The Church Ladies

THE CHURCH LADIES, a harmony-based vocal trio, will delight you with polished performances of folk, country, gospel, and old-time rock. Playing acoustic instruments – Joan Nelson, guitar; Mary Louise Stahl, upright bass, mandolin, banjo; Cindy Carlyon, upright bass, melodica – THE CHURCH LADIES are an energetic and humorous ensemble.

CHURCH LADIES shows are tailored to individual communities and a promotional tag is often added to their name to indicate unique event qualities. They have been billed as THE CHURCH LADIES: UNSUPERVISED! and THE CHURCH LADIES: OUT AND ABOUT! Performance selections included songs by many different artists, and you will enjoy audience participation and friendly banter during their vocal-instrumental concerts. Hailing from 3 rural Kansas communities, their hearts are steeped in the prairie as they travel their home state.

“The Church Ladies” can provide a 60 – 90 minute vocal/instrumental acoustic concert, streamlined for your unique setting/event. This would feature selections from different musical genres, based on the needs and requests of the client. A Question and Answer time may be included during a performance to concentrate on topics that the audience may wish to understand more fully.

“The Church Ladies” fee is $600.00 plus mileage for a 60 – 90 minute concert. Overnight accommodations may be extra. We provide our own sound system.

• February 21 – Holton Kansas
• March 9 – Private Event
• March 11 – Wanamaker Church of the Nazarene – Topeka, Kansas
• March 24 – Prairie Pickers Association – Auburn
• April 7 – Jam With the Church Ladies – The Little Grill – Manhattan, Kansas
• May 17 – Meadowlark Estates – Manhattan, Kansas
• June 12 – Manhattan Classic Car Club – Membership Picnic
• June 15 – St. Paul’s Lutheran, Junction City – Hog Roast
• June 21 – Flight Crew Coffee – Manhattan, Kansas
• July 28 – Prairiewood Barn Concert – Manhattan, Kansas
• August 2 – The Classic Bean – Topeka, Kansas
• August 25 – First Methodist Church – Junction City, Kansas
• August 28 – Private Home Event – Manhattan, Kansas
• September 8 – Waterville Opera House – Waterville, Kansas
• September 17 – Senaca’s 2nd Saturday Live Music Series – Seneca, Kansas
• October 3 – Liquid Arts Winery – Manhattan, Kansas
• October 19 – C.L. Hoover Opera House – Junction City, Kansas
• October 27 – Prairiewood “Sharing the Spotlight” – Manhattan, Kansas
• October 29 – Lyons Public Library – Lyons, Kansas
• December 8 – Wheaton Lutheran Church Picnic – Wheaton, Kansas
• December 13 – Flight Crew Coffee – Manhattan, Kansas
• December 18 – NARFE Xmas Party – Manhattan, Kansas

COMMON GROUND Workshop: JAM WITH THE CHURCH LADIES

Drawing on our years of combined community musicianship, THE CHURCH LADIES look forward to collaborating with you to create a jam session that will meet the needs of your community members. A jam session is very flexible and can happen with ease in a community building or even an outdoor setting. Jam sessions are a lifeline for beginners as well as professional musicians.

Goals and outcomes of a jam session:

1. Strengthen basic chord progressions and strumming
2. Learn new songs and chords
3. Share songs
4. Learn skills from other players
5. Ask questions in a supportive environment
6. Make new friends and build a network of musicians
7. Stress relief and fun

Necessary equipment:

1. People and instruments
2. Armless “picking chairs”
3. Optional printed song sheets

Sample 90-minute plan, to be adapted to your setting:

1. Tune-up and rules of the road
2. Warm-up in basic chord progression
3. Share 5-6 songs from printed song sheet
4. Group members share/lead songs of their choice
5. Question and answer time

Sample folk song suggestions:

1. Amazing Grace
2. I’ll Fly Away
3. Home On the Range
4. Will the Circle Be Unbroken
5. This Land Is Your Land

Rules of the road for a jam session:

1. Tune before you join the circle
2. Listen to what’s happening. Every jam is different
3. When it’s your turn, call out a song and the key or say “pass”
4. If you don’t want a lead (solo), say “pass”
5. Listen and blend with the group

$225.00

We have performed at Senior Living communities in our region, fund raisers for various causes, including Farm to Heart -benefiting families with children hospitalized with congenital heart defects. We have played for a Kansas day Celebration. We enjoy celebrating at numerous Folk Festivals, including Celebration of the Flinthills – fund raiser for the Native Stone Scenic Byways in Eskridge, Kansas and the Tulip Festival in Wamego, Kansas.