Five Bitters from Gloucester which led out the Festival at 10 am performed a great set with impeccable harmonies. They get extra credit from the sound crew for performing so well while we were doing final adjustments on mic levels at the board.

We generally need at least an hour to set up our sound system and test out each mic and the monitor level. Through no fault of the organizers, we only had 30 minutes to do that. The folks setting up the staging were half an hour late and their manager should be advised of that fact.

I would have loved to have heard some more songs by Jeri, and she needs to make a recording (our offer still stands to produce a demo CD, at her house or ours).

Linn and Tom should really submit an application to next year's Mystic Sea Music Festival; they are wonderful traditional style singers.

Barry took the trouble to introduce some songs I've never heard him sing before which I found intriguing, and Barry Finn needs to to some more follow-up with the Mystic folks.

Mark Bernier is always a joy to listen to; I love his alternative musical setting for "Blow Ye Winds in the Morning" and his story about singing it aboard some yacht and then being asked to sing "Blow Ye Winds in the Morning" where upon he sang the more popular setting and no one was aware that he had sung them one after the other.

I could listen to Gordon Bok all afternoon, but this time he even told an intergalectic story about some trawlermen out in space comparing notes on where on earth they might scoop up some deer; one never knows where his fancy will wander!

I'd never heard (or met) Holly Torsey before but she certainly has a strong well-honed voice, and she only lives about 20 minutes from our home in Richmond.

Whoops! Got to run to launch a boat.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble