December 2019 Soiree

Our master of ceremonies tonight, the fabulous Ernie B.

We had a fairly modest turnout of about 20 folks for our December meeting in the library’s Cottonwood Room. We invited everyone to bring treats, and there were nearly as many platters of goodies as there were players! So many, in fact, we had to take an official snack break, along with casual grazing as the meeting progressed.

Tom Fuller has joined us a few times before, but this was the first time he broke out his guitar. Nice job, Tom!

Tom playing ‘Bill Bailey, Won’t you Please Come Home’


Russ sang two for us, which is always a treat. Some gals showed up early during our second lap, so we waited until they stuffed their faces full of cookies before we asked them who the were. Welcome to Sue Frerich and their neighbor Char Nolan.

Marvelous Marvin and his cookie monster groupies, Char Nolan and Sue Frerich.

The group song was a bit different this month, brought to us by Edith. She enlisted the help of Carol Bowles, Gary Krause, and Ernie to sing it a few times a cappella, then taught it to the rest of us.

Carol, Floyd (sitting in for Gary) and Edith

Here’s wishing you and yours a most joyous and blessed Christmas season. See you all again, with perfect clarity, in 2020.

Here’s Ed with his fancy singing music stand, Judy Heffern. Also pictured is Rick playing along with a rather mundane music stand. Rick (and his stand) do not usually sing.

December 2019 Playlist

Lots of guests tonight, so just to mix things up a bit that’s where I’ll start. Floyd Turner, Barb Williams, Kathy Memmel, Sue Frerich, and Char Nolan all joined in the festivities, and many brought treats! Thank you!

Russ sang two for us tonight, along with a most excellent classical piece.

Russ started us out with ‘Blott en Dag’ by Oscar Ahnfelt.

Tom Fuller, ‘Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home’, by Hughie Cannon.

Marvin Frerich, ‘Jamaican Farewell’, traditional folksong.

Ed and Judy Heffern with Rick Memmel, ‘Christmas Dinner’ by Paul Stookey.

Ken, about to be eaten by that tall stack of chairs. Goodies in background about to be eaten by everyone else.

Ken Frederick, ‘Pearl Harbor Day’, original

Keith Blaney, ‘The Christmas Song’, Mel Torme.

Earl Janack, ‘Do You Hear What I Hear?’, lyrics by N. Regney, music by G. Shayne.

Roland Peterson, ‘Study in A’, by Giuliania

Roland working on something classical

Ernie Brazzale, ‘Please Come Home For Christmas’, Charles Brown.

Remy Abeyta, ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’, Hugh Martin/Ralph Blane

Edith Cook, Carol Bowles, and Gary Krause brought us the group song ‘Dona Nobis Pacem’, anonymous

Boy, who took this picture? Cut Carol in half, Ed’s hat is hovering a foot off his head, and Gary is hidden in obscurity. I say fire that photographer!!!

Russ Williams, ‘Auld Lang Syne’ , traditional

Tom Fuller, ‘Sloop John B.’, Bahamian folk song.

Ken Frederick, ‘Chut Hut’, original

Ed Heffern and Rick Memmel, ‘Little Saint Nick’, Beach Boys.

Keith Blaney, Rick Memmel, Nancy McKenzie, ‘Holly Jolly Christmas’, Johny Marks.

Nancy and Rolland look on while Earl offers up his original tune

Earl Janack, ‘Winter Solstice’, original

Keith Blaney, ‘Merry Christmas From the Family’, Robert Earl Keene.

Roland Peterson, ‘Opus 50 No. 3’, Carcassi.

Remy Abeyta, ‘The Little Drummer Boy’, Katherine Davis.

Ernie Brazzale, ‘You Belong To Me’, Chilton Price/ Pee Wee King.

Our camera shy Remy with his nylon stringed marvel.

Carol Bowles, Edith Cook, Gary Krause, and Ed Heffern, ‘Silent Night/ Night of Silence’, Daniel Kantor

Russ Williams, ‘Mary’s Boy Child’, Jester Hairston.

Marvin Frerich, ‘Jamaican Farewell’, Jamaican folk song.

Ken Frederick, ‘So Beautiful’, original

Rick Memmel & Ed Heffern, ‘Feliz Navidad’, Jose Feliciano.

Earl Janack, ‘All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth’, Don Gardner

Remy Abeyta, ‘Jingle Bells’, James Lord Pierpont.

Upcoming Events

January is just around the corner! Time to renew your membership for the princely sum of $25. Such a good deal! While it is not a requirement for monthly attendance, it does support our status as a real group, which we must do from time to time. It also earns you discounts for our special events. It also entitles you to vote, which coincidently, is the next topic.

We will be voting for a new slate of officers as soon as possible in the new year, hopefully in January (but things do happen). Perhaps it will be February, which brings us to our next topic. See how I’m segue’n from one thing to the next? Notice I don’t really know how to work with the word ‘segue’?

February will be our annual Valentine’s dinner/concert on the 14th. Pester Russ about it in January if you would like to attend. There are not many seats left. There will also be a master class. Trust me, you don’t have to play classical guitar to learn enough to make your brain hurt for a couple days. $10 to monitor, again pester Dr. Williams for details.