Introducing: Main Street House Concerts

Main Street House Concerts in Danville, Virginia

Tuesday, October 12th marks the arrival in Danville of a music phenomenon that, while not exactly sweeping across the nation, is surely taking hold in living rooms scattered across the country. Best known as House Concerts, these are gatherings of music lovers more akin to a party in their organization and invitations, but reminiscent of an acoustic concert in their actual presentation.

Picture this: a huge hundred-year-old home with the furniture from the front two parlors carefully moved out of sight lines, replaced with chairs and sofas and even some pillows on the floor for kids; an assortment of friends, family and fans listening to fine acoustic music not in a smoky bar or huge concert hall, but simply gathered together in a living room, loving the music.

Listen now: nowhere else are the artists as close to you, as accessible; nowhere else do you feel as close, as immersed, as in a House Concert performance. There are no microphones, amplification, or bright lights, just a musician or two with nothing but a guitar or banjo between them and the audience. For those used to attending concerts in a typical auditorium, enjoying an evening of music in a living room setting is often considered music for the soul.

In our area, you can attend House Concerts in Chapel Hill, NC, as well as several venues in Durham, NC. Whether this Danville House Concert is the beginning of a once-a-month series or a one-time event remains to be seen. Community support and interest will be important.

This isn’t a business, and there is not an admission fee, rather a donation request. The host of a House Concert typically has no financial incentive, as most hosts give all of the donations to the artist. That's what we do. Those who host these concerts do so because they love the music and want to share it. Most artists perform two hour-long sets, with a half-hour break in-between to mingle, meet the artist’s and buy CDs, and enjoy some snacks, coffee or tea.

The Lonesome Sisters

The House Concert scheduled for 7:30 pm Tuesday, October 12th will feature the music of The Lonesome Sisters, comprised of vocalist Sarah Hawker and Debra Clifford on vocals and guitar. There is good reason the Hawker name may seem familiar to many. Sarah is the niece of master traditional vocalist Ginny Hawker, a Danville native. Sarah was also one of the recipients of the Chris Austin Songwriter’s Award at Merlefest 2004.

The Lonesome Sisters are known for their hard hitting high harmonies, their bare-boned acoustic sound, and their love of singing about tragedy and heartache in all its forms. They have performed together at large venues and festivals since 2003, and their two CDs have been reviewed in Sing Out! Magazine, and will be reviewed this fall in The Old Time Herald, and Bluegrass Unlimited. The August/September issue of Sing Out! writes: “Debra Clifford and Sarah Hawker have produced two recordings of great tenderness and beauty. Anyone who is a fan of wonderful harmony singing and well-written songs will truly enjoy the work of The Lonesome Sisters.”

Just as this Danville House Concert is designed to be easy on the ears of the listeners, it is also designed to be easy on the nose. Guests are asked to refrain from smoking anywhere near or in the house. For more information email MusicInDanville@aol.com and request details. You may also visit The Lonesome Sister’s website at http://www.lonesomesisters.com/ to hear song samples and learn more about them. The suggested donation is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for supervised children.

Introducing: Main Street House Concerts in Danville, Virginia

Main Street House Concerts in Danville, Virginia

Tuesday, October 12th marks the arrival in Danville of a music phenomenon that, while not exactly sweeping across the nation, is surely taking hold in living rooms scattered across the country. Best known as House Concerts, these are gatherings of music lovers more akin to a party in their organization and invitations, but reminiscent of an acoustic concert in their actual presentation.

Picture this: a huge hundred-year-old home with the furniture from the front two parlors carefully moved out of sight lines, replaced with chairs and sofas and even some pillows on the floor for kids; an assortment of friends, family and fans listening to fine acoustic music not in a smoky bar or huge concert hall, but simply gathered together in a living room, loving the music.

Listen now: nowhere else are the artists as close to you, as accessible; nowhere else do you feel as close, as immersed, as in a House Concert performance. There are no microphones, amplification, or bright lights, just a musician or two with nothing but a guitar or banjo between them and the audience. For those used to attending concerts in a typical auditorium, enjoying an evening of music in a living room setting is often considered music for the soul.

In our area, you can attend House Concerts in Chapel Hill, NC, as well as several venues in Durham, NC. Whether this Danville House Concert is the beginning of a once-a-month series or a one-time event remains to be seen. Community support and interest will be important.

This isn’t a business, and there is not an admission fee, rather a donation request. The host of a House Concert typically has no financial incentive, as most hosts give all of the donations to the artist. That's what we do. Those who host these concerts do so because they love the music and want to share it. Most artists perform two hour-long sets, with a half-hour break in-between to mingle, meet the artist’s and buy CDs, and enjoy some snacks, coffee or tea.


The Lonesome Sisters

The House Concert scheduled for 7:30 pm Tuesday, October 12th will feature the music of The Lonesome Sisters, comprised of vocalist Sarah Hawker and Debra Clifford on vocals and guitar. There is good reason the Hawker name may seem familiar to many. Sarah is the niece of master traditional vocalist Ginny Hawker, a Danville native. Sarah was also one of the recipients of the Chris Austin Songwriter’s Award at Merlefest 2004.

The Lonesome Sisters are known for their hard hitting high harmonies, their bare-boned acoustic sound, and their love of singing about tragedy and heartache in all its forms. They have performed together at large venues and festivals since 2003, and their two CDs have been reviewed in Sing Out! Magazine, and will be reviewed this fall in The Old Time Herald, and Bluegrass Unlimited. The August/September issue of Sing Out! writes: “Debra Clifford and Sarah Hawker have produced two recordings of great tenderness and beauty. Anyone who is a fan of wonderful harmony singing and well-written songs will truly enjoy the work of The Lonesome Sisters.”

Just as this Danville House Concert is designed to be easy on the ears of the listeners, it is also designed to be easy on the nose. Guests are asked to refrain from smoking anywhere near or in the house.

For more information email MusicInDanville@aol.com and request details. You may also visit The Lonesome Sister’s website at http://www.lonesomesisters.com/ to hear song samples and learn more about them. The suggested donation is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for supervised children.