Here and there...

Hi all,

Well it was an excellent night at the Loeb House Inn. I could not have asked for a better audience and my friends Denise and Michael were really fine as well! The remainder of the weekend was spent out doors camping and celebrating he 40th anniversary of my old fife and drum corps: The Tippecanoe Ancient Fife And Drum Corps. It was full of friends and music and lots of jamming. I felt happy to have the time to be at the event and the organizers did a fab job on the food and hospitality.

Today's photo features the personel involved in a concert for the Moab Music Festival this las Fall. From left to right:

Paul Woodiel-fiddle/Hardanger fiddle

Greg Heffernan-cello

Sandra Wong-fiddle/Nykelharrppa

Me-flute and Pipes

Steve Gibb-guitar

Peace and love kids,

Christopher

Watch this space!

Hi all,

I will be performing a solo acoustic house concert with special guests: Denise Wilson and Michael Lewis, at the Loeb House Inn in Lafayette, Indiana on Weds, October 7th.

-6:30 wine and cheese reception, 7:15-ish concert. One set, 70 minutes.

-I will have copies of my NEW CD production, N2, by my Quebec-based trad band, Norouet. The CD is getting good reviews and you won't be able to get it on-line for a bit, so come on down and have some fun with me at the Loeb House Inn!

Peace,

Christopher Layer

Music As Food...A Picnic In Central Park

"If music be the food of love, play on!" And so we do. The "we" is of course The New York Shakespeare Festival, under the auspices of The New York Public Theater. For the last two months, since my return from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, I have been rehearsing, and now performing the original music of neo-trad band, HEM, with the NYSF production of Twelfth Night for "Shakespeare In The Park". Central Park's, Delacort Theater, here in Manhattan is a wonderful, bucolic setting beneath Belvedere Castle. For the Public Theater, it is the most celebrated (read: biggest) of its venues all year. The reviews are in and with a scant 10 performances left, I am happy to say that we were well-received. In addition to playing Uilleann Pipes, Scottish Smallpipes, Whistle, and Six-Key Flute, I wrote the Funeral Dirge, and contributed/arranged the trad tunes for the little onstage band. (HEM is releasing a CD of the show music with Anne Hathaway, Audra Macdonald, David Pittu and Raul Esparza singing the songs. I "guested" on the CD and again, contributed a few things. HEM is a fine bunch of talented folks: I would be happy to collaborate with them in the future.) Come see us if you can: Just look on-line for the various ways of obtaining free tix! Here is the Times review by Charles Isherwood<jump>. Next entry: Memories and Roots in Quebec!

Spring is alive and well and living in the Village!

Hi all,
Here is a picture from the times with some special additions by my friend Gammy Miller. Home for a few more days, then New Orleans for a few weeks. See you at the Jazz Fest. You know where to find me:-)
Much love to all,
Chris

The Ides of March Strathspey and Reel

Happily home in NYC for the Spring season....I had an excellent visit with Paul St. Raymond and Dr. Kimberly Meng of New Orleans: gardening on their roof deck, viewing the Mardi Gras week parades and EATING!!!!!
For those in NYC, I will be playing Tuesday Night Irish Sessions at Swift Hibernian Lounge on East 4TH Street through the end of April.
Also this week and next, I am participating in a dual set of concerts with the New York Festival of Song and The Caramoor International Music Festival. I will drop all those details tonight when I return from rehearsal!
Best to all,
Christopher Layer

long overdue

hello all! it's snowing in joliette quebec, my present location. much much snow and even more music! the band, norouet, me included, is busy finishing up work on the new cd. if you send me an email, i will send you a sample. much love and music. chris