UPDATE: Scroll to the bottom of the post to see some photos from the weekend’s events.

One way to break out of the anxiety that comes from a politics driven by hate and fear is to get out and hear some live music. With real people playing and singing. And real people around you—some of whom may disagree with your political values. In these times we risk losing even more of our community, our touch with humanity, and our sense of wonder at the beauty of art. Don’t let that happen.

This weekend, I’m immersing myself in live music. A WIDE variety of live music, I might add.

Later this morning we’ll be in downtown Silver Spring for the annual Thanksgiving parade. There are always several high school and college bands, including one or two from area HBCUs. The local School of Rock generally has a float. Every bit of live music, plus the exuberant costumes and holiday joy, will remind us of why we love living in a diverse and continually fascinating urban community.

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Tonight, we’ll take in our first visit to The Fillmore, Silver Spring’s downtown concert venue, to hear Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway on their Down the Rabbit Hole tour. Tuttle—an exceptionally gifted guitarist, musician, songwriter, and band leader who pushes the boundaries of roots and acoustic music—is someone I’ve written about several times (see here, here, and here) but have never seen live. I bought the tickets for tonight after my friend Marty—who has attended dozens of bluegrass concerts—said her recent show at Wolf Trap was the best he’s ever seen.

Enjoy Next Rodeo from her City of Gold Album (no actual cowboys were hurt in the filming of this video) . . .

. . . and Dooley’s Farm, with dobro great Jerry Douglas.

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Sunday morning I’ll scratch my communal singing itch at St. Alban’s parish. Music director Matthew Steynor always has something familiar among the hymn selections where those of us in the congregation can close our eyes and be washed over by the music and love. Something like Oh God Our Help in Ages Past.

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Sunday evening we’re attending choral evensong at Christ Church, Georgetown, where Andrew’s a member of the professional choir.

Every first, third, and fifth Sundays, Christ Church has a beautiful service of this most moving of ways to close a day. You can hear the Christ Church choir in their recent offering of the Requiem Mass sung on November 1st, the eve of All Souls’ Day.

Balm for the soul in troubled times. Go out and hear some live music.

UPDATES

Finally, at the beautiful service of evensong at Christ Church, Georgetown on Sunday evening, the final hymn we sung was one of my top three favorite hymns in the Episcopal Hymnal: King of Glory, King of Peace sung to the wonderful tune General Seminary. I’ve uploaded a video of the Beverley Hills All Saints Episcopal Church choir singing the tune. Note that they have the tenors sing the descant on the third verse (as they should) so that the song ends with the entire choir finding their way to one moving, unison note. It is so lovely.

Have a wonderful week.

More to come . . .

DJB

Photo of Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway via MollyTuttleMusic.com