Springing Toward April

As we move from March towards April and begin to contemplate the idea of banishing wintry weather, the time seems right for some songs about the changing season. This week’s show includes a couple of bird sightings, a little maple sugar, quite a bit of mud – and several new or recent songs and tunes that in various ways reflect the temperature of our time.

Some Irish Connections

With St. Patrick’s Day once again upon us, this week our two-hour show will be entirely devoted to a celebration of music old and new with various kinds of Irish connections.

Marching Into Women’s History Month (& Changing Times)

This week, as we roll into March – and Women’s History Month – we’ll devote much of our time in the parlor to songs and tunes about women’s lives, hopes, work and play. And, as a reminder that, happily, the days are growing longer and that 2 AM on Sunday March 10th will mark the moment for leaping forward into Daylight Savings Time, we’ll also have a few time-related pieces.

From the Moon to the Music Hall (and Back)

Moon-related songs and tunes are at the center of this week’s musical excursion in the Song Parlor (we might think of it as an exploration of some phases of the moon). Then, later on, we’ll save time for a few songs and tales that evoke the heyday of the old British music halls (all the recent Brexit turmoil somehow makes the time seem ripe for that).

Winter Chills + Warmth from Pets and Valentines

With the deep-freeze temps of a polar inversion in the headlines and Valentine’s day on the way, winter storms and a flowery bouquet will provide the musical frame for this week’s show – which also includes some songs about love as well as several that focus on the charms and challenges (and distinctive personalities) of pets.

Striving for Freedom

As the national holiday that honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. draws near, this week’s show brings together some songs and tunes related to the challenges and opportunities associated with our striving for freedom on both a national and personal level. And it finishes off with several pieces that offer a birthday remembrance of the great Scots bard Robert Burns, another notable champion of freedom.

To the Farm (Show) and Beyond

This week’s show features a bunch of songs and tunes that relate to farms and country life. Why country life when we’re deep in the winter? It’s an oblique nod in the direction of the PA Farm Show, a weeklong extravaganza that comes around every January. Years ago, when I lived in central PA, I thought it was something not to be missed – and even now, from a distance, its approach sets me thinking about farms and farmers and the way things have changed over the years.

The Last Days of December

This week’s show features songs and tunes that seem right for the last days of December – a time that brings us to the longest nights of the year, to Christmas, and, finally to New Year’s celebrations of memory and renewal.

Entering December, Crossing Borders, Celebrating Traditions

This week’s show features music for moving deeper into December, some songs and tunes for Chanukah, several recent recordings that involve crossing borders of various kinds, and a bit of Reveling as Winter Solstice draws near.

“Victory Rag” (a Long View), a Bit More Turkey & St. Andrews Day

This week, in the wake of our recent and sometimes drawn-out elections, we’ll begin with songs and tunes that offer longer-term glimpses of American political leaders, campaigns, and appeals for support. Then we’ll go on to a couple of turkey tunes (a little post-Thanksgiving celebration) before heading off to Scotland for some music in honor of St. Andrews Day, which comes around on November 30th.