I like a lot of different kinds of music. My favorite is vocal ensemble close harmony. Think Barbershop Quartets, the Mills Brothers, The King’s Singers, the Andrews Sisters, Rockapella, Take 6, and cowboy songs (of course). I like brass quintets, Renaissance and Baroque music, and Sousa marches, among others. Upbeat, peppy Bluegrass and old-time thumping bass-line gospel music are good, too. I don’t much care for music that’s depressing or whiney or things that sound like a drum-track waiting for a melody (i.e. a great deal of current "popular" music), but that leaves me a pretty big variety to choose from.
That’s why I often get a call to help with programs for the Wednesday Music Club (is that an imaginative name, or what?) The last gig was to celebrate Founder’s month. Since the Federated Music Clubs were founded around the turn of the (last) century, they wanted music from the 1890s and early 1900s. Those are some of my favorite songs, plus I got to work with one of my favorite performers.
Brandt Roberts is in town for a while. He got his theater degree, then did some professional gigs for six months. I supect he’ll be treading the boards again pretty soon, but you should have been there for his rendition of "Who Threw the Overalls in Mistress Murphy’s Chowder?". For just a little while we turned the Presbyterian Activity Center into Murphy’s Saloon.