December 2015 showcase.
December 2015 Showcase
The atmosphere was festive at O’Toole’s for tonight’s VOCAL traditional Christmas showcase As done in the past, the line-up featured multiple performers who were charged with presenting at least one holiday song in their set list.
Keely Burn (on keyboard) is young lady fairly new to performing and to VOCAL. She is a college student studying music, and brings her learned skills to the showcase. “Waltz” in 3/4 time was a plea to the singee to not try to turn
a human being into a home. “Winter Dreams” a minor key ballad reflected upon a cold love in which the singer doesn’t care enough to cry ( over a loss). “Sky Song” based on a class assignment or prompt, required the composer to create verses in three sky colors, which Keely did using red, blue and black imagery.
Next up, was Joanie Valentine who is a showcase veteran. Using jer deft piano skills she performed “I Don’t Want To Be Alone For Christmas” the content of which was aptly described by the title. She concluded with “Can We Forget the Past” a soulful plea, which invited a lover to reconcile.
Next up was Guy Gorman with a set of three seasonal tunes. “I Just Want to Love You for Christmas” was a lively song featured guitar and harmonica that demonstrated Guy’s big voice. “I Feel So Warm Out in the Cold” described the feeling he gets from being with a loved one regardless of the temperature and Lastly, “Ukelele Christmas” performed on a uke, expressed the singer’s desire to change locales from the dirty snow covered streets to the sunshine and warmth of Hawaii.
Mark Branch ( Markus Blowfish) entertained the audience with his unique guitar stylings on “At Home”, with vocal help from Glenda Creamer, bemoaning his feelings at being alone, doing nothing. “Home Upon the Range”, a fish
out of water story, expressed the anguish a city boy feels being brought up in the country. And, his last song was an altered version of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”,
Moving center stage, Glenda Creamer who always has an unusual take on things, opened her set with “Ghost House” which described what living in a haunted house might be like, complete with eerie “boos” filling the air, “Jesus Meek and Mild” was a retelling of the Christ child story, and “Who Do You Think That We Are?” detailed the trek of the three wise men to see the Christ child.
“Cold Winter Day” starting the John Ellis set was a song about how good it is to be inside with his baby (lover) when the weather outside is frightful. “Winter Solstice” was a guitar instrumental filled with intriguing musical runs that resembled icicles tinkling.
Matt Manion performed his now standard, “Quarter to Midnight” tale about a lonely soul on Christmas eve finding solace in a modicum of human contact. He next led the audience in a singalong of John Lennon’s “So This is
Christmas )War is Over)”.
Glenda returned to do a version of “Little Drummer Boy” and John closed out the night with two Chuck Berry tunes
“Merry Christmas, Baby” and “Run, Run Rudolph”.
In between song sets drawings were held for door prizes such as gift cards and VOCAL merch.
VOCAL wishes everybody a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, joyous Kwanzaa or whatever holiday you chose to celebrate.
See you next year.
