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Red Hill Dulcimer Society A Musical Success

Red Hill Dulcimer Society a Musical Success

Dana Cochran  /  February 16, 2012  /  Views: 71  /   No Comments

On Tuesday, February 7, my sister and I attended a presentation at the Lawrence Public Library of the Red Hill Dulcimer Society. Although I had heard the instruments played at events in the past, and remembered them being played by the nuns in music classes in my grade school days, it had literally been years.

The mixture of hammered dulcimers, mountain dulcimers, recorders, psaltery, mandolins and more, provided some "sweet sounds," with musical numbers ranging from boogie to gospel. Some I remembered vividly, some not so much, and some were completely new to me.

I learned a lot about dulcimers, including the fact that if you can count to 10, you can learn to play one; the Latin/Greek meaning of the word dulcimer literally means "sweet sound," and that dates back to Biblical times when, in the book of Daniel, King David played the dulcimer (probably the hammered dulcimer).

I also learned that American-made dulcimers played by cowboys in the "Old West" would have been considered a "lumber jack piano."

Songs included the "Red Hill Revival," "Old Joe Clark," the "Up and Down Medley," "The Angel Gabriel," the "Cherokee Shuffle - A Soldier's Joy" (in which the flute was featured and dated back to the Revolutionary War, "Life's Railway to Heaven," and so many more. My personal favorites were "Southwind" (a Scotch/Irish tune), "Sweet Hour of Prayer," "River," and "I'll Fly Away."

The evening's emcee was Jerry Pacholski, who played his handmade dulcimer. From him I also learned that dulcimers come in many different woods and that the debate about whether different woods make them sound different was still ongoing. I also learned that a dulcimer can actually be made of cardboard and can sell for as little as $100 and still sound quite sweet. They also can be as expensive as $1,500.

Other members of the Dulcimer Society performing included: Chris Allison, Joan Brian, Kathy Fatheree, Susan Fischer, Cheryl Gilley, Paula Jones, Beth Leggitt, Pat Lewis, Bill Schafer, Chris Schafer and Barbara Tussey.

The Red Hill Dulcimer Society began in January 2006, with one hammered dulcimer and four mountain dulcimer players. They meet nearly every Thursday evening in the basement of Sumner United Methodist Church. If you come by, you will hear the sounds of laughter, visiting, and, of course, music. If you are in the area on a Thursday night at 6:30 p.m., they welcome you to stop in, pick with them, or just sit back and listen.

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