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Featured Artists |
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Brass FarthingBrass Farthing is a group of stalwart lads brought together to sing songs, raise good cheer, and otherwise make merry in the company of friends both old and new. They take their inspiration from many periods and enjoy performing historical, traditional, and contemporary compositions in traditional styles. You can find out more about what they are up to these days on Brass Farthing's Facebook page. George Chlentzos started the all-male singing group, Brass Farthing in August 2006, and has found outlets for his singing for most of his adult life. Ragani has known George for well over a decade so has heard many of these first hand, and is still honored to have him sing at this event. |
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Rosemary BeesonRose is not only a long time best friend of Ragani's, she is also an active member of Toastmasters. In high school and undergraduate college Rose studied theater, although it was not until later when she discovered Toastmasters that she really got the chance to put some of that training to the test, as well as adding to it significantly. |
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David & Cheryl PerryDavid Perry, father of the bride, was in the jazz-blues-rock band, Far Cry, when his oldest daughter was born. These days he is better known as Dr. David C. Perry, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology at GWUMC, in our nation's capital, but that does not stop him from taking out his guitar and getting a rousing round of music going at family and social gatherings when he gets the chance. To make this even more special, Cheryl, David's wife, shared her vocal stylings to perfrom a song that was performed for them at their own wedding: Devoted to You, by the Everly Brothers. Having them perform meant more to Ragani & Will than some antiquated ritual. Additionally, the rest of David's attending siblings joined them for a rendition of "Going to the Chapel" (which was the closest we got to a chapel). We were delighted to have the Perry family singers share their talents with us. Thank you Robin, Mark and Melanie! |
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Meghan Jean ArthurWe really enjoyed Meghan's rendition of 6 Pence None the Richer's "Kiss Me' that she performed as part of the ceremony. Megan is not only a recent regular in The Naughty Minstrels, but is also the voice of Play Naked. "Still in our infancy, we're a group of Santa Cruz area musicians who are working to combine talents and genres on our upcoming CD. Eclectic local favorites, we've been playing music in the Greater Santa Cruz Metro-plex for over a year. Bare your musical soul!"
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Tess & Devon BoydDevon and Tess Boyd are a dynamic duo combining the musical prowess with theatrical beauty. Having been married for 7 years, these two often are found on their front porch most Saturday mornings singing and playing Johnney Cash & June Carter duets much to the chagrin of their neighbors. |
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Clare Cook & Tana WoodOne of Ragani's closest friends, Clare as of late has been actively exploring and developing her musical talents. Her offer to perform for this event is a natural extension of her involvement and a delight to both Ragani and Will. Clare performed along with her roommate (and former roomate of Ragani too), Tana Wood, who moved in with Ragani & Clare in 2007. Hailing from Texas, Tana plays guitar and banjo, and has shown a lot of spunk when it comes to dealing with life. |
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The Naughty MinstrelsThe Naughty Minstrels are a musical and theatrical ensemble providing songs, improvisation and interaction at a variety of historically-themed market faires. Appearing as wandering minstrels, they play dozens of period and original songs and bring music, poetry and theatrical buffoonery to every corner of historical events, stages and streets. You can sometimes also find them performing at wineries, and corporate events. Oh, and occasionally even weddings. |
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5 Cent Coffee5 Cent Coffee is an eclectic trio dedicated to organic old fashioned sound, an amalgamation of a by-gone nation, mixed with the fresh scent of a smile or the wail of a lament. Utilizing the uke, squeezebox, bass, with a variety of "what ever you can get a hold" of percussion, this band has toured all over the place and have played various music festivals all over. Will and Ragani have known these artists since before they formed an ensemble. |
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Hobohemians Boxcar BandBlues and Rock with a Bohemian flavor. A little bit melancholy; a little bit ants in your pants. The scratch for your itch, a trash can fire on cold night, a boxcar ride to an unknown destination, a little bindle for your soul. These guys have been working the San Francisco club circuit for some time now. TheGrumpyCritic says, "Although she won't admit it, Julie Antti could be one of the best female Blues singers of her generation in San Francisco." |
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PlasterkatzPlasterkatz fuses high-intensity rock and traditional music from around the world to create a powerful show that gets the audience jumping. The band performs original compositions with eclectic instrumentation including harmonica, electric mandolins, ukulele, saxophone, Irish whistle and many other instruments you won't find in a common rock band. Performing together since 2003, Plasterkatz has a wide-spectrum appeal that has generated a loyal following. |
Additional entertainment |
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Malaika FinkelsteinMalaika Finkelstein, along with her partner, Terry Mulrooney, provided what was apparently one of the more successfull unknowns. Ragani had it in her head that it would be fun to have some dancing since so many of her friends enjoy dancing and we did have a ballroom for the evening. Malaika is one of several talented swing dance instructers who was perfect for the tone of the event. But even Malaika had her doubts about how well it would blend with the rest of the evening, and the exact timing of when this lesson would happen had not even been settled. Ragani realised on the spot that it was a good activity to deploy while people waited for dinner to be ready, and despite not being totally prepared, Mailika took the mic and started the lesson with her usual style and grace. Any concerns vanished when after only a few moments, the dance floor was filled with guests from all walks of our lives. |
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The Merrie PryankstersIt became apparent that there were enough Merrie Pryanksters in attendance that, given little encouragement, if Dave broke out his fiddle, it would naturally follow that Ellen would lead some dancing with plenty of hands to join in. This was proved to be true, and it was clearly enjoyed by the many country dancers at the event. It was a nice touch to have English country dancing be part of a wedding of two people who met at a Ren Faire and was a nod to the kind of celebration inspired by that part of our lives.Thank you Dave, Ellen and the rest of the English country dancing inclined guests. |