but the feasting adds to the holiday spirit and the community spirit of the production.

Ms. McManus has long been a student of medieval theater and has sought to make this evening authentic and educational, as well as fun and community-spirited. The solstice celebration marks the passage of the shortest day of the year and welcomes the lengthening of the days and the shortening of the hours of darkness. People “caroled and feasted and gave thanks and hoped for peace,” we were told.

The show opens in darkness, as singers with candles softly begin with “In the Bleak Midwinter.” With each song or poem, the light brightens, and so does the mood. The singers move through the hall, sometimes off-stage, sometimes on stage, sometimes clustered in small groups. It all flows harmoniously.

Sprinkled in among the carols and poems are four short plays, three authentic medieval plays, and one “in the spirit of medieval play,” a very humorous take on Cinderella. The first play, “The Fall of Man,” tells the story of Adam and Eve. Michele Colley is the worm, or serpent, who tempts Eve to take a bite of the forbidden apple. Her costume, designed by Claude Danner, is long and serpentine, but even better is Ms. Colley’s ability to slither across the stage, coaxing, manipulating, and deceiving poor Eve. Shielding the snake is a uncredited cast member in a magnificent sculptural tree costume designed by Kahren Dowcett. It was so impressive that one could not help but wish that the tree had a larger role.

Robert Bock provides an introduction to “The Fall of Man.” Kiley Donovan plays Eve and Bobby Price is Adam. Garry Mitchell is God, his booming voice lending authority, and Kaitlin Cook is the angel who tells them to leave the Garden of Eden.

“Bar the Door” recounts the unintended impacts of a squabble between a husband and wife. It features Meredith Richter as narrator, Mr. Mitchell as the husband, Liz Brown as the wife, and the father-son team of Peter and Alex Cook as thieves who enter their home. It is an amusing little piece, not all that distant from contemporary comedy. Ms. McManus follows it with a song, “Drink to Me Only,” by Mr. Mitchell and Ms. Brown, a sweet affirmation of their characters’ love for each other.

“The Second Shepherds’ Play” is described as the first play written from imagination, rather than as a recounting of a story in the Bible for the purpose of elucidating the illiterate peasantry of the tales and lessons in the Bible. It begins, however, with a tale of three shepherds (Robert Bock, Peter Cook, and young Josh Cox of Sandwich) on a cold winter night, complaining about the weather, marriage and the dark. Along comes Mak (Paul Fendler) who steals a sheep (whose baas are sure to amuse) and brings it home to his wife, Jill (Cynthia Cook), while the shepherds try to find their lost sheep.

After the shepherds sleep, the scene shifts to Bethlehem, where, guided by two angels (Kinsale Steedman and Kaitlin Cook) they bring their gifts to the baby Jesus, and the scene melts into a beautiful a cappella rendering by the ensemble of “Lo, How A Rose.”

“Cinderella” is presented as a dramatic reading by miscast actors who are not quite ready to perform. The fairy godmother (Patti Anderson), for instance, refers to the “fairy couch” before being corrected to say “fairy coach,” and Cinderella has a cold. Lisa Jo Rudy is terrific as a comic Cinderella, supported by real-life young sisters Celeste Levine and Vivian Levine of Sandwich as her cruel stepsisters. They are adorable.

Alex Cook plays the Prince, who, as he and Cinderella, begin their happily-ever-after, is immediately pursued by multiple young women in “The Eriskay Love Lilt,” a lyrical, Scottish traditional tune. These and other transitions are very well done, and the selection of ancient carols, like “Lord of the Dance,” “Coventry Carol,” and “The Boar’s Head Carol” (complete with a sculpted boar’s head) is inspired.

Several poems are recited. Garry Mitchell reads “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” (“Come live with me and be my love”) with warm intensity, winning the approval of his love, who, with a careless shrug and a smile, joins him at the end of the poem. Ms. Rudy becomes a spiteful troll in “The Faerie Revels” by John Lyly. Susan Cannavo tells an atypical story of a princess and a dragon in “The Princess, the Knight, and the Dragon.”

Musicians provided a gentle accompaniment: Donna Albert on recorder, Drew Anderson on guitar and percussion, Patti Anderson on keyboards and Kathy Spirtes on hammered dulcimer.

Medieval costumes were designed by Cindy Parker, and the Barnstable Comedy Club and Eva Broderson of the no longer active Mostly Medieval Carolers of Sandwich also provided costumes. L. Michelle Law designed the set, and Erin Trainor designed the lighting.

There is much more, but go see it for yourself. “A Winter’s Solstice Celebration” continues Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7 PM and Sunday at 1 PM. Tickets are $20, $18 for seniors, $15 for members, and $10 for students. Tickets may be purchased at www.cotuitarts.org or by calling 508-428-0669.

The audience is invited to bring their own dinner to enjoy during the festivities. Cider and sweets will be provided. Audience members may order a gourmet medieval picnic for two in advance. Contact the Cotuit Center for the Arts for additional information or to order dinner.

“Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone” Directed by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler, “Everyday Sunshine” will be screened tonight at 7 PM in Redfield Auditorium. It is the story of Fishbone, an African-American alternative rock band considered one of the distinctive and influential bands of all time.

Founded in 1979 in Los Angeles by brothers John Norwood Fisher (bass, vocals), his brother Phillip “Fish” Fisher (drums), and Angelo Moore, “Dr. Mad Vibe” (vocals, saxophones, theremin), the band plays what has been described as a fusion of ska, punk rock, funk, heavy metal, jazz, hip-hop, and pop. Sometimes they are all in one song.

Other band members have included Kendall Jones (guitar), “Dirty” Walter A. Kibby II (vocals, trumpet), and Chris Dowd (keyboards, trombone, and vocals).

The band “had this idea that we could be a pure democracy,” which led to the multiple styles and mix of music, and to problems within the band.

The film not only traces the band’s history, but looks at racial issues in Los Angeles. Busing for racial integration is what brought the band members together at a white school, where their time together is recreated through humorous animated cartoons.

Even if you have never heard of Fishbone, this is an entertaining and absorbing film about the ups and downs of a rock band and its very individual members, full of energy, music, and cultural commentary.

Tonight, Falmouth Town Band will host a special guest, Mildred Allen, who will conduct the “Stars and Stripes Forever.” This has become an annual event for Mildred, who will be103 years old on her next birthday.

The concert will feature the trombone section in a performance of “The Trombone Rag” and the woodwind section with “Bubbling Woodwinds.” There will be plenty of real bubbles on display for both.

Other selections on the program include: “Fairest of the Fair March,” “Oliver,” “Tennessee Salute,” “Sammy Davis Jr. Highlights,” “A Friend Like Me,” “New York, New York,” “Laura,” “El Capitan March,” “Hands Across the Sea March,” “Beguine for Band,” and “Feelings.”

All Town band concerts begin at 7:30 PM every Thursday throughout the summer. They are held at the Music and Arts Pavilion, also known as the Oscar Wolf Band Shell, on Scranton Avenue on Falmouth Harbor.

Refreshments and restrooms are available. Bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on.

Now in its second year on Cape Cod, the program seems to be working. On Wednesday, 144 students from 10 of the 16 schools involved in the program gathered at Barnstable High School’s Performing Arts Center to test their knowledge of 16 pieces of music that they have been studying since last October.

Guest conductor Joan Landry led 40 members of the CCSO and four vocal soloists in the performance of short excerpts from the pieces the students have been learning about. The students, in teams of 6 to 12 students, had 30 seconds to identify each piece–and the composer of each piece.

George Scharr, education director for the CCSO, emceed the event, and, after the students gave their answers, three judges let them know whether they were correct. As the judges repeatedly pointed out, the kids were amazing. These were third and fourth graders from elementary school and fifth and sixth graders from middle school identifying complex classical and jazz pieces: Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in d minor, “The Dance of the Clowns” from Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “12 American Preludes: No. 9, Tribute to Aaron Copland” by Ginestera, and many more.

Here are a couple of examples: 

This, the last one, was particularly challenging:

The orchestra treated the kids to a full performance of the first movement from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5–you know, it is the one that goes dah-dah-dah-daaaah. And ends with the two chords that most of the kids knew so well.

The students have clearly learned their music and had fun at the competition. More importantly, they seem to take great pleasure in the music itself and appreciate the skill of the musicians.  The program opens their ears to new music and new ways of listening to music; it should go a long way toward instilling in them a lifelong appreciation of music.

All the students received red or blue ribbons for their accomplishments.

The real star of the show was, of course, Keith Lockhart and the 73-piece Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, celebrating the 125^th of the Boston Pops, and bringing a glorious array of music to the Hyannis Village Green on a gorgeous summer afternoon.

The concert was sold out, and the green was packed with people, their lawn chairs as close as possible to allow more and more people in, an estimated 15,000, a large crowd for downtown Hyannis.

After the national anthem, Rachael took the stage to conduct “The National Emblem March,” joking about how nervous she was, but that former Pops guest conductor William Shatner had assured her that all she had to do was wave the baton around and the orchestra would know what to do.

They did, and Rachael came through it all just fine, adding her own warm humor to the event.

Rachael Ray prepares to conduct.

After a rousing performance of Aaron Copland’s “Hoedown” from Rodeo (made famous, Lockhart said, by the “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner” commercial), Lockhart provided a short history of the Pops, which has had 17 conductors from 1885, the year it was formed, until Arthur Fiedler took over in May of 1930. Understanding popular preferences, Lockhart said, Fieldler was “a huge advocate of American musicians and composers” and shaped both the orchestral sound and public taste to create one of the world’s most popular orchestras: “American’s orchestra.”

John Williams took over in 1980, and Lockhart has been conductor since 1995.

Lockhart paid tribute to Fieldler’s influence by conducting Aaron Copland’s “Hoedown” from Rodeo, or, as he put it, the “What’s for dinner?” theme from the beef commercial.

And he honored Williams with the flying theme from “E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial,” one of many movie scores he composed. As if on cue, a cluster of five red balloons broke loose and wafted off into the clear blue sky.

Fieldler, said Lockhart, knew that people liked to sing along, and offered opportunities for them to do so on “Old-Timer’s night.” When Lockhart arrived, he was told by some outspoken older audience members, even one in his 90s, that they did not consider themselves “old-timers,” and the term “sing-along” came to be used instead.

Yesterday’s sing-along featured music of the Beatles, “adding a new tradition to the old tradition,” said Lockhart.

“The Beatles sing-along began with “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” not an easy song to sing along to, though the words were printed in the program. But the words fit: “the singer’s going to sing a song, and he wants you all to sing along.” This was followed by “With a Little Help From My Friends (“Lend me you ears, and I’ll sing you a song, and I’ll try not to sing out of key), “Twist and Shout” (the crowd was particularly vocal on the ahhhh, ahhhh, ahhhh, ahhhh part), and “Yellow Submarine,” which had a nice mellow, community feel.

Chris Cooper reads "The Dream Lives On."

Next was actor Chris Cooper’s narration of “The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers,” with music by Peter Boyer and words by Lynn Ahrens, which was commissioned by Lockhart last fall. The words, largely quotations from each of the three brothers in turn, speak to the legacy of the Kennedy brothers, their idealism and enduring sense of optimism, “a human vision of what our country can be.”

It was not only the words, by their delivery, by the Jack, Bobbie, and Ted, that made them so eloquent and effective. Chris Cooper gave the words, many of which we know by heart, renewed vigor,  backed by the inspiring orchestral music.

It was particularly meaningful, in such close proximity to the Kennedy Museum on Main Street and Hyannisport. (The Kennedys had been on my mind, having seen, on Saturday night, a preview of the Cotuit Center for the Arts’ “American Camelot” exhibit of photographs, paintings, and sculptures of the Kennedy family. CCftA’s production of “Camelot” opens Thursday, August 5.)

Part of the huge crowd at the Hyannis Village Green

After intermission, vocalist and actress Idina Menzel took the stage. Star of Broadway hits “Wicked” and “Rent,” and a recent addition to the popular television series “Glee,” Menzel was a big hit with the crowd, particularly the younger members.

She seemed surprised that the audience was so attentive, her green dress matching the color of the leaves on the trees of Hyannis Village Green.

“I’m really a wedding singer at heart,” she said. “I’m expecting people to be clinking glasses. You’re all so nice . You’re really listening. I appreciate that. I could cry.”

There was plenty of reason to listen. Menzel has a beautiful voice, and she sang a hauntingly beautiful “Love for Sale,” and some of her big hits: “No Day But Today” from “Rent,” and “For Good” and “Defying Gravity” from “Wicked.”

Idina Menzel

She talked about her 11-month-old baby, Walker Nathaniel Diggs, with husband Taye Diggs (they met on the set of “Rent”) and how their “good morning” baby talk evolved into both a rap and a song, a jazzy, bouncy, bubbly song that she shared with us.

She offered a poignant “Funny Girl,” which she had recently sung on “Glee.” As an encore, she sang a moving “Tomorrow” from “Annie,”  ”the song my mother always made me sing at family gatherings.”

By this time, the crowd, growing fearful of being caught in the huge outgoing traffic jam, had begun to disperse. It was sad to see so many people leaving while Idina was still singing. Fortunately for me, though, it opened up a spot where I could stand, shielded by a tree, and catch her last song.

The orchestra ended with “Stars and Stripes Forever.” While, as you can see, people continued to stream out, most of the audience thoroughly enjoyed it.

A wonderful concert!

Kyle Yampiro as Nathan Detroit and Miss Adelaide (Brynn Lewallen as Miss Adelaide in CLOC’s “Guys and Dolls.”

By MARILYN J. ROWLAND
Frank Loesser’s “Guys and Dolls,” currently being presented by the College Light Opera Company at Highfield Theatre in Falmouth, is one of those rare musicals in which nearly every song is a winner. It has such memorable solos and duets as “If I Were A Bell,” “I’ve Never Been in Love Before,” “Adelaide’s Lament,” and “Sue Me,” as well as show-stopping ensemble pieces: “The Oldest Established, Permanent Floating Crap Game,” “Take Back Your Mink,” “Luck Be A Lady Tonight,” and “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat.”

It tells an engaging story of gamblers, gangsters, showgirls, cops, and missionary workers in New York City during the 1930s, based on the short stories of Damon Runyon (as rewritten by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows). The colorfully named characters (Harry the Horse, Nicely-Nicely) speak in picturesque language that combines vernacular street talk, formal speech (avoiding contractions, for instance), and unusual constructions, adding a humor of its own.

After a fine overture by the orchestra, the show opens on a busy street scene in New York, the night skyline represented by white rectangles and strings of lights. There is an entrance to the subway and a newspaper stand. The assorted population of the city saunters by: sailors, high society women, showgirls, schoolgirls, and assorted characters of the city.

Nicely-Nicely Johnson (Conner Lewis), Benny Southstreet (Gabriel Di Gennaro), and Rusty Charlie (Alexander Daly) open with “Fugue for the Tinhorns” (I Got the Horse Right Here), a creative three-part fugue on picking horses, and the cast members render it in a satisfyingly upbeat fashion, though they seem very young and innocent, not the seasoned gamblers they are portraying.

Mr. Lewis and Mr. Di Gennaro later unleash an energetic “Guys and Dolls” ( When you see a guy/reach for stars in the sky/You can bet/that he’s doin’ it for some doll.)

Members of the Save-A-Soul Mission enter, introducing Sarah Brown (Rachel Marschke) and Arvide Abernathy (Michael Puglia), who are seeking souls to save.

They are ignored by the gamblers, led by Nathan Detroit (Kyle Yampiro), who need a place for their floating crap game, safe from the prying eyes of Lt. Brannigan (Patrick J. Hagen). “The Oldest Established” was a rousing production with the men costumed in colorfully diverse suits and hats, and it ended with a dramatically held pose.

Miss Adelaide (Brynn Lewallen), Nathan’s fiancée of 14 years, arrives with an anniversary present for him, the card reading, “Sugar is sweet, and so is jelly, put this belt around your belly.” Ms. Lewallen shines in this role, giving Miss Adelaide a sweet saintliness as well as a streetwise sensibility.

Her songs, “A Bushel and a Peck” (with the Hot Box Girls gloriously feathered as chickens, at the nightclub where she performs), “Adelaide’s Lament,” “Take Back Your Mink,” “Sue Me” (with Mr. Yampiro) and “Marry the Man Today” (with Ms. Marschke) are always enjoyable and humorous.

Her  lament (“just from waiting around, for that plain little band of gold, a person can develop a cold”), sung to Nathan, is particularly endearing, and the duets are great fun.

Sky Masterson (Brad Baron) arrives on the scene, and Nathan hopes to find a bet he cannot lose, in order to win from him the $1,000 he needs to pay for the use of the Biltmore Hotel Garage for an evening of crapshooting. This leads to Sky’s involvement with Sarah Brown, and the two fall hard for each other, though, of course, problems separate them for a time.

Mr. Baron and Ms. Marschke blend harmoniously as they sing “I’ve Never Been In Love Before,” and Mr. Baron has a strong speaking and singing voice. Ms. Marschke’s speaking voice was much quieter, and it was sometimes hard to understand her, but she was exuberant in “If I Were A Bell” and her duos with Mr. Baron and Ms. Lewallen.

Mr. Puglia, as Arvide Abernathy, who has a relatively small role in this show, contributes heartfelt emotion with his expressive rendition of “More I Cannot Wish You.”

“Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” led by Mr. Lewis, was terrific, full of vitality, as was the closing reprise of “Guys and Dolls” by the ensemble.

Brandon Grimes is great as Big Jule, who brings his own dice to the game; he has removed the spots, but remembers where they were; and Amanda Forker plays General Matilda B. Cartwright with an appropriate mix of sternness and vulnerability to the charms of Sky.

Stage direction for the show is by Michael Canestraro, and music direction is by Elizabeth Hastings. Heidi Kloes is the choreographer. Costumes were designed by Kake Boucher, and the set design and technical direction are by Tim Boucher.

The show continues through Saturday, July 24, at 8 PM. There is also a matinee Thursday, July 22, at 2 PM. Tickets are $30 and are available by calling 508-548-0668, or by visiting the CLOC box office, 58 Highfield Drive, in Falmouth. Box office hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 12:30 PM, 2 to 5 PM, and 7 to 9 PM.

**

A special 100th anniversary production of “Naughty Marietta” opens Tuesday, July 27, and runs through Saturday, July 31. There will be a special lecture by Victor Herbert scholar Alyce Mott on “Victor Herbert’s Enduring Legacy” on Saturday, July 31, at 3 PM, at Highfield Hall in Falmouth. The talk will focus on Mr. Herbert’s influence on the American operetta. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. Call the box office to reserve a seat.

**

The following day, Sunday, August 1, is the annual CLOC Orchestra Soiree Concert, which takes place at 7:30 PM at the Cape Cod Conservatory, across the parking lot from Highfield Theatre. The event is free and open to the public.

A taste of Arts Alive. Roger and Judy Day, coordinators of  Arts Alive, say hello.

The Russ Wilcox Band helped to kick things off on Friday night with mellow jazz that got people dancing:

Later, Groovy Afternoon rocked the Town Dance, bringing out more dancers.  Christine Mascott is the lead singer, sounding like Janis Ian, Grace Slick and other woman singers of the 1960s and 70s. Other band members are Paul Mascott on lead guitar), Tracy Ferrie on bass, Byrd Preston on rhythm guitar, and Andrew Ianniello on drums.

On Saturday, artists and craftspeople set out their paintings, jewelry, pottery, fiber arts, and more, filling Shore Street Extension with arts of all kinds.

The Falmouth Artists Guild had a booth, staffed by Kathy Taylor, who told me about guild activities.

Kim Collins of Artful Beadworks had some beautiful beaded necklaces on display and was busy working on more.

Tamara Clark showed off her natural science illustrations and sparkly fish T-shirts.

Singer-songwriter Annie Rich sang her own compositions, folk, and popular music. Here, she sings “You’ve Got a Friend.”

Photographer Suzanne Livingstone shows off some of her photographic note cards.

Donna Vaness of Bead Muse talks about her jewelry: beads, ‘text tiles,” and ancient rocks.

The Sonnay Fiddlers took the stage to play “100 Pipers” and “Cock of the North.” Nikki Engstrom leads this group of her young and not-so-young students. Sonnay stands for “students of Nikki, not all young.”

Tobai Leighton offered instruction in knotting, for children and teens. They made necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and bookmarks.

Hollis Engley of Hatchville Pottery had functional pottery for all types of uses.

The Falmouth Flute Choir played flute music, here, excerpts from a longer piece, “Galway Fantasie.” Playing with the flute choir are, from left, around the semi-circle, Denise Dias, Fran McLean, Marilyn Brice, Tamara Clark (who also exhibited her art in the festival), Marilyn Rowland (me), and Kathryn McGlynn. (Tamara’s husband Peter shot this video for me.)

Nicole Bergeron talks about making Ukrainian eggs from real eggs.

Entertainment of Saturday featured rock bands and lots of them. Here are some performances by Funktapuss and DoubleBind.

I was sorry not to be able to attend on Sunday. There were many more musicians, entertainers, and artists and craftspeople. The weather was perfect–a great weekend for the arts!

Mwalim describes himself as a Black-Wampanoag performance artist and arts educator. His name is pronounced “mwah-leem,” which means “teacher” in Ahramic. In Wampanoag, his name is “Kukutumtunup” or “Speaking Turtle,” which also means “teacher.”

Mwalim is unique and multitalented: he is a singer, pianist, percussionist, composer, performance artist, record producer, author, poet, playwright, screenwriter, actor, director and professor of English and African American studies at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.

In the first video clip, below, he talks about his first two CDs, “The Bass Mint Brothers” and “The Liberation Sessions,” as well as his third, which he expects to be released in October. His music can be describe as R&B, jazz, soul, Afro-beat, or house music (a style of electronic dance music influenced by soul, funk, and disco.)

“The Liberation Sessions: Soul of the City” is an imaginative CD, reflecting not only Mwalim’s musicianship, but his personal philosophy and his sense of humor. The CD is presented as an hour of programming  on a black urban radio station, WBAR-FM (Black Ass Radio), “where the DJs sound cooler than you can ever hope to be.” The DJ, Bob B., is very cool, silky smooth, and the music is earthy R&B, cool jazz, and very engaging. We hear the reverberating station jingle, the news with Ron E. (about the demise of black urban radio stations), and lots of good music.

The album has been nominated for many awards (Best R&B CD, Best Spoken Word CD, Best Producer, Best Caribbean Male Vocalist, Best R&B Single, and Best Caribbean Singel for “Dem Big Girls”), and deservedly so. Mwalim’s music video of “Dem Big Girls,” which he sang at the fundraiser, is on Youtube.

Mwalim also spoke to me about his recent appearance in “Porgy & Bess: Music and Stories,” which was presented March 5 to 7 by the Cotuit Center for the Arts. As Morgan James Peters, he gave the pre-performance talk, an interesting and informative discussion of African Americans in the theater. He also played the role of Sportin’ Life, singing, ““It Ain’t Necessarily So,” a song he has incorporated into his musical act.

For more information on Mwalim, see his websites:

Mwalim’s Jazz, Funk’n Folklore, The Portal to Everything Mwalim,

Mwalim’s Word Lounge,

his MySpace page,

his CD Baby page, or

his Facebook Fansite. Mwalim knows how to communicate.

John and Rachel at their home in East Falmouth.

“Here You Are,” John and Rachel Nicholas’s new CD, which John recorded himself in his home studio, has been three years in the making and is a tribute to their 32-year journey together. The ten songs on the album, all written by John, with input from Rachel, are thoughtful and bittersweet, reflecting their growth through time, geography, music, and life’s trials and tribulations; they express, above all, their love and support of each other and their family and friends. The lyrics are intelligent and poetic, and the music, in a soulful acoustic Americana folk style, with a touch of rock and showcases both of their voices and blends the two in compelling harmonies.

Rachel has a particularly warm, resonant voice, and she sings from the heart, especially in her lament about her daughter leaving home to (“I cant get in the way as she strikes out on her own”) in “Hole in This House.” John sings about America and the common man in the Guthrie tradition, about the optimism of youth and the realities of aging, particularly in “America, It’s You” and “People Like Us” and “Time Moves On,” and together they offer beautiful harmonies and strong melodies. There is a sense of sorrow or yearning to many of their songs, but there is a hopefulness too, a kind of sadder-but-wiser outlook on life.

They sing about love, but not about the dizzy bloom of young love. They sing of love enduring over the years, love through major and minor crises, love amid the ups and downs of daily life. And they do it eloquently, with well-chosen poetic words that reflect their warm and generous personalities.

The title song, “Here You Are,” offers compassion and support to someone who is despondent, who cannot see how far he has come. It is dedicated to John’s brother, who died about two and a half years ago. The song is, in John’s words, “an internal dialogue confronting self-pity and depression.”

Here you are and you’re telling stories
About your long-ago, once-upon glories
If you could just see that you’ve come this far,
Oh here you are.
Here’s where you are.

Later in the song, John sings of “your woeful grace” and “your trunk full of what-could-have-beens,” evoking poignant images of
Kind of a nostalgia or sad-yet-hopeful feel to the songs.

It is a touching song that many may relate to. In “Hold On,” John asserts his willingness to help:  “If troubles were stones, I’d lift yours with all my might.” “People Like Us” is upbeat and jaunty, even as it verbalizes the financial worries of everyday people. “Crossroads” reflects on the curves and bumps in the road of life. They are not your standard love songs, and all the more reason to take a listen.

Originally from Long Island, John met Rachel after he moved out to California. Rachel, from Santa Monica, auditioned as a vocalist for his rock band Bakiste (pronounced “Back East”) in Santa Barbara, and they have been together ever since, despite Rachel’s vow not to date anyone in the band. John and Rachel became friends first, and that friendship has thrived and is manifested in their singing, their performances, and their lives together.

After the rock band broke up, the two performed in a Latin jazz group, which opened for big names like B.B. King in the late 1970s. In 1980, John was asked to play bass on an album being recorded in New York, so they moved to Manhattan and Rachel completed her degree in art at Hunter College.

By 1982, they had realized they were “not cut out to live in Manhattan,” and accepted an invitation from Chris LoCascio to “come to the Cape, paint [houses] and have a band.” They settled in East Falmouth and formed a band right away, Endgame, adding a bass player and a drummer to Chris’s piano and their guitar and vocals and played throughout the Cape.

In 1988, John, Rachel, and Chris formed an acoustic American music trio, and, a few years later, John and Rachel began singing as  Dreamwork, performing in coffeehouses such the South Shore Folk Music Club in Kingston, initially on Open Mike night. They opened for Aztec Two-Step at the First Encounter Coffeehouse in Eastham, and performed at several coffeehouses (the Benefit and the Driftwood)  in Marstons Mills in the space currently occupied by the Third Fret coffeehouse. Last year, they performed at the Navigator Coffeehouse in East Falmouth, and recently at No Place Special in Mashpee, as well as many others over the years.

I met Rachel and John about 8 years ago, when they performed with Dreamspinners, a women’s chorus created and led by Shirley D’Estete of Mashpee. The group included both singers like me who had never sung before and singers like Rachel who clearly had. Both our teenage daughters were in the chorus too, and there were several other mother-daughter pairs  in the group, which focused on songs of compassion and healing. I loved hearing Rachel’s strong and passionate voice, in solos, or as part of the chorus—she contributed not only to the overall quality of sound of the group, but to the musical education of people like me.

“For this sleepy little town,” said Rachel, “there are so many things like that [Dreamspinners] that keep me going.”

At that time they were still known as Dreamwork (The name of the chorus, Dreamspinners, was  unrelated). After DreamWorks Pictures was created, “the name didn’t feel original any more,” and the duo decided to use their own names as their band name, which, they said, was more appropriate in the folk world.

Their musical influences have been the Beatles (“We grew up on the Beatles. We thought folk music was ‘Rubber Soul,’” said John), the Band (“the ultimate roots band, sounding like they were coming from the Civil War”), Bruce Springstein (“We have always been Springstein fans), American fiddle music, Emmy Lou Harris, Steve Earl, and, in general, “people who sing about life and emotion,” including Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens.

John quoted a definition he read describing folk music as “music where the story is more important than the song,” and he is proud of the fact that the words in his songs “mean something.” He credits Rachel with coming up with some of the ideas for songs. “She is a very good arranger, and she gives good editorial advice and helps create the vocal harmonies” that the duo is known for. They have been described as “singing with one voice,” and that is an apt description of their vocal harmonies.

The realities of earning a living and day-to-day life interrupted John and Rachel’s musical journey for a few years, but, in the past three years, they have returned to active singing, recording, and performing. “It is important for music and art to be seen and heard,” said John.

He named his recording studio Jumping Mouse Records in honor of a native American folk tale, in which a tiny, but courageous, mouse, taking a leap of faith, jumps high in the air and becomes a soaring eagle. See FirstPeople for one version of this tale.

You can hear John and Rachel’s new CD on their MySpace page, and it can be purchased at CDBaby. For more information on John and Rachel, see their website.

Upcoming Events

John and Rachel Nicholas are having a CD release party on Saturday, April 10, at 7:30 PM at the Navigator Coffeehouse in East Falmouth. Tickets are $15. For more information, see John and Rachel’s site at or the Navigator Coffeehouse.

They will help the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (WBNERR) in East Falmouth celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on Saturday, April 24, as they have every year for the past 15 years. Performing with them will be Hugh O’Doherty and Denny Jeff Schwartz, both singer/songwriters. Admission is $10, $5 if you bring your own coffee mug.

On Saturday, May 1, you can catch them at the West Falmouth Library, where they will be performing a special fundraising concert for the library at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $10.

In June, John and Rachel will be performing in at the Sweet Chariot South Music Festival in West Roxbury.

No matter; it was all fun, and all four musicians (Susan and Stephen Lindsay of–obviously–The Lindsays, and Nikki Engstrom and Sean Brennan of Stanley & Grimm) are talented and engaging performers. The men played guitar and sang; Nikki played violin, and Susan won the prize, as Sean pointed out, for playing the most instruments: Irish flute, tin whistle, and alto and soprano sax. I particularly loved her on the alto sax, not an instrument you usually find in an Irish band.

Their finale captures the essence of the evening: The Lindsays start it off with Susan on the Irish flute, Stanley & Grimm take over, and then all four play together, this time with Susan on the alto sax.  The tunes are: Christmas in America/Jean’s/Catharsis.

The Lindsays started off the evening with a soft, gentle folk song, “So do I,” Steve playing guitar and singing, and Susan singing and playing tin whistle. That was followed by another vocal, with Susan on alto sax, in a very mellow mood.

They have a nice onstage presence, with Susan doing much of the talking and teasing. “The secret to our success as a married couple,” she said, “is that we can make fun of each other in public.”

Next they sang a song about the war in Bosnia, an impassioned “anti-atrocity” song with a strong, insistent beat, accented by Susan on the tambourine. Another “not-so-Irish” tune followed, “The Dancer,” a contra dance tune.

Fiddler Nikki Engstrom joined the Lindsays for a tune about “a woman who got a little too friendly with her husband’s boss. “Not all Irish tunes are sad or angry,” Susan said, “some are scandalous.” Susan played tin whistle on this one, and the combination of fiddle and flute was delightful, bubbly and energetic. Both women are very skilled players: controlled and free at the same time, their playing rich and full, despite the breakneck speed of most of the tunes.

There were more tunes from the Lindsays, then Stanley & Grimm took the stage  intermission. Sean drolly explained the origin’s of the duo’s name. Though, he said, people tend to think of Nikki as “Stanley” and himself as “Grimm,” the fact is that Nikki’s violin was made by F. O. Stanley (who, with his twin brother F. E. Stanley, invented the Stanley Steamer, the first steam-powered automobile) and her bow was made by a German bow maker named Grimm. Sean joked that his Martin guitar just didn’t matter.

But of course it did, the duo plays so well together that their recent album (their third), “Another Round” was named 2008 Album of the Year by Celtic Radio. Both very accomplished musicians and composers, they have been playing together throughout New England for the past five years.

They played a variety of tunes, throwing a bit of Pachelbel and “Over the Rainbow” into the mix of Irish tunes, including the sentimental favorite, “Danny Boy,” in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Susan joined Stanley & Grimm for a tune, and you can hear Susan and Nikki on each other’s albums.

Though Manny and Linda Dias have been running the Navigator Coffeehousefor over a year, this was the first time I had visited. The Navigator itself is run by the Portuguese American Association of Falmouth, Inc., and Manny donates coffeehouse profits to the association for community projects. It is a nice, large room, yet it provides an intimate musical experience, as none of the tables are too far from the stage.  The table seating also encourages friendly conversation before and after the show and during intermission. Coffee and tea is included in the $15 admission price, and you can buy desserts or visit the cash bar.

The next Navigator Coffeehouse is Saturday, April 10. Singer/songwriters John and Rachel Nicholas will perform–it’s the CD release party for their new CD, “Here You Are.”