August 2022 VOCAL Songwriters Showcase
August 2022 Vocal Showcase.
Another stellar night of music was provided by two long time VOCAL members, president Matthew Costello and Glenda Creamer. Hosting was another long time member, David Atkins.
Opening the program tonight, while waiting for attendees to show up, were two recorded examples of the songwriters works: "Lady You" by Matthew was a jazzy tune and "I'm Leaving Cody" a popish cowboy song from Glenda.
Matthew Costello
To start the live portion of the show, Matthew began with "Train of Thought" which outlined the dual thinking processes of the singer and the object of his attention. Next, "Life Is A Movie" described all the different contrasts one finds going through life, such as country life/city life, friends/strangers, heroes/villians, and shows the complexity of what we experience. A major piece of work by him "The Artist That Hung The Moon" (John Atkinson Grimshaw) is a picture itself by a song, of a picture by the artist with imagery and music. "If You Knew" was a song about being smitten, secret feelings the singer harbored for a woman he sees across a room and wonders if she has picked up on his feelings. Next in his set, Matthew presented "Bound By Walls of the Past" which included some lines how the title can affect a person, such as "Freedom in the future, walls in the past" and "Why pay remorse for rent". This question , "What is Happy", probably crosses most everyone's mind at least once in life. The answer, as Matthew explains, is "In The Eye of The Beholder" in his song "Get Me Some Happy". It shows up when we least expect it, and from unexpected sources, from the aura of strangers to our own inner being, it is a contagious feeling one can not ignore.
Glenda Creamer
Glenda began her set with the "Frog Song" a delightful tune describing all the antics of a frog and it's characteristics, slimy, green, hoppy, jumpy, swimming in the toilet bowl and other assorted traits, and she included some very froggy sound effects to complement the song, as well. The next song (Woman on the path?) comes from a suite of songs about Jesus and the Bible, in which the woman asks Jesus to bless the children He encounters in His walk through life. "Hit On By Older Men" tells the tale of how her wedding ring (a sapphire not a diamond) misleads men into thinking she is available and how she has to fend them off. Next in her set was "September Wind" and describes the changes the coming autumn is creating, pushing waves back to the shore, rustling leaves and cooling temperatures. One of her well known songs was next: "I'm A Witch" in which, she exemplifies all the traits of a witch, casting spells, shooting green darts and generally creating havoc in people's lives. "Ghost Town" to keep the halloween theme going, was a song about a haunted house invaded by kids who spend the night exploring for ghostly powers, to which she added spooky sounds. "Moonshine Sky" came from her experience growing up in rural Virginia, and related the exploits of local moonshiners who made their brew in the dark of night in the shadow of the mountains. Last song in her set, Glenda presented "Let The Cool In" and mister cool himself saunters in on a hot summer day to the delight of those suffering the heat.
One of the outstanding results of tonight's showcase proved that VOCAL has great songwriters who create meaningful and thought provoking lyrics and complimentary music skills.
