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acoustic music world. In addition to well-known Americana stalwarts like Texas singer/songwriter Slaid Cleaves and up and comer Dulcie Taylor, the series distinguished alumni includes Grammy-nominee Al Petteway, Lisa Moscatiello, Small Potatoes, Wolf Creek Session, The Unfortunate Rakes, Jonathan Byrd and Terri Allard.

Divine Evening

The historic church is a special venue for Shenandoah, because instead of focusing on the stage setting or the audience experience, it is a magical setting for the interaction of artist and audience in a pristine listening environment. And magic was indeed in the air for the April 8 Season Finale concert on “The Art of Songwriting” featuring three performing singer/songwriters, Maryland’s David A. Alberding, drummer turned solo artist Lisa Taylor and award-winning bluegrass musician Randy Barrett.

Alberding's powerful and husky baritone has earned Alberding a half dozen WAMMIE nominations including Contemporary Folk Recording for each of his two self-released CDs, 2004’s Wrestling With Angels and his 2000 debut Way Back, whose title cut has been heard on the syndicated public radio show Car Talk. Alberding’s songs have earned him accolades from the John Lennon, Unisong and Billboard songwriting contests as well as grants from the Maryland State Arts Council.

Lisa Taylor began her musical career drumming for the northern Virginia rock band Sister, but was exposed to a great variety of music in her childhood and those influences color her unique and compelling songs. Gifted with a rich and fluid alto, a percussive approach to solo guitar and a wry sense of humor, Lisa’s music is at once unique and familiar. Her musical gifts earned her 7 WAMMIE nominations when her debut CD Sibling Rivalry was released. Randy Barrett is a triple-threat standout; top shelf songwriter, award-winning vocalist, and purveyor of stellar instrumental prowess on guitar and banjo. Randy's rich and soulful baritone has earned him five Washington Area Music Awards for Best Male Vocalist in Bluegrass and Traditional Folk as well as the Bluegrass Album of the Year for his latest release Lights of Home. His songwriting has also won numerous awards, in particular for "Hold Me Forever" from his 1995 debut CD Each & Every Day. Randy is the head of the DC Bluegrass Union, an organization dedicated to supporting and promoting Bluegrass music in Washington DC and the Mid-Atlantic region.

Songwriters Lisa Taylor and Randy Barrett during the Art of Songwriting concert

The three have shared stages together on occasion over the past decade, and are familiar with many of each other’s songs. The interplay and interaction among the artists added to the depth of the evening, particular as they shared insights into the songwriting process while introducing their songs. The first half of the evening featured each artist in a 3-song mini set followed by a question from the moderator and host for the evening. After the intermission, the three took the stage together and traded songs in a casual and mesmerizing manner.

All three had brand new material to introduce as well as old favorites, with Barrett’s latest work tinged with gospel particularly compelling in the old church. Taylor’s funky and percussive guitar beautifully offset her almost sax-like voice in a variety of musical settings, particularly on “Gravity”, a song about a circus clown’s unrequited love for the girl on the trapeze. Each expertly crafted song followed another, each delivered with skill and grace by three very different yet masterful songsmiths.

Each shared a rendition of a tune that inspired them as songwriters. Alberding delivered a soulful modal rendition of Harry Chapin’s classic “Cat’s in the Cradle”, drawing a parallel to the mesmerizing storytelling that was a hallmark of Chapin’s writing. Barrett’s rootsy and uptempo version of Stephen Foster’s classic “Hard Times” had the audience singing along in harmony.

Seasonal Closing

The show ended with the audience on their feet hooting and hollering at the incredible and diverse display of songcraft and performance, clearly willing to sit far longer even after a two and a half hour concert. For an encore they joined in three part harmony on the title cut from Barrett’s Each & Every Day CD. All three artists graciously signed CDs for a while after the show, clearly enjoying the interaction with an audience that got a few glimpses behind the scenes of being a songwriter. And as the lights went dim and the last volunteer left the building, it was clear another layer of magic musical varnish had soaked into rich old walls.