Kytrad/Son Brilliant Concert on the Mall

Subject: Kytrad/Son Brilliant Concert on the Mall
From: Fortunato
Date: 04 Jul 03 - 08:09 AM

It began this way. Jean stepped down onto the grass on the Mall and the sun broke through the lowering clouds just at sunset.

    Jean and her son Jon were the closing act in this evening concert on the Mall. The white tent, the Harmony Stage of the Appalachian section of the Folklife Festival on the Mall, lay nearly halfway between the Capital and The Washington Monument,and surrounded by the museums and gallerys of the Smithsonian.

    The large tent was packed and many stood gathered around it. The crowd had already given standing ovations to Will Keys, two-finger style banjo player from Gray, Tennessee and Clyde Davenport, a long-bowing fiddler from Jamestown, Tennessee.

    Jean and Jon were greeted with great affection and respect, with many applauding during the introduction. Jean was at her best, stirred, I think, by greeting a friend from Scotland whom she had met during her stay there in the early 50's on a Fullbright scholarship. The high, haunting quality of her voice riveted the crowd, who sat rapt and attentive. With her son Jon, she sang many wonderful songs and accompanied herself on dulcimer and autoharp while Jon played the banjo.

    My favorite of the night was Loving Hannah, but there were so many. Jon has a beautiful voice, and sang marvelous harmonies of surpassing intricacy.

    It was a stellar night and Jean Ritchie and Jon were brilliant.

Subject: RE: Kytrad/Son Brilliant Concert on the Mall
From: GUEST,celtaddict
Date: 04 Jul 03 - 10:46 AM

Wish I could have been there. I was privileged to be in DC the weekend before, for my older brother's Bar Mitzvah ceremony, and was delighted with hearing Ed Miller, Brian McNeill, Alasdair Fraser, Anne Reid (Tam's widow), Adam McNaughtan, Sheena Wellington, and other Scots in the Scotland section. Appalachia and Scotland were wonderful, but I confess I never made it to Mali.

Subject: RE: Kytrad/Son Brilliant Concert on the Mall
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Jul 03 - 12:50 AM

Sure sounds like it was really wonderful. I hope I get a chance to hear them in person, sometime, too. Thanks for sharing!

kat

Subject: RE: Kytrad/Son Brilliant Concert on the Mall
From: Mudlark
Date: 05 Jul 03 - 02:02 AM

Thanks for the nice review, Fortunato...wish I could have been there but good to know about it anyway.

Subject: RE: Kytrad/Son Brilliant Concert on the Mall
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 05 Jul 03 - 06:49 AM

Wonderful, Fortunato- I wanted to be there but my sister was too busy to host me!

Subject: RE: Kytrad/Son Brilliant Concert on the Mall
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 05 Jul 03 - 12:53 PM

Chance, thank you for the review! The Scottish friend who greeted me as I descended the golf-cart was Stanley Robertson, nephew of Jeannie Robertson who was such a sweet friend to me from our meeting in 1952 until the end of her life. I met Stan too, but he was only a wee lad then. There on the Mall, he hesitated only a moment and then threw his arms round me, saying, "I'm overcome with emotion!" Then he said, "Ye look the very same as then," and I answered, "Well, you have changed a bit!" We stood and talked of Jeannie for awhile, and of those good times, so there were tears in the back of my eyes when Jon and I got onstage. It was a wonderful starry night with a crescent moon, after the storms, fog and rain...our Capitol city shone gold in the twilight, the audience seemed just a large and loving roomful of friends. Jon and I (and George on the side with his camera)will always remember that little space and time. It was a magic evening for us. Thanks to all who came to share it with us. Jean

Subject: RE: Kytrad/Son Brilliant Concert on the Mall
From: Fortunato
Date: 06 Jul 03 - 08:44 AM

It was entirely my pleasure.