Saturday, December 14, 2013: Twenty-Five people settled in by the fire in the Homestead Music Room beneath swags of greenery, garland and winterberries to enjoy a Holiday concert by local recorder group “Good Company.” Jane Radcliffe, Homestead Curator and recorder player, opened the performance with an introduction to the Music Room, which was an addition to the Homestead in the late 1800s and specifically designed for the purpose of playing music. Patty Bailey, recorder, guitar player, and singer narrated the performance with the stories and history of each holiday piece. John Bailey, the third performer, played beautifully, his range of abilities on the recorder evident. One highlight of the evening included a performance of a handwritten christmas song found in the collections right here at the Homestead – it had been at least 100 years since this piece had been played. By the end of the evening, the audience was singing along, and the concert concluded with a lovely rendition of “Silent Night.” The evening marked the first time in many years since the Music Room had been used for such purposes, and we were all delighted at how the rounded design of the room clearly created perfect acoustics for enjoying music. Many thanks to Jane, John and Patty for a delightful performance as well as to volunteer decorator Nona Thompson and Homestead staffer and greenery-designer Bill Foss.
