Heather Dale / Mike and Amy
Aug. 17th, 2008 11:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lenora_roseIt was probably terribly wrong of me to go to the heather Dale Concert Friday night rather than to the wedding rehearsal. In fact, the single wisest thing I could have done would be to stay home and sew so that i could in fact get a full night's sleep.
Maybe. I give myself the excuse that I actually needed the recharging, since I was a point where having to work day jobs on Thursday and Friday was *stress relief*. Even before Friday's shift proved to be another really quiet one. That much business.
However, it was a splendid concert. I'm not sure whether it was odd or totally logical that Heather and Ben limited themselves to a handful of instruments; Ben played guitar )though sometimes as extra percussion), and, once, bells. Heather, who often has a keyboard, looping device, dulcimer, pipes, bodhran, and various small percussion, instead played a few pipes (mostly tin whistles), bodhran, and chimes. And sang a lot.
The concert started with Stone Dragon, who are Tom and Sue Jeffers of mostly filk fame, in their first time as this particular duo (Tom, of course, was part of Dandelion Wine both when they were a quartet and when they were a duo). They started with a wonderful song called Tiny Stars, continued with a new parody of the Dandelion Wine classic Circles in the Grain, another song, and then called another friend up to help them sing the classic "Logdriver's Waltz". (Okay, plus the whole audience on the choruses. AFAIK, Kate and Anna McGarrigle *never* put that song on an album, just with the CBC. V. annoying.)
Anyhow, Heather and Ben did a great couple of sets, though the house got warm. They apparantly did their first live rendition of "Joan" (A rather grim-toned song about a fourteen year old girl in medieval France. You might have heard of her.) off the new album, and also introduced the audience to "Fisherman's Boy" (A lovely maritime-influenced tune), and "the Dream of Rhonabwy", based on a astretch of the Mabinogion that according to Ben, Heather described as clearly being a dream had after a night of too much... pizza. Other songs off the new album I've heard before included Trail of Tears (Why are all my favourites the ones either vicious or depressing?), Troubadour, and, Never Quite Eden.
Plus they did a pile of the old beloveds; Heather did Mordred's Lullaby entirely alone and a capella (Ditto for Tarnished Silver, which i think she's never played live). I think I've heard a different rendition of that song every single time; all splendiferous. But I'd never been quite sure *one* singer could pull it off alone, even the performer. I always figured it would take two, one for the drones and "loyalty"s. (BY the way, that is the Heather Dale song most fanvidded on Youtube, and almost the only thing to come up if you put in her name.)
I couldn't think of anything to request at the time, and the one that occurred to me later would have been wrong to request at the wedding, so i didn't (The Prydwen Sails Again). But no complaints. I could hear her sing any and everything off any of her albums (And a few not; she has not to my knowledge recorded either "Martin Said to His Man" or "Mattie Groves") and be happy.
But they didn't quite fill the Bhigg House to capacity, and they should be able to fill a much bigger hall. (I'd love to see her make the Folk Festival...)
I should say, too, that taleisin is right (Here) - The new CD is one of her best. More instrumentals than I prefer, but what music...
________________
Three AM after the concert, I hammered in the last grommet on the back of Brenna's dress. (To my credit dress wise are the cutting out of 2 underdresses and about 80% of the outer dresses, the dead-basic sewing on 2/3 of the dresses, and the fitting and finishing - the *hard* parts - on Brenna's and my overs and unders. This is *not* to understate the results of everyone else; which included three men's tunics in velvet, outfits for four children in either velvet or satin (Two about two-year-old girls, one almost four, and one older boy), multiple banners and all the rest of the sewing and finishing of the ladies' outfits. (The mother of the bride did the bride's dress so we didn't have to.) And that is the *sewing*. Add painting and carpentry and multiple other tasks....
So the first thing I asked when i got to the house where the women were assembling and getting hair done was "So who here has had more than twelve hours of sleep in the last three days?"
The answer seemed to be Teresa, and even she'd only had three the night before.
Amy was already getting her hair finished, and her makeup was done, and already transformed from her usual delicate beauty right into elfin princess (in all but her not-pointed ears). There was no question or doubt who would outshine us all; and Amy has one more challenge than most brides in looking better than her bridesmaids (Which I'll get to.)
I spent the time waiting for my hair to be done on hammering in five last grommets for Branwen, then doing some quick hand-sewing on the inside lining of Amy's dress, where the ugliness wouldn't show or matter. (Branwen spent the same time doing the last hand-sewing to fit her shoulders and neck, and on Brenna's sleeves.)
Janelle did a fine job on the hair; her curls lasted until I snuck into the kitchen and used the sprayer attachment on myself late in the reception, and the hair in general looked good pretty much until then. Odd, because it wasn't cooperating; she managed to lose an entire braid (The tiny kind that can't unwind on their own... usually). Honestly, we both sifted through my hair where it had been made, and couldn't find it. even with a comb.
Partway through my hair, I heard Amy start talking behind me. Except. Her voice sounded odd; not hoarse, or ill, but just a little different; lower, mainly. The inflections and word-choices were eerily right. Once Janelle got the curling iron out of my hair, though, I held out my hand and said, "You must be April." and introduced myself to Amy's twin, in from Calgary, for the first time.
We left the house slightly late due mostly to child-wrangling six kids. Kudos to Karen for letting us use her house, for making breakfast for those who needed, for trying to keep the children in order - and dressed in their proper outfits - most of the morning, and generally being a saint.
We (The majority of the bridesmaids and the groomsmaid) reached the hall about five after one, and learned that they were still in the final stages of set-up. By which I mean, still stapling the cloth to the stairs. So we got to mingle with the crowd, who didn't seem worried until it got much later. heather and Ben were already on the stage, to the side, playing instrumental variations on most of her more romantic or gentle fare, and might well be the people the extra wait was going to tell on most.
Unfortunately, we then had a second, and rather urgent, delay, which meant that the children got restless and unhappy; poor Melissa couldn't bear to be taken out of the outdoor playground long enough for the ceremony, and was in full meltdown. We ended up with the "baby-wrangler" who knew Mike and Amy the least well taking her outside through the ceremony.
And then everything was paid off in full. The ceremony went beautifully. Mike and Amy were likely inaudible, but Keith, officiant and one of their best friends, did his best to project without shouting, and most of their answers were one or two words.
The text of the ceremony was a little unusual, but very suited this particular couple; about compromise, about the hurt we might do our loved ones, even if it is never our intent; about how to repair that harm and live in harmony in spite of imperfections. I find I try to quote bits of it, even in paraphrase, and it sounds creepy, but in fact, at the time, it was touching, and honest, and deeply meant.
We ended up outside for a few pictures (The area around St. Luke's has some lovely flower gardens and old style doors in stone walls), then back inside for the first portion of set-up for food. This was probably a lull for most people; I was too busy to notice.
The food was simple, sticking to dead basics of sandwiches, salads, and various trays of sliced things, but it was tasty and above all, featured no hot dishes. It was a very warm day, and the hall is not air-conditioned, though it manages to stay cooler via the fans and open windows than you'd expect, and at mid-day was cooler than being in the sun (This was not remotely true in the evening, but the dancing may have been affecting my personal temperature, even after soaking myself.)
And the mead! Ooh. Matt, who did the carpentry, the jewels in the bouquets, some emergency sewing ahead of the ceremony, and spent most of the day organizing the set-up of hall, food, etc, also made the mead that was the only booze on hand. And it was as good as any Barry has ever done (I thought his last batch tasty but with a ways to go. This one was *perfect*.) We spent a part of the mean on our side of the table trying to figure out what Matt *hadn't* had a hand in; the answer seemed to be, the actual getting married bit.
After the food, we moved the tables back enough for potential dancing, and Heather and Ben did a 6 or 7 song set, the first part of which were the traditional couple dances, then which covered the bridal parties' running around doing hair repairs and reassembling children to head to the legislature for more photos.
We'd been talking about skipping out on going to the legistlative building for our allotted time for pictures, since St. Luke's had so many picturesque corners outside. And I admit, I was a little worried about how many people would drift off if we left them with a dj and not much else to do for too long, and Heather and Ben were also meant to close the evening with another set.
However, the magic word was spoken; "air-conditioning!"
So we went, and by the time we got back - well, yes, some people had left, mostly people who had said their goodbyes before we vanished, though. And the others were partying very well without us. (Actually, Matt's response at the return of the bride-and-groomsmaids' car was pretty much "good! Our party girls have pretty much just run out of energy!" And indeed, the two most obvious partiers, Athena and Cassie, were lying on their backs in the dance area, still laughing, but not dancing again for a whole five minutes.
In fact, pretty much my first words on greeting my husband were "How much have you had to drink?"
Colin was happily wasted. I have, honestly, never seen him so drunk. Actually, I've seen him drunk all of about twice before (And he had to remind me about the second occasion; I'd been saying "once" all night) But apparently, he decided it was his bounden duty to finish off all the half-emptied bottles, and even soliciting help from everyone who got near him, that left him a lot of work.
Fortunately, he was happy, and friendly, and while more inclined to laugh, and laugh louder, at my jokes, he wasn't over the line into scary. Though I spent a whole dance running/dancing away from him all around the dance floor as if he were. and I did tell him at one point, when I kissed his forehead, "Your sweat tastes like Mead!" (Salty mead. Not recommended.)
Advantages of living walking distance from the hall....
Anyhow, in the heat, April changed out of her bridesmaid's dress entirely, and I took off the outer dress (On finding the underdress showed too much of my underwear, I took the cloth that had been wrapped around the bouquet-bucket and used it as a sarong). We danced and partied with the remaining guests until Heather and Ben did one more set; when i cleared out the space behind the head table so I could dance behind the rest of the audience and not get states at in the slow songs (I danced to Sedna and The Fisherman's Boy, f'rinstance... but then, Athena and her sister joined me on the former. I thought at one point Athena was mirroring me, in fact, but since I danced it with my eyes almost always closed, I couldn't tell, and my attempt to ask her afterwards came out like I was accusing her of mocking me, which wasn't what I meant, and I didn't have that much mead; a glass and a half.)
The Hall at St. Luke's closes at 11:00. More accurately, the automated alarm goes on then. So we were packing up at about 10:00, with intent to be out in 20 minutes. (The bride had planned for an early night, as weddings go, on the logic that she wanted an actual wedding night.) I stayed for the first part of putting-away, mostly in the kitchen, but I was running out of energy, and my ankle was twingeing after Heather and Ben's rousing closer. So I guided my silly husband home, showered, and ended up talking to him for almost an hour even after that, while he wound down (And yes, he drank tons upon tons of water and didn't suffer too badly today).
All in all, from the chaos and strain ahead of time, we'd been fearing the day would fail. It didn't. Quite the opposite. There were about 60 people in all, not counting all the kids (This tallies with Mike's estimate of 50 guests, since the wedding party and officiant covered the rest) But they all seemed to enjoy the day and carry that to one another.Mike and Amy looked delighted by how the day turned out, and they looked splendid besides. The heat was palpable, and yet didn't spoil the mood.
A great day.
(I will be honest. There is one unresolved behind-the-scenes problem. However: A) It does not affect the relations of the new husband and wife with each other, B) Nor does it affect their relations with anyone present at the wedding. C) It didn't do any harm to the wedding or the day, D) There's nothing I can do to help or harm except send Amy my best wishes.)
Mike's version of events is here.
OH, and Mike and Amy - kinda important - *I still need to bring your gift to you*.
Maybe. I give myself the excuse that I actually needed the recharging, since I was a point where having to work day jobs on Thursday and Friday was *stress relief*. Even before Friday's shift proved to be another really quiet one. That much business.
However, it was a splendid concert. I'm not sure whether it was odd or totally logical that Heather and Ben limited themselves to a handful of instruments; Ben played guitar )though sometimes as extra percussion), and, once, bells. Heather, who often has a keyboard, looping device, dulcimer, pipes, bodhran, and various small percussion, instead played a few pipes (mostly tin whistles), bodhran, and chimes. And sang a lot.
The concert started with Stone Dragon, who are Tom and Sue Jeffers of mostly filk fame, in their first time as this particular duo (Tom, of course, was part of Dandelion Wine both when they were a quartet and when they were a duo). They started with a wonderful song called Tiny Stars, continued with a new parody of the Dandelion Wine classic Circles in the Grain, another song, and then called another friend up to help them sing the classic "Logdriver's Waltz". (Okay, plus the whole audience on the choruses. AFAIK, Kate and Anna McGarrigle *never* put that song on an album, just with the CBC. V. annoying.)
Anyhow, Heather and Ben did a great couple of sets, though the house got warm. They apparantly did their first live rendition of "Joan" (A rather grim-toned song about a fourteen year old girl in medieval France. You might have heard of her.) off the new album, and also introduced the audience to "Fisherman's Boy" (A lovely maritime-influenced tune), and "the Dream of Rhonabwy", based on a astretch of the Mabinogion that according to Ben, Heather described as clearly being a dream had after a night of too much... pizza. Other songs off the new album I've heard before included Trail of Tears (Why are all my favourites the ones either vicious or depressing?), Troubadour, and, Never Quite Eden.
Plus they did a pile of the old beloveds; Heather did Mordred's Lullaby entirely alone and a capella (Ditto for Tarnished Silver, which i think she's never played live). I think I've heard a different rendition of that song every single time; all splendiferous. But I'd never been quite sure *one* singer could pull it off alone, even the performer. I always figured it would take two, one for the drones and "loyalty"s. (BY the way, that is the Heather Dale song most fanvidded on Youtube, and almost the only thing to come up if you put in her name.)
I couldn't think of anything to request at the time, and the one that occurred to me later would have been wrong to request at the wedding, so i didn't (The Prydwen Sails Again). But no complaints. I could hear her sing any and everything off any of her albums (And a few not; she has not to my knowledge recorded either "Martin Said to His Man" or "Mattie Groves") and be happy.
But they didn't quite fill the Bhigg House to capacity, and they should be able to fill a much bigger hall. (I'd love to see her make the Folk Festival...)
I should say, too, that taleisin is right (Here) - The new CD is one of her best. More instrumentals than I prefer, but what music...
________________
Three AM after the concert, I hammered in the last grommet on the back of Brenna's dress. (To my credit dress wise are the cutting out of 2 underdresses and about 80% of the outer dresses, the dead-basic sewing on 2/3 of the dresses, and the fitting and finishing - the *hard* parts - on Brenna's and my overs and unders. This is *not* to understate the results of everyone else; which included three men's tunics in velvet, outfits for four children in either velvet or satin (Two about two-year-old girls, one almost four, and one older boy), multiple banners and all the rest of the sewing and finishing of the ladies' outfits. (The mother of the bride did the bride's dress so we didn't have to.) And that is the *sewing*. Add painting and carpentry and multiple other tasks....
So the first thing I asked when i got to the house where the women were assembling and getting hair done was "So who here has had more than twelve hours of sleep in the last three days?"
The answer seemed to be Teresa, and even she'd only had three the night before.
Amy was already getting her hair finished, and her makeup was done, and already transformed from her usual delicate beauty right into elfin princess (in all but her not-pointed ears). There was no question or doubt who would outshine us all; and Amy has one more challenge than most brides in looking better than her bridesmaids (Which I'll get to.)
I spent the time waiting for my hair to be done on hammering in five last grommets for Branwen, then doing some quick hand-sewing on the inside lining of Amy's dress, where the ugliness wouldn't show or matter. (Branwen spent the same time doing the last hand-sewing to fit her shoulders and neck, and on Brenna's sleeves.)
Janelle did a fine job on the hair; her curls lasted until I snuck into the kitchen and used the sprayer attachment on myself late in the reception, and the hair in general looked good pretty much until then. Odd, because it wasn't cooperating; she managed to lose an entire braid (The tiny kind that can't unwind on their own... usually). Honestly, we both sifted through my hair where it had been made, and couldn't find it. even with a comb.
Partway through my hair, I heard Amy start talking behind me. Except. Her voice sounded odd; not hoarse, or ill, but just a little different; lower, mainly. The inflections and word-choices were eerily right. Once Janelle got the curling iron out of my hair, though, I held out my hand and said, "You must be April." and introduced myself to Amy's twin, in from Calgary, for the first time.
We left the house slightly late due mostly to child-wrangling six kids. Kudos to Karen for letting us use her house, for making breakfast for those who needed, for trying to keep the children in order - and dressed in their proper outfits - most of the morning, and generally being a saint.
We (The majority of the bridesmaids and the groomsmaid) reached the hall about five after one, and learned that they were still in the final stages of set-up. By which I mean, still stapling the cloth to the stairs. So we got to mingle with the crowd, who didn't seem worried until it got much later. heather and Ben were already on the stage, to the side, playing instrumental variations on most of her more romantic or gentle fare, and might well be the people the extra wait was going to tell on most.
Unfortunately, we then had a second, and rather urgent, delay, which meant that the children got restless and unhappy; poor Melissa couldn't bear to be taken out of the outdoor playground long enough for the ceremony, and was in full meltdown. We ended up with the "baby-wrangler" who knew Mike and Amy the least well taking her outside through the ceremony.
And then everything was paid off in full. The ceremony went beautifully. Mike and Amy were likely inaudible, but Keith, officiant and one of their best friends, did his best to project without shouting, and most of their answers were one or two words.
The text of the ceremony was a little unusual, but very suited this particular couple; about compromise, about the hurt we might do our loved ones, even if it is never our intent; about how to repair that harm and live in harmony in spite of imperfections. I find I try to quote bits of it, even in paraphrase, and it sounds creepy, but in fact, at the time, it was touching, and honest, and deeply meant.
We ended up outside for a few pictures (The area around St. Luke's has some lovely flower gardens and old style doors in stone walls), then back inside for the first portion of set-up for food. This was probably a lull for most people; I was too busy to notice.
The food was simple, sticking to dead basics of sandwiches, salads, and various trays of sliced things, but it was tasty and above all, featured no hot dishes. It was a very warm day, and the hall is not air-conditioned, though it manages to stay cooler via the fans and open windows than you'd expect, and at mid-day was cooler than being in the sun (This was not remotely true in the evening, but the dancing may have been affecting my personal temperature, even after soaking myself.)
And the mead! Ooh. Matt, who did the carpentry, the jewels in the bouquets, some emergency sewing ahead of the ceremony, and spent most of the day organizing the set-up of hall, food, etc, also made the mead that was the only booze on hand. And it was as good as any Barry has ever done (I thought his last batch tasty but with a ways to go. This one was *perfect*.) We spent a part of the mean on our side of the table trying to figure out what Matt *hadn't* had a hand in; the answer seemed to be, the actual getting married bit.
After the food, we moved the tables back enough for potential dancing, and Heather and Ben did a 6 or 7 song set, the first part of which were the traditional couple dances, then which covered the bridal parties' running around doing hair repairs and reassembling children to head to the legislature for more photos.
We'd been talking about skipping out on going to the legistlative building for our allotted time for pictures, since St. Luke's had so many picturesque corners outside. And I admit, I was a little worried about how many people would drift off if we left them with a dj and not much else to do for too long, and Heather and Ben were also meant to close the evening with another set.
However, the magic word was spoken; "air-conditioning!"
So we went, and by the time we got back - well, yes, some people had left, mostly people who had said their goodbyes before we vanished, though. And the others were partying very well without us. (Actually, Matt's response at the return of the bride-and-groomsmaids' car was pretty much "good! Our party girls have pretty much just run out of energy!" And indeed, the two most obvious partiers, Athena and Cassie, were lying on their backs in the dance area, still laughing, but not dancing again for a whole five minutes.
In fact, pretty much my first words on greeting my husband were "How much have you had to drink?"
Colin was happily wasted. I have, honestly, never seen him so drunk. Actually, I've seen him drunk all of about twice before (And he had to remind me about the second occasion; I'd been saying "once" all night) But apparently, he decided it was his bounden duty to finish off all the half-emptied bottles, and even soliciting help from everyone who got near him, that left him a lot of work.
Fortunately, he was happy, and friendly, and while more inclined to laugh, and laugh louder, at my jokes, he wasn't over the line into scary. Though I spent a whole dance running/dancing away from him all around the dance floor as if he were. and I did tell him at one point, when I kissed his forehead, "Your sweat tastes like Mead!" (Salty mead. Not recommended.)
Advantages of living walking distance from the hall....
Anyhow, in the heat, April changed out of her bridesmaid's dress entirely, and I took off the outer dress (On finding the underdress showed too much of my underwear, I took the cloth that had been wrapped around the bouquet-bucket and used it as a sarong). We danced and partied with the remaining guests until Heather and Ben did one more set; when i cleared out the space behind the head table so I could dance behind the rest of the audience and not get states at in the slow songs (I danced to Sedna and The Fisherman's Boy, f'rinstance... but then, Athena and her sister joined me on the former. I thought at one point Athena was mirroring me, in fact, but since I danced it with my eyes almost always closed, I couldn't tell, and my attempt to ask her afterwards came out like I was accusing her of mocking me, which wasn't what I meant, and I didn't have that much mead; a glass and a half.)
The Hall at St. Luke's closes at 11:00. More accurately, the automated alarm goes on then. So we were packing up at about 10:00, with intent to be out in 20 minutes. (The bride had planned for an early night, as weddings go, on the logic that she wanted an actual wedding night.) I stayed for the first part of putting-away, mostly in the kitchen, but I was running out of energy, and my ankle was twingeing after Heather and Ben's rousing closer. So I guided my silly husband home, showered, and ended up talking to him for almost an hour even after that, while he wound down (And yes, he drank tons upon tons of water and didn't suffer too badly today).
All in all, from the chaos and strain ahead of time, we'd been fearing the day would fail. It didn't. Quite the opposite. There were about 60 people in all, not counting all the kids (This tallies with Mike's estimate of 50 guests, since the wedding party and officiant covered the rest) But they all seemed to enjoy the day and carry that to one another.Mike and Amy looked delighted by how the day turned out, and they looked splendid besides. The heat was palpable, and yet didn't spoil the mood.
A great day.
(I will be honest. There is one unresolved behind-the-scenes problem. However: A) It does not affect the relations of the new husband and wife with each other, B) Nor does it affect their relations with anyone present at the wedding. C) It didn't do any harm to the wedding or the day, D) There's nothing I can do to help or harm except send Amy my best wishes.)
Mike's version of events is here.
OH, and Mike and Amy - kinda important - *I still need to bring your gift to you*.
