Coyote String Band - Wayfaring Stranger - Special Theo Solo Addition

As discussed with our fiddle section (and you know who you are), the recording below shows how to play the solo for wayfaring stranger. Note that I am only playing the top note of the music. If you wish to drone on both notes, go ahead. The most important thing is that you get the counting right.

Culmination Song #2 - "Wonderland"

Okay, so technically this is the 3rd or 4th song, but I don't have a good recording on the mash up, so let's get started practicing this Taylor Swift song. We will be doing it in the key F, not in Eb as it is recorded here. Here are the lyrics. Culmination is three weeks from today, so get busy!

2016 Wonderland Renaissance Faire - "Ungaresca" - Third Grade

2016 Wonderland Ren Faire - "Ungaresca" - Third Grade from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

"Ungaresca" is the oldest part of our Ren Faire presentation, and might be the most authentic Renaissance pieces we do. The third graders developed the choreography in the triple meter section which follows the form -- 8 measure A section 12 measure B section -- of the song. I've done this piece every year I've been at Wonderland, but I can't ever recall better dancing or recorder playing! Bravo, Third Grade!

2016 Wonderland Renaissance Faire - "Tideo" - Second Grade

2016 Wonderland Ren Faire - "Tideo" - Second Grade from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

There are so many things that I like about this piece, from the idea of students folk dancing to live folk music performed by other students, to the lager phones, to the fact that Tideo is one of those pieces that every music teacher does eventually, and I love the way ours turned out. I have a feeling we'll be doing this every year from now on.

2016 Wonderland Renaissance Faire - "Khorovod" - Second Grade

2016 Wonderland Ren Faire - "Khorovod" - Second Grade from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

This year we included a 2nd grade dance performance and I am very please with the results. The second grades did two dances, including this one - "Khorovod" - a spring garden song from Russia, which they performed to fixed choreography. Well done (nice straight lines!)

2016 Wonderland Renaissance Faire - "Greensleeves" - First Grade

2016 Wonderland Ren Faire - "Greensleeves" - First Grade from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Good morning! Great performances from everybody yesterday and this year we have some video, thanks to some helpful last minute videographers. This first piece is one we have been doing for several years and uses the famous song by Henry the VIII about his mysterious lady friend. The kids developed the gestures that accompany the lyrics. Wonderful job first grade!