A few days later found us watching the weather with great consternation. Scheduled in New York City for rehearsals Friday and showcases on Saturday, the Blizzard of 2010 seemed to be sweeping right towards us, and then directly up our route. So, in order to escape certain snow-floods, we packed rather haphazardly, tied up as many loose business-ends as we could, and loaded in our vehicles for the long drive into the north-eastern tip of the country.

Despite very cold weather, we did outrun the snow, though a storm three or four days before our departure provided a lovely lily landscape through the Pennsylvania farmlands. We came into NYC late Thursday night, slept blissfully into the next day, and then got up and began running errands. With a very skilled violin specialist just a few blocks away, we carried our stringed instruments down to the shop, where they were adjusted in a lovely, antique recital hall, with gilded mirrors, old paintings, and 1700s-esque furniture. It was a very intriguing atmosphere, especially with violin music streaming from the old-fashioned stage.

Once the instruments were all fixed up, we put on our scarves and mittens and drove through many concrete monstrosities and digital billboards, passed hundreds of mentally isolated and needy people, went by neon advertisements and historical relics, and arrived at Carmine’s restaurant on Times Square. The food was utterly delicious, as always, the fellowship as enjoyable as ever, and, very full and very warm, we all emerged onto the freezing sidewalk and made our way back to the hotel. We spent the afternoon setting up and rehearsing, and then, finding ourselves with an evening open for entertainment, the young folks journeyed out into the cold, clear twilight. The evening was a blast of fun, including taxis, crisp walks through Times Square, yummy New-York-style pizza at a hole-in-the-wall ristorante, and a movie with absolutely stunning cinematography.

Next morning was a very busy one, full of sound-checking and getting ready for the onslaught of showcases that afternoon. Starting a little after 2 PM, we began back-to-back 40-minute concerts, going once every hour until we ended the last performance at 11 PM. It was quite a marathon, but the work was well rewarded. That night, our fingers still tingling from playing, we loaded out until 2 AM in sharp, bitter winds––or, rather, the men did, while the girls wrapped up in blankets and slept on makeshift pallets in the green room until they were done (we are the weaker vessel, after all!)––and drove out of the City in the wee hours of the morning.

The sun rose and set upon the peregrination through the plains. The highway surroundings provided beautiful scenery: the bare, regal trees…the sparkling, silvery snow…the cold, blue skies…the elegant, majestic aura of bleak midwinter. Home and a snowy back lawn welcomed us, and we sank into a deep, refreshing sleep.

~Camille
Click here to read Camille’s blog

As this lovely New Years’ Eve draws to a close and the golden flame of the sun dips below the horizon…

as the shimmering silver of the moon rises into the velvet night sky and the winds of change sweep over the frosted plains…

we wish you all a very beautiful life of gratitude in this new year.

May God bless you in this Advent season.

~Camille

For our second concert of the season, we found ourselves in the French-Creole country of Louisiana. The culture we encountered there was very new to our Southern roots, complete with genuine cajun gumbo, peacock feathers on Christmas trees, and the Cajun 12 Days of Christmas performed by the church’s own congregation. The concert was a great deal of fun, with an hour-long prequel of activities for children and the more young-spirited adults, and the most delicious sandwiches and sweets.

After our weekend in Cajun country, we journeyed out of the Louisiana lands and into Texas territory, where we were met with warm welcome, made even sweeter by the cold winds sweeping the state. The four days of performances were very exciting and lively, joined in some venues by wonderful choirs on a select number of songs, and greeted everywhere with such sweet smiles and kind people.

A quick stop in Oklahoma for another concert, and then we were on our way to New Mexico. Soon the civilized country of Texas melted away into the desert flatlands of the western part of the state, and before long we were imagining buffalo in the brown grass, Indians standing wind-swept upon the mesa heights, and Laura Ingalls Wilder pioneering across the wild prairie.

The lonely journey ended in a small town in New Mexico, where we encountered many ten-gallon cowboy hats, rattling spurs, and other wild Western elements. We were regaled with a wonderful dinner served by the very sweet people there, whom we soon found held many kindred interests. The next day the concert was very fun, enthused with a beautiful choir and a full house.

But the warm fellowship soon came to an end, and we found ourselves, after the concert was over that night, loading out of our hotel rooms and embarking on a 36-hour drive for a rehearsal in Florida scheduled in 42 hours. The drivers were revved up for the long travel, however, and, when we arrived in Wauchula in the early afternoon, two days later, everybody found that a much-welcome shower energized us enough for the rehearsal that night. The next day we enjoyed getting to fellowship and feast with a very kindred couple from the church, and then, that night, to concertize and to hear the music of the city’s own choir and the Lakeland Imperial Symphony Orchestra.

We sped home, stopping for a fun shopping run in Atlanta, GA, and arrived back at our home sweet home late in the night. The next morning we played at the services of Forest Hills Baptist Church, only ten minutes away from our house, and greatly enjoyed getting to see so many acquaintances. That night we performed for an energetic audience, in a beautifully decorated church, full of old friends. We drove home afterwards in the silence of the lovely winter night, our bodies resting, but our minds thoroughly active in Christmas preparations. And that’s our Christmas tour in review…

~Camille

Buy Christmas with the Annie Moses Band at the AMB Store.

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Sunday found us in a quaint little town called Clayton, playing at a very warm, pretty church, packed with an energetic and fun-loving crowd. Amongst the audience were many people we knew, and, after the concert, at which we were blessed to have a very talented singer and good friend join with us for the final song, we were able to enjoy some kindred fellowship over delicious lasagna.

Monday morning we arose before the sun, and were soon driving down the continent toward Florida to meet the thankfully dissipated Hurricane Ida. The drive was a very long one, stretching over eighteen hours of almost constant gray skies and sprinkling clouds, but we kept our strength up due to the delicious pomegranate seeds and apples that our dear friends had given us for the journey. The pomegranate seeds were an especial delight, as only God knows how many times I’ve bought a pomegranate to try to uncover its delicious secret, and had no idea it was hidden in the raspberry-encrusted seeds!

Tuesday we played a rousing and fun concert at a very sweet, welcoming church, and then, when Wednesday came around, we once more woke with the dawn and hit the road in cold and rainy weather. Thankfully the delectable gifts of seeds and fruit, pistachios and baked goods were there to regale us.

Thursday and Friday were spent at Raleigh’s Association of Christian Schools International convention, and a very early sunrise the first day saw us navigating the gigantic building and loading in our gear and merchandise as quickly as we could. The morning sessions passed by in praise and preaching; the afternoons in seminars and booth-manning. At the Thursday night concert we were joined by four wonderful singers from FASA, who sang just beautifully on the climaxing song of the evening. Thanks guys!

Saturday we performed for a very rambunctious, fun crowd in a town an hour-and-a-half away, and then the next morning were blessed to play in the same church’s Sunday morning services, at which we heard a rousing and spiritually benefiting sermon. Sunday night we travelled thirty minutes away to a beautiful little church-building, where we were served delicious food from the church’s own and even got to see a bit of Andy Griffith before we played for a packed and welcoming house.

Monday morning we were once again driving down winding country highways in order to escape the rock slide that had effected our original route, and were graced by the lovely farmland and mountains that we passed by. Gretchen, Jeremiah, and I were even blessed enough to get a run through a bit of meadow in the light of the dusk.

And that’s the week-in-review…

~Camille

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In the spring of 2009 the Annie Moses Band was happy to finalize a partnership with LifeWay to bring creative, excellent, and authentic music to those seeking a deeper level of musical education for their children. It’s not musical fast food. It is music designed to complement the intelligence and artistry of children.

On November 15 join the AMB in a renaissance of artistry for children! Go to LifeWay.com to purchase.

The Annie Moses Method teaches children to play the violin with excellence for the glory of God, cultivating the study of music as a language of love between parent, child and teacher. Violin Book 1: Student Book and Companion DVD offer thorough explanations and visual illustrations of fundamental positions, essential tools which enable the student to gain proficiency without impediment. The Annie Moses Method also provides parents, including non-musical parents, the tools necessary to coach their child successfully, helping churches, fine arts academies and teaching studios create a three-tiered support network of parent, teacher, and patron to guide and champion the student.

A penny for your pocket, a whistle for your heart. Welcome to Pennywhistle Park All Things Bright and Beautiful, a magical place where music, singing, dance, and art open a new world of praise and love to children. Led by characters Sir George MacDonald, Cowboy Roy G. Biv, and Lolly Popular, young artists learn the meaning of rainbows, the hope of a feather, and the joy of being popular with God. Featuring classic poetry from writers like James Whitcomb Riley, Robert Louis Stevenson, Emily Dickinson, and Cecil Alexander, Pennywhistle Park is a neo-Victorian style play based on a classical curriculum including voice, drama, dance, and the option of beginning strings. This wonderful musical will help your children discover beautiful ways to express God’s praise. “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Eccl. 3:11

We came home for another empty weekend, and then got up on Monday at three o’clock A.M. to drive to the North-East. The early drive was pretty tiring for the drivers, though the rest of us didn’t feel the effects of it so keenly, as we had the blessing of being able to sleep away the hours before dawn in the back of the car. The drive was beautiful, though, especially as we came into the Amish farmland of New England, with its brightly colored maple trees and rolling green meadows.

Finally, after a twenty-hour drive, we arrived in New Jersey. In bed at half-past midnight, out of bed again at five o’clock, and to the church where we set up our gear for the NYC Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). After a quick run to Dunkin’ Donuts for caffeine-riddled coffee, we were awake and ready to go, and enjoyed the main session immensely. The audience was rousingly energetic, and the speaker very innovative and inspiring.

The day whiled away. We were blessed to be able to meet and interact with many of the teachers there, and I even had time to converse with Gretchen and Benjamin about mine and our favorite topic: books. That afternoon we tore down our gear once more and headed off toward Pennsylvania, breaking up the drive with a refreshing stop at Barnes & Noble, where Gretchen, Benjamin, and I looked eagerly for any Masterpiece Theatre mini-series that we hadn’t yet seen. After the rush-hour traffic had slowed a bit, we drove on, finally getting to Jonestown, PA a little after midnight.

Early the next morning we loaded into the church, and had a great time rendezvousing with our good friends there. After playing for the church’s school students, we took Javier’s parents, who were visiting from Puerto Rico, out to our very favorite restaurant in the whole of New England: the Hershey Pantry. Having been quite delighted by the quaint and pretty atmosphere of the restaurant, the utterly delectable food, and the fun conversations, we went back to the hotel and slept for a couple hours with very warm and fuzzy stomachs.

That night we had a great time playing together for a full and energetic house. Afterwards, we enjoyed getting to catch up with some old friends and meet some new ones as well. Soon duty called, however, and, after tearing down and loading up, we gathered once more into our long-and-tall vehicles, and drove overnight to Boston. There, at about five o’clock in the morning, we were very much blessed by our kind friend, who let us drop our very big automobiles in his driveway. After gathering up our stuff, we journeyed to the airport, and flew on the wings of the mechanical dove back to our home sweet home.

And that’s the week-in-review…