Arts

BMC rings in the New Year with two concerts on Dec. 31

Becky Tracy and Keith Murphy, Stefan Amidon and Zara Bode, and Peter and Mary Alice Amidon present their 22nd Brattleboro New Year's Eve concerts on Sunday, Dec. 31, at the Brattleboro Music Center.

Two performances - at 5 and 7:30 p.m. - are scheduled for this annual holiday "Smorgasbord of Traditional Song & Dance Tunes," with an evening of New England, Appalachian, Irish and French-Canadian dance music, fiddling from around the world, and a feast of singing.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for those ages six to 14, and under five free. Advance tickets can be purchased through the BMC website at bmcvt.org or by calling 802-257-4523.

Keith Murphy (guitar, mandolin, piano, foot percussion) and Becky Tracy (fiddle) have been mainstays of the local traditional music scene for years, though they are known widely for their approach to traditional music.

They have played together and separately in many configurations and have been part of dozens of recording projects. They are founders and teachers of the Traditional Music program at the BMC.

While the pair of Zara Bode and Stefan Amidon are not known as a duo per se, they are part of musical groups The Sweetback Sisters and The Devil Makes Three. Amidon is a percussionist, multi-instrumentalist, and bass singer. Bode is a vocalist. "Both artists are sure to delight with their marvelous and eclectic musical selections," states the news release.

Peter and Mary Alice Amidon are freelance musicians, dance educators, choral arrangers/leaders, and publishers of music and dance materials.

Mary Alice is a member of, and Peter co-music director of, the Guilford Community Church Choir, and of Hallowell, southeastern Vermont's hospice singing group. Their choral arrangements and compositions are sung by church and community choirs across the U.S. and UK.

In June, Peter and Mary Alice were awarded the 2023 Brattleboro Unsung Hero Award by Compassionate Brattleboro for their local community work. And in October a celebration was held honoring the two, along with their New England Dancing Masters colleagues, with the 2023 Country Dance and Song Society's Lifetime Contribution Award.

This The Arts item was submitted to The Commons.

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