Down by the riverside

The mild summer air cooled slightly from the stormy heat of the day and a soft breeze floated off the river. People brought chairs, umbrellas, picnics and refreshments and set up on the Kasota stone steps of the amphitheater.

And the Celtic Band and I 

filled the evening with music.

It's the second time we've been part of the Riverfront Park Concert Series. And I remember much more of this year's performance. Last year, I had just stepped off a plane from spending three weeks studying harp in Ireland. I was jet lagged, to say the very least. I was overloaded with music and new knowledge and experiences I just couldn't even process yet. People told me the performance was wonderful, my commentary was witty and sweet, the band was rock solid and the night was perfect. I'm glad. I wish I could remember it myself.

This year we played new music and more new music that sprang forth as a result of that Ireland trip. We played some old favorites. Children danced - some of the best dancing EVER at any of my performances. People laughed, clapped, soaked up the late evening sun and let the music float over them.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

I love my band and how they make my music come alive.

After we were done playing, some people lingered and wanted to hear more Ireland stories. Some wanted to buy CDs to take the sounds of the night home with them. Some little ones wanted to touch the harp and talk about what it's like to be a harpist. I obliged. 

And then it was time to pack up the harp

and take it, and the harpist, back to the air conditioning.

As much as I talk about and complain about and dread the heat and humidity of the Minnesota summers, I love how the harp sings in the moist air. The ring is more mellow, the sound fuller, rounder. The strings are so grippy and satisfying to pull. Summertime music-making at its best.

Photos by Dick Chambers