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Post date: Mar 08, 2011 10:30:55 AM
By Yola Plumblossom At first the location was frowned upon by many, mostly somewhat older, hobbits: Why go out of bounds to do a concert, crossing the Brandywine, when we've got the perfectly good Methel Stage in Bywater? But the Songburrow Strollers' intention was and is to bring their music also to hobbits that live outside our beloved Shire as many live in Buckland, Stadle, Bree or Combe even.All in all , it was a good idea of the bandmembers to meet their intended audience in Stock and travel across the Brandywine bridge together. What a sight it was, all these hobbits walking in a long parade towards the ruins in Buckland. A party tent offered a distraction and a holdback for many, but eventually the entire company made it in time for the concert to begin.
Meanwhile horses and riding goats had brought their masters of all races to the venue of the concert. Tough looking Dwarves, mysterious Elves and well-dressed Men came to join the hobbits for this event. A loud cheering was heard when the Songburrow Strollers in their splendid costumes went on and took out their musical instruments.That is when the magic started.. with each tune that the Strollers played the crowd grew more and more enhusiastic. Many danced to the music, many tried it in that new style, where several dancers perform their moves simultaniously. For the grand finale, two stage hands set off fireworks to accompany the music (not to mention members of the public setting off their own fireworks to add to all this) and the gathered crowd went totally out of their mind.
The ovations were ear-shattering. Many of the assembled dwarves cried out loud: "Ma brook zak af!!"***, their way of expressing their joy. Other fans had brought with them cowbells which they played during the applause. It was a spine-shivering moment, for both audience and performers alike. And we were rewarded with a few encores, among them ofcourse the song "Home sweet home". Many joined in the chorus of that beautiful Anthem of the Shire.The music made hobbits forget that they were on foreign soil, but after the concert they quickly gathered to walk back to Stock. An afterparty was held at the Golden Perch, where there was ample opportunity to talk with the performers and to congratulate them on their success: Well done, Strollers!But what did the Bucklanders themselves think about the concert on their behalf? Unfortunately, we were only able to ask one: a young lad who came to give a sketch which he had made during the concert by daringly scaling the old walls of the ruins. His comment: "Nothing ever happens here in dull old Buckland, but tonight... I've never seen such a crowd! And them Strollers surely know their way on their instruments. Great show, lads!" As you can see from the sketch below, the boy was hardly in a position to notice that it were in fact two lasses and one lad playing that night! Their names: Rowana Fairborn, Lina Willowwood and Simbo Rumblebelly!
The sketches that illustrate this article were kindly provided by Miss Tibba Stoutfoot (fireworks), an anonymous lad from Buckland (view from the top of the ruins) and Miss Yola Plumblossom (the other two).
***We are sorry, but no one at the editorial office is familiar enough with dwarf language to show the correct spelling
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