Ann Reed, Peter Ostroushko and Joan Griffith Sunday March 23rd, 2003

Lately, our world seems to be filled more with trouble and less with joy. Radio stations and television channels are dominated by stories of war, destruction, and pain. In spite of all this, 850 Joan of Arc regulars and guests gathered in the gym on a warm spring evening for three hours of music, laughter, and community.

In place of the altar could be seen a set of handsome instruments, and behind them a huge, glowing guitar. Anna Vagle and Dan Chouinard opened the evening with a welcome to the guest musicians. (This was Dan’s opportunity to speak, before returning for the rest of the night to his usual “strong, silent type” mode.)

With springy steps, Ann Reed, Peter Ostroushko, and Joan Griffith bounded onstage and joined Chouinard for a lively version of “Ain’t Gonna Study War No More.” The audience chimed in cheerfully. To see the four of them onstage together was no less than amazing for this fan. A woman new to St. Joan of Arc asked me if Chouinard’s piano-playing was really the kind of music we at SJA get to hear every Sunday!

Reed and Griffith were then left alone in front of the crowd for “Life Gets Real.” Chouinard returned again to play the accordion for “Hole in the Day,” a song of marvelous poetry that makes one want to return to the woods in great haste. Reed told a story of a folk concert in which she wowed two young girls by predicting that she could get an audience to sing. Reed, Griffith and Chouinard then proceeded to do just that with “Loch Lomond.” Everyone seemed to know the words - at least to the refrain.

The theme of the evening - duct tape - was then identified. After bringing more laughs to the crowd, Reed set down her guitar and Chouinard sat down at the piano, with Griffith still on bass, for a bluesy rendition of “Power Tools are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Reed and Griffith were then left alone again for “You’ll Never Know.”

One valuable aspect of attending live concerts is the new perspective that can be brought to songs you may already have heard multiple times. Before playing “Two Trees,” Reed spoke of a marriage troubled by Alzheimer’s Disease, and how one partner must learn - unwillingly - to live without the other. Suddenly, the words were much more clear.

After that heartrending piece, some lighter tunes were in order. We all learned something about how an amazingly talented songwriter like Reed comes up with topics for her music. She told of how she keeps a book, in which she jots down ideas for subjects and lyrics as they come to her. “The sky is blue, etc. etc.,” did not make for a hit, but the unlikely theme of eating while driving did. “Meals on Wheels” brought many laughs. It was followed by the even more amusing “Please, Mr. Ashcroft,” in which Reed reconsiders her philosophy that the arts should be open to anyone.

Popular as she is, Reed is asked to write many songs for different organizations and events. Perhaps one of her most moving is “Leap of Faith,” written for the Women’s Cancer Resource Center. “There are moments I fly / Days when I weep / Sometimes I close my eyes and remember to breathe.” Her voice is what brings the emotion of these lyrics to its full power. It’s beautiful, and even more so in live concert.

At this point - and fortunately between songs - there was a loud gasp from the audience as the guitar of lights fell from the backdrop, with a crash against the piano. No injuries, just some startled performers.

When everything had become calm again, Reed and Griffith then sung their final piece their set, a medley of “God Is Sleeping/You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught” together with “Heroes.” This again brought a melancholy mood to the crowd, reflecting on what has gone wrong with the world, as well as remembering those who have gone before to make it better. Recalling the Wellstone memorial service, one man added “Paul and Sheila” to the end of the litany of names in the final song.

Before intermission, Ostroushko and Chouinard returned to the stage again for “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away.” And again, the audience chimed in. After intermission, when Peter Ostroushko took the stage for his part of the concert, he took up his fiddle first. With Chouinard accompanying on piano, he began with a couple of Irish-sounding pieces. First came the “East Texas Waltz.” The “3 Reels” that followed was more lively. “Four-Faced Liar” recalls a clock in Ireland. Then came “Baggett Street,” and finally, “Witch’s Kitchen,” about a rock near the Blarney Stone. The incredible thing about Ostroushko and his fiddle is that even when a piece of music has no words to be sung, you wouldn’t know it, because the fiddle seems so alive - as though it is singing itself.

Ostroushko’s one “political” moment came during the next song, “Heart of the Heartland,” dedicated to Paul Wellstone. He commented first on our sad lack of leaders during these difficult days. The piece evoked strong memories of a man who worked hard to stand up for what was right.

Then came a lighter note: “My People,” a comical tune (with words) about the Ukrainians who love potatoes. They pick potatoes, eat potatoes, and drink distilled potatoes…

Another Ukrainian medley was next. With Chouinard now on the accordion and Ostroushko on the mandolin, the first song told the story - in Ukrainian - of a girl who went to a dance, got caught in a storm, and was then stuck trying to decide whether to take a ride home from the young man she had her eye on. The problem was that her mother might be waiting at home, watching out the window with a meat cleaver in hand. This medley ended with a lively polka.

After the “Teelin Bay Waltz” and then a Brazilian medley, Ostroushko again sang, this time a beautiful song about love, “We’ll Go Walking.” Images of walking down trails and through galaxies filled the room, certainly symbolic of a love to last forever.

Vocals were put aside again for “Remember 9-11,” which Ostroushko says he plays whenever the images of that day start to get to him. Finally, he finished with “(Peter’s Most Excellent) Trip to Donegal.” It’s hard to know who is in charge during some of these pieces - the musician or the instrument!

Kate Mattessich has been a member of SJA since she was in high school. She is proud to live in St. Paul, and she works as a middle school social studies teacher in Columbia Heights. She says, "Teaching is fun - but tiring! SJA gives me the energy and optimism I need to keep up with the kids. Every Sunday after mass I feel restored and ready for another week." Kate and her fiance, Robert Valaas, will be married at SJA this summer.

Amie Rankin, a resident of the Regina Neighborhood, believes strongly in balancing "community solutions" and "individual responsibility ". She is passionately committed to the exposure and the expansion of Companion Animals in our society. Employed full time with Chicago Title Insurance Company, Amie has many interests; photography is just one of them. "Heart," "Spark," "Spirit," -- whatever word we use for the mysterious force that animated us, its full potential cannot be realized in isolation. (Paul Loeb- SOUL OF A CITIZEN)

Both Fred and Anna Vagle then came onstage, along with Steve Kremer, Ann Reed, and Joan Griffith once more. The ensemble led the audience in “Teach Your Children Well.” After a boisterous applause, they all returned with an encore, “Goodnight, Irene.” And time for goodnight it was, after three wonderful hours of listening to heartfelt poetry in music. With all that goes on in the world, it’s good to know that there are people out there who will keep singing. It makes it easier for the rest of us to keep up the hope and faith that we need to make a change.