The Sassjoy Forums

[LeeP]

Hello Everyone,

Suzanne and I got to see folk music legends Jean Ritchie and John McCutcheon perform at the Carnegie Lecture Hall in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA, on Saturday, April 26, 2008. It was a great performance, and even at 85 years of age Jean Ritchie is as interesting and as lovely as ever. I thought about it and realized that I've probably only seen three other musicians around that age performing on stage before; Ravi Shankar (now 88,) Dave Brubeck (now 87), and Clark Terry (now 87). Maybe there are others, but I'll have to think on that one. Anyhow, it was a great time, and Jean Ritchie was very kind in person. We had a bunch of old vinyl records for her to sign, and we got to talk with her and her husband George Pickow, and what a great couple those two make! Suzanne even helped her find her walking cane. Jean is originally from Perry County, Kentucky, and plays the Appalachian Dulcimer. She's probably one of the main musicians (if not the main musician) associated with that particular instrument. She played an ancient song entitled, "Lord Thomas and Fair Ellender", that could chill a person right down to the bones.

Here's a picture I took of Jean Ritchie after the performance:


Here is Jean Ritchie with her husband, George Pickow:



Jean Ritchie and George Pickow; these are two very kind folks.

John McCutcheon is very talented, and he was kind enough to sign my old vinyl record of his, entitled The Wind that Shakes the Barley, but he did give me a little bit of heck for havin' such an old record. I told him, "Hey, this record means a lot to me. It's the first recording of the Hammered Dulcimer that I ever heard, and I bought it at Outer Limits in Athens, Ohio, some years ago." I told him that I had seen Shivkumar Sharma perform the Indian version of the hammered dulcimer, called the Santoor, with Zakir Hussain on tablas, and then we had something to talk about for a little while anyway. But perhaps John McCutcheon was tired that night after the performance and didn't want to speak much. He put on a good performance though, and his topical songs, folksy songs, as well as his experimental hammered dulcimer music were very enjoyable and pleasant to the ears. He's a great performer, and has some good and comical songs about current events available for free download on his website here.

On Sunday, April 27, 2008, Suzanne and I went to a free "Friend-Raising Concert" at the old Harmony Society Feast Hall in Old Economy Village, PA. I've discussed the Harmony Society numerous times already with anyone who has been willing to listen. They were a communal religious group who came over here from Germany in 1803, built three successive communities, and lasted 100 years (from around 1805 until 1905.) Well, last Sunday, the Old Economy Village Singers and the 1830 Orchestra put on a free performance in the old Feast Hall that was built in the 1830s, and they played some of the old songs of the Harmony Society. I like the Feast Hall, it's an interesting building, and obviously built well to still be so sturdy at over 170 years old. I was crackin' some jokes before the show that the old floor might give way with so many people up there (the main Feast Hall room is on the second floor.) But no, as I suspected, them Germans knows how to build thangs. And perhaps this is yet another example of how it is possible to actually build things that last, though we are seemingly such a "throw-away" culture these days, but that's another issue. Anyhow, the performance was pretty good for a collection of regular folks dressed up in 1830s Harmonite costumes and playing the old songs. I figure the Harmonites themselves were regular folks, and their old orchestra probably hit some wrong notes too back in the day. The song I was waiting for the most was at the very end, "Harmonie du Bruderstadt". This was the old Harmony Society "theme song", and it is attributed to George Rapp (1757-1847) and Frederick Reichert Rapp (1775-1834). When this song came around, I was ready and recorded it. Then I went home and compiled the pictures I've taken and/or collected from the different Harmonite settlements and compiled them and created a video set to the music.

To check out the video I created using the Harmony Society anthem, "Harmonie du Bruderstadt", recorded live at the above mentioned performance, check out the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGyPsx1gphE

Here are the lyrics, so you can sing (or read) along:

"Harmonie du Bruderstadt"

Harmonie du Bruderstadt
Friede soll dich decken
Gott sei mit dir frueh und spaet,
kein Feind darf dich schrecken,
Denn die Zeit ist nunmehr da,
Wo du kannst bestehen
Gott ist seinem Volke nah,
er wird dich erhoehen

Harmony, thou brother-state,
Peace unto thee ever,
God be with thee soon and late,
Foes afright thee never
For it doth now appear
Thou art steadfast holy,
God unto his flock is near
And he will extol thee.

"The End"

Now here are some of the pictures I took at the performance (and after the performance) on Sunday, April 27, 2008:

The Old Economy Village Singers (on the left), and the 1830 Orchestra. This is in the main room on the second floor of the Feast Hall. Notice the rounded ceiling with the windows that allow natural light to enter (from before the age of electric lighting, but don't let the electric exit sign over the door in the background spoil the picture, because fire codes exist for a reason.)

People still wonder what this door was used for:

Perhaps there was a platform at one time where George Rapp spoke to his followers? No one seems to know for sure, the Harmonites were an esoteric group, and only members were allowed to attend the ceremonial feasts.

Here's a picture of the outside of the Feast Hall from the street:

The back of the Feast Hall from the gardens (left), Frederick Rapp's house (center), and part of George Rapp's house (right):


The back of the George Rapp Family's house from the gardens (the top of the Harmony Society Church, across the street, can be seen over the roof):


The Grotto (left) and the Statue of Harmonia in the Harmony Society Gardens:


Enjoy, take care, and peace,

- Lee