I am saddened at the news that Mudlark, my beloved singing friend, succumbed to cancer yesterday morning (January 26, 2012). It was not unknown, nor wholly unexpected, but the heart kept hoping and dreaming that the future could be turned.

Mudlark welcomed me to her home many years ago, when I needed a place to stop over on my way to Jen Ellen's Runamuck gathering. Although we had never met she welcomed me with the warmest hospitality, and we discovered in each other a common affection for the fine old songs, and would stay up until the wee hours swapping tunes. Over the years we visited as often as we could, whenever we were driving north, and her friendship and hospitality never flagged even when she was wrestling with deteriorating health.

And she kept on singing, almost to the end. The night before she died, a hospice volunteer came to visit and played the harp for her. Her house was a crossroads for musicians of every stripe, and the number of people who loved her proved an astonishment to those who were caring for her in her last months. They kept showing up and calling from unexpected corners of the world. I guess this is what happens with truly big hearts; they gather loving friends everywhere, and never make a big deal aboutit.

Nancy played and sang beautifully, with a throaty rich voice that just took you away. There was nothing fancy or affected; just the wholeness of the song, carried with her whole being and energy. There was nothing I ever enjoyed more than sitting in her living room with a bottle of red and a long night of shared song. She was a pure gem of a lady.


I have never known a finer friend or a better human being, and I am sorry at her passing.

AJ