304 South Mears
Whitehall
MI 49461
A concert by Pete Yarrow, today, is exciting, moving, and also entertaining, but it is also an event that follows in the tradition of his early mentors, The Weavers and Pete Seeger. Peter intentionally uses his music to create a community of acceptance from the stage, an “oasis of peace” as he calls it. His gift for songwriting has produced some of the most poignant songs Peter, Paul & Mary have recorded, including “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” “Day is Done,” “Light One Candle,” and “The Great Mandala.” As a member of the renowned musical trio, he has earned many gold and platinum albums and has been awarded and nominated for numerous Grammys.
“We’re part of a long train ride,” is the way Peter Yarrow visualizes the many events that have highlighted a career spanning more than five decades. With characteristic care, Yarrow places the success he’s had within a greater context, seeing his accomplishments as part of a tradition, to be credited as his inspiration and carried on. “When I was in high school,” he recalls, “I heard The Weavers at Carnegie Hall singing songs like ‘If I Had a Hammer’, ‘Follow The Drinking Gourd’, and ‘Wasn’t That a Time.’ I was stunned by the extraordinary effect that music of conscience can have on people, particularly when they sing songs of conscience together.” That lesson launched Peter on a lifelong journey that is now, perhaps, in its most vital phase.
Mustards RetreatJoining Peter will be Libby Glover and David Tamulevich performing as a duo Michigan’s own, Mustard’s Retreat (Follow this link to see them on YouTube).
Their performances are always joyful and uplifting, as well as intelligent, thought provoking and insightful. They’ve recently begun referring to their career and touring as “Defiantly Hopeful.” In part due to their long career, but more as a statement about what the music has meant to them. “Folk music is, at its heart, defiantly hopeful!” Tamulevich says. “We came of age in the 60s, at the confluence of Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Bob Dylan and the singer/songwriter revolution. We care much more about what we do and stand for and finding that common ground with our audiences, than fame or money: this is our community of choice, and we consider ourselves so fortunate to be here.”
