This summer, we were thrilled to once again host Woodwinds in the Middle Barn, after a hiatus last summer due the Covid pandemic. This summer marked the 10th anniversary of this small musical gathering that began when Lester and Monique Anderson were alive. Before they were land conservers, Lester and Monique were, among many other things, recorder players and members of the Washington DC Recorder Society. Since 2011, Woodwinds in the Middle Barn has celebrated Lester and Monique’s deep love for their home lands, as local musicians create beautiful harmonies using the Andersons’ collection of Coolsma and Dolmetsch recorders.
Beautiful music is an essential part of community well-being, so Woodwinds in the Middle Barn fits well with Vermont Family Forests’ mission to observe, understand, and preserve forest ecosystem health; to practice forest-centered conservation that is holistic and adaptive; to support careful management of local family forests for ecological, economic, and social benefits; and to foster a forest culture focused on community well-being, ecological resilience, and the quest for an optimal land ethic.
Because the West Barn is currently deconstructed as it awaits restoration, and the Middle Barn is chock-full of timbers from the West Barn, we held the music in the apple orchard under a small tent, which we rented locally from Calvin Loven of Leicester. About 25 neighboring landowners joined us to listen to the talented musicians of Full Circle Recorders–Linda Road, Mary Ann Samuels, and Beth London–who sweetened the evening air with their harmonies. After the concert, folks toured the West Barn restoration, then feasted on pizzas hot from Durga, our earth oven. A glorious and delicious evening, to be sure.
