Lyre Gathering in Eugene, Oregon

By Diane Rowley Portland, OR

Harmonizing tones resounded through the open windows and doors and out into the verdant gardens and beehives as the fingers of four women gently kneaded the strings of their lyres; some tentatively, after months of disuse, some with confidence and skill, all with joy and gratitude for the opportunity to play music together.

We would like to extend heartfelt thanks to Margo Ketchum for taking the initiative to organize this small gathering of northwest lyre players at the home of Lucy O’Neal in Eugene, Oregon. Margo and her husband were planning a trip to Eugene to visit their son and his family, so she contacted lyre players in the region and extended the invitation to participate in a day of lyre playing while she was there. Three people responded, a date was set, music was shared, and a potluck was organized. On August 26th, Diane Rowley drove down from Portland to join Jo Forkish and Margo at Lucy’s welcoming home on a green hillside in the outskirts of Eugene.

We spent time at the beginning of the morning chatting and getting to know each other, discovering unique individual and shared backgrounds, experiences, and interests. We warmed up with the scale of the day (E) and sang and played Colin Tanser’s piece on the related planet of Jupiter. Then we dove into our chosen repertoire with Reigen zum Johannisfest by Beatrijs Gradenwitz, which we repeated again at the end of our session. In between, we played a variety of music, including two pieces by Julius Knierim that appeared in the Supplement to our most recent edition of Soundings: Zwischenspiel aus “Der treue Johannes” and Klingen und Nachklingen. Our remaining repertoire was Sarabanda by Corelli, the Ashokan Farewell, the Old Gaelic Prayer, Enchanted Wood by Colin Tanser, Sarabande by Handel, and Spielmusik für Zwei Leiern by Lothar Reubke.

We enjoyed a delicious and bountiful potluck lunch on Lucy’s porch overlooking the garden, and the temperature of the day could not have been more perfect as we visited and commiserated. By the end of the afternoon, we had made plans to meet and play together again soon. Our invigorating day of lyre playing was thoroughly enjoyed by all, as the vibrations of the strings resonated in our hearts and bones and brought smiles to our faces!