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Parkfest continues
Parkfest 2009 continues Tuesday evening in Greencastle with a 7 p.m. performance at the Robe Ann Park band shell by the duo of Mike Van Rensselaer and Steve Terry.
Like the rest of the pair's performances in the Parkfest series since it began in 1994, their tunes offer a wide variety within the old time and folk genre, featuring guitar, mandolin and banjo picking, along with harmonizing vocals.
From songs drawing national attention this year (the "Simple Gifts" Shaker tune performed at the Presidential inauguration) to purely local interest (Van Rensselaer's "Putnam County"), the evening's program offers something for everyone.
Children attending will be treated to Pete Seeger's "Abiyoyo" story-song, while their parents will revisit Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead.
The duo will offer songs sparked by events in their current lives. Terry, celebrating his 25th reunion for the graduating class of Greencastle High School, will sing Lotus Dickey's "Such a Long Time, Old Friend," written for Dickey's 50th reunion from Paoli.
Van Rensselaer, meanwhile, has written "Talkin' Merengue," retelling the events of the widely acclaimed Dancing with the Putnam County Stars fund raiser this spring in which he competed.
Also sprinkled through the performance will be country, bluegrass, gospel, Irish and minstrel tunes from the 19th and 20th centuries.
The duo has performed at festivals, schools, coffee shops, farmers' markets and other venues for the past two decades, and this year wrote a folk history and character education convocation named "The Family of Man" that they performed for the Greencastle High School student body.
"The students really made us feel welcome, and a few of them made a point to tell us later that they liked the message in what we did," noted Van Rensselaer.
The public is invited to attend this free concert, and should bring lawn chairs and/or blankets for comfortable seating.
Co-sponsors for the summer concert series are the Greencastle Civic League and Park and Recreation Department.