The main reason Urban Tapestry was at "The Gathering of the Fellowship" was to make music. So today we talk music.



There was lots of terrific music at "The Gathering" and we were pleased and happy to be part of it. So, as I sit here and listen to the sweet strains of Guiseppi Festa's CD, here are some more of my memories of "The Gathering".

Deb, Jodi and I were very excited to be invited to perform at Medieval Times on both the Monday and Tuesday night of "The Gathering". Monday night we were performing as entertainment at the Royal Quest, a gaming challenge for teams of four set up by Medieval Times. We performed on a small stage outside the gaming area for groups of revelers drinking at small tables nearby. And, hey, it was this concert that was captured in this video report by CITY-TV: http://www.pulse24.com/Showbiz/Top_Story/20031215-003/page.asp .

The second performer Monday night was Italian singer, Guiseppi Festa. He performed with an amazing flautist named Tom Maringer, who runs "The Shire Post", a company that makes wonderful Middle-earth coins and maps. I was really enchanted by Guiseppi's music, he writes and sings very sweet and haunting song arrangements of poems by J.R.R. Tolkien, some songs in English and some songs in Italian. We trades CDs at the con and I really love his English language CD, "Lingalad". Tolkien lyrics, vocal harmonies, guitar, flute- heh, can't imagine why I connect with -that- musical combination :). Guiseppi and Tom also performed at the Masquerade Ball Tuesday night.

Urban Tapestry also played the opening set at the Masquerade Ball on Tuesday night. The stage was set up in a bigger room with full light and sound on the stage and it was a lovely environment, being in these Medieval-looking halls with so many people walking around in gorgeous Middle-earth costumes. To our surprise, about half-way through our set a few ladies came out into the room and began to dance. We've never had anyone dance at our concerts before! (except maybe those robust filkers in England :)) It was a cool thing to see and as more people started to dance I was ready to throw our playlist to the wind to keep them dancing. Should we do fast songs? Slow songs? Ultimately, it didn't matter, because they danced to everything. Whirling in their Elven gowns, stepping in circles, it was a wonderful thing to see from the stage.

Later in the evening Deb, Jodi and I got our chance to join the dancing ladies when Glass Hammer took to the stage after the Medieval Times Banquet and Show. I've known of Glass Hammer's reputation for performing Tolkien-inspired music for some time and I have one of their CDs, so it was a real treat to get to hear them live. Funny, but one of the images I've had projected on "The Gathering" for the last year has been dancing in a Medieval gown while Glass Hammer played "The King's Beer" from the stage, I could so picture myself doing that, so when I found myself living out that image Tuesday night it was a very zen moment. Ah, I can't remember the last time I danced so much! The music was so fun, the crowd was infectious, being with that fellowship of Tolkien lovers made me euphoric. It's a night I'll always remember. I also really enjoyed hearing Ellen(Carnimiriel), one of my "Walk to Rivendell" buddies, perform as a guest singer with Glass Hammer that night. Ellen has a glorious voice!

Sometimes, though, it's the smaller musical moments that sneak up on you at a con and take your breath away. I met conniemarie and jewelsong here in LJ when I learned that they, too, love Tolkien-inspired music and writing songs of Middle-earth. We agreed to meet at "The Gathering" and bring our music and guitars to swap songs Tuesday morning. We agreed to meet in a common area called "The Prancing Pony" to have a filk circle. Debbie joined us, as well as another "Walk to Rivendell" friend of mine, Emerlute, who had brought her mandolin with her. A few other LJ folk joined us, too, eleanorgardener, willow_wode and primula_ were among the names I caught, and, again, it was fun to put a face to people whose Tolkien-inspired stories I've read on-line. Jewel had made lovely songbooks of the lyrics to hers and Connie's Tolkien songs, complete with artwork and I treasure my copy. We sang for about 90 minutes and it was so much fun. It was so easy to bond with these new friends and I hope we will see Connie, Jewel and 'Lute at other filk events. The final song we sang together was Annie Lennox's "Into The West" and it moved me so- Jewel and I playing guitar and 'Lute on mandolin, the soaring harmonies on the chorus from all of us. I just wept. Thank you so, so much, you guys, and you must stay in filk forever.

The final music session Urban Tapestry led at the con was a Tolkien-inspired song jam on Wednesday morning. It was casual and chatty and we all had a lot of fun and we sang "Waiting For Frodo" twice while giddily shouting, "Just six hours to go!" (until we saw "Return of The King", of course). 'Lute joined us again and one of the musicians from Glass Hammer and a woman named Summer who performed beautiful instrumentals on a lap harp. A lovely final musical memory from the con.

Tomorrow I'll wrap up the last of my "Gathering" memories with some odds and ends.