The Koehler Sisters! Reunion Concert at Mohonk Mountain House
MeET THE FAMILY
When your little sister settles in Texas a few miles from the Mexican border, and you plant your roots in New York a few miles from the Canadian border, it’s no wonder a decade has gone by without a concert! But this past July, the “concert count” was reset with an epic reunion that involved 7 family members! Combining the music of Koehler & Kelly -my duo with jazz pianist Daniel Kelly, and The Koehler Sisters -our twin fiddle duo, with the addition of Becky’s husband Brandt on guitar, my son Syl on fiddle, my husband Joel on bodhran, and Daniel’s daughter Sofia’s beautiful voice, we were thrilled to share an over-the-top show with a wonderful audience at Mohonk Mountain House’s “Festival of the Arts.”
THE REPERTOIRE
Knowing we would only have one in-person rehearsal the morning of the show, my strategy was to take familiar tunes from the repertoire of each duo and incorporate the other musicians into the existing framework. We’d start a set with something from our 2000 “Parallel Lines” album and end with a cut from 2014 “The Waxwing.” We’d play a tune from our 2022 album “LIVE from Hill & Hollow” followed by a Koehler Sisters’ classic from our 1992 cassette. (!!) The concert would be a fun trip down memory lane.
Koehler family AM rehearsal
THE DEBUT - ELZIC’S FAREWELL
To celebrate this reunion, I composed something new for the group -a hearty arrangement for the bluegrass tune Elzic’s Farewell. Hearing it for the first time in the historic Mohonk parlor was magic, and I couldn’t wait to share it later that evening for an audience.
THE CLASSIC- CANYON MOONRISE Another concert highlight was Canyon Moonrise, a waltz I played at Becky & Brandt’s wedding 20 years ago. My son Syl was but a year old at the time and served as the “Flower Child” in their wedding. Now grown up, Syl joined his beloved Auntie Becky, Uncle Brandt and proud momma in three part harmony. A brand new tune for Daniel, he offered a beautiful piano solo that would give you the impression he’d been playing this tune along with us for years. We sent this performance out to our parents, the Koehlers and the Kronholms (Becky’s in-laws) who joined us in the audience from Western Massachusetts.
Concert video of Elzic’s Farewell & Canyon Moonrise
Elzic’s Farewell (Trad reel, Arr. Gretchen Koehler)
Canyon Moorise (John McGann/arr. Gretchen Koehler)
THE OFF STAGE ADVENTURE
The band enjoying some “off-stage adventures” at Mohonk Mountain House.
The next day, the band enjoyed some “off-stage adventures” as we explored Mohonk Mountain House and talked through all the highlights of the previous evening. My husband and children have enjoyed coming to Mohonk for the past 9 years with the Kelly family, and it was wonderful to spend time together sharing delicious meals, staying up too late playing games, rowing around the lake, exploring the castle, and tiring ourselves out hiking just one more trail with my husband, our son & his partner, my sis & her husband, Daniel & his daughter.
IN GRATITUDE
Mohonk Mountain House ~Mitchell Saler, 2023
We would be remiss if we didn’t offer our MANY thanks to Maria Guralnik, a 4th generation Smiley Family member and curator of the Festival of the Arts. She and I had been talking about the possibility of a reunion concert for several years, and were both chuffed to have finally made it happen. She shared her thoughts with me after the show. “It will take me a bit to process the many delights of last evening. Clearly the result of care, practice and most of all, love! My heart is brimming! I plan to be floating all week…”
YES! What she said. Cheers all!!
~Gretchen
Gretchen Koehler- fiddle, Rebecca Koehler- fiddle, Syl Koehler Foisy- fiddle, Brandt Kronholm- guitar, Daniel Kelly- piano, with special guests Sofia Kelly- voice, Joel Foisy- bodhran. Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, NY. 2023.