A reprise “Winter Celebration” will be offered by the Lowe Profiles, a trio of local sisters on Friday, December 16 at the Andover Community Coffeehouse concert. On Friday, January 20, The Bombadils, a Canadian duo with a love for folk songs and fiddle tunes will headline the Coffeehouse show. The concerts will be offered in the Highland Lake Grange Hall on Route 11 in East Andover, midway between Andover village and Franklin. The events are open to the public at no charge; donations are accepted.
The Friday, December 16 Coffeehouse will feature New London’s Kathy Lowe, Susie Lowe-Stockwell of South Sutton, and Kim Lowe-Beaton of Bradford. As they did last December, they’ll be singing original and traditional songs of winter celebration, but with a vaudeville twist. They will raise the cheer and celebrate the spirit of the season in a performance featuring many of Kathy Lowe’s own festive compositions, which will be available for purchase on her “Wishing You Peace” CD. Her Web site is at KathyLoweMusic.Com.
On Friday, January 20, The Bombadils drawing from the Canadian, American, and Celtic traditions will bring the spirit of story-telling and kitchen parties to the Grange Hall featuring music of their own writing. Luke Fraser brings guitar, mandolin and homegrown east coast vocals to the stage in harmony with Sarah Frank’s singing, lyrical fiddle playing, and claw hammer banjo. They have recorded two albums of their own work, and have performed at a variety of venues across North America, as well as in Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Find more information at TheBombadils.Com.
Also appearing onstage both evenings will be up to a dozen open microphone performers, whose contributions in previous months have ranged from the spoken word to show business, jazz, folk, bluegrass, and country-and-western tunes. Open mic participants in the December 16 show are invited to prepare winter related or holiday themed songs in the spirit of the season.
Doors to the Grange Hall will open at 6 PM for food purchases offered by the Andover Congregational Church and for open mic sign in’s on a first-come, first-serve basis. Sponsor for both concerts is Tarte Cafe and Bakery, 46 Main Street, Andover, “specializing in classic French pastries, cakes, desserts, coffee, and espresso drinks, and now serving sandwiches, soups, and salads.”
Now wrapping up its second year of monthly concerts, Andover Coffeehouse events have consistently drawn near-capacity audiences and a full complement of open mic candidates. Featured performers in 2016 included The Dobros, CSC Riffed, Andrea Paquin, Mary Maguire, Joel Cage, Audrey and Clayton, Mo’Combo, The Fondtones, The Buskers, The Mink Hills Band, Sferes and White, and The Lowe Profiles.
Supporting sponsors for the year included Fenton’s Construction, Inc., Lake Sunapee Bank, Ragged View Farm, Boynton Law Office, New Horizons Hair Stylists, The Andover Beacon, Pine Hill Yoga/Kayak Country Paddlesports, Ragged Mountain Fish & Game Club residents, Merrimac Corporate Finance Inc., Tarte Cafe and Bakery, and one anonymous contributor “in honor of the Friends of the Northern Rail Trail.”
Information about future dates and scheduled performers and a photographic record of the performers, both headliners and open mic participants, are shown on the Coffeehouse Web site at AndoverCoffeeHouse.Org, or on the Facebook page “Andover Community Coffeehouse.”
Video recordings of past programs are shown on a number of community access channels across the state and are available on Andover’s town Web site at Andover.New Hampshire.US by clicking on Town Information and then Video Archive.
The coffeehouse venue, a former grange hall, is now the property of the Andover Congregational Church, which is located next door at the intersection of Route 11 and Chase Hill Road in East Andover. The Andover Community Coffeehouse operates under the umbrella of the Andover Community Association (ACA).
Directions: From Franklin, take Route 11 West (Franklin Highway) toward Andover for about five miles. Turn left onto Chase Hill Road immediately after the Andover Congregational Church, also on the left. The Grange Hall is across the parking lot from the church. From Andover village, take Route 11 East (Franklin Highway) toward Franklin for about five miles. Turn right onto Chase Hill Road just before the church.