Evergreen Shade

Description

Mrs. Robert Howard and Dr. John Tole are Evergreen Shade. Their repertoire includes American period music from colonial days to the present as well as traditional and modern Celtic, folk, country, and pop tunes. Both are members of the Fauquier County (VA) Civil War Roundtable where their common interest in the songs of the War Between the States brought them together. While they focus on music of the Civil War, 1812, American Revolution and Colonial eras, they also perform a wide variety of other traditional and modern acoustic and folk songs including an entire program of songs with rural/environmental themes as well as Irish/Celtic, Christmas, and country music. Mrs. Howard is a former teacher and accountant. A native of Centreville, VA, she has been singing and performing since she was a young girl in church choirs, plays, contests, and various civic events. She has also performed with the Fauquier Community Theatre. She is a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Daughters of the American Revolution, National Society United States Daughters of 1812, the Colonial Dames, and the American Colonists. Her family is among the First Families of Virginia. She conducts research in genealogy, especially the era of the War Between the States and has participated in living history events for many years. She resides in rural Jeffersonton, VA. Dr. Tole is a native of Washington, D.C. with Civil War roots in both New York and the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia: one great-great grandfather was a Union naval officer; another was a member of the Stonewall Brigade in Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. He taught and conducted research in engineering at M.I.T. (where he received his doctorate) and elsewhere & spent many years in technical endeavors Music has been an important avocation for most of his life. He has been a member of several well-known choral groups including the Chancel Choir of the (Lutheran) Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill in Washington and the M.I.T. Choral Society. His first musical love, however, is acoustic music, which he has performed both individually and with small groups for the past 40 years. Dr. Tole also lectures on Civil War personalities and conducts research on this period of our history. He resides on a Christmas tree farm in Woodville, VA. Evergreen Shade performs at both both historic and modern venues accompanying themselves on 6 12 string guitars, banjo, dulcimer, and a variety of percussion instruments. At events with historical themes, they wear period dress and are able to comment extensively on the origins of each of the songs in their repertoire. Whenever possible, they also try to involve the audience, especially children, in the performances.

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