During the month of May, the Mayflower Residents Association Lyceum Committee hosted four different performance events. These were the last programs of the season, as Lyceum now is on hiatus until September. The Lyceum Committee hosts various types of entertainment on Thursday evenings for residents and their guests in the Carman Center.
The recent groups included heralded Grinnell groups, Vox Feminae (literally, “The Voice of Woman”), the Too Many String Band, and the grasshoppers, plus youth pianists at recital.
All performances drew significant crowds of Mayflower residents and their guests.
The Grasshoppers were joined by two banjo players who are Grinnell College students. Playing several pop tunes, the band drew in the audience for toe-tapping and singing along. Their encore was “Danny Boy.”
The youth piano recital was performed by Kyla, Cora, and Ariana Edson. Their instructor, Michael Gookin, also performed. He played a piece that he played for his high school senior recital and two movements from a piece he played for his college senior recital.
Vox Feminae (“the voice of woman”) sang songs of spring after introducing themselves. They are an A cappella women’s vocal ensemble based in Grinnell. Formed in 2018, the group is comprised of college and community members and meets weekly for rehearsals, general venting about the world, and mutual support. Their repertoire runs the gamut from renaissance madrigals to show tunes and contemporary compositions. Members include Jennifer Williams Brown, Erin Bustin, Carolyn Jacobson, Rebecca Sallee Hanson, Jean Ketter, Jennifer Latham, Kelly Maynard, Elizabeth Prevost, Georgeanna Robinson, Kelly Sandquist, and Melissa Vine.
The Too Many String Band (yes, singular, as in “They are a string band with many members!”) is a long-standing favorite at Mayflower. Besides the quality and enjoyment of their popular and original music, the fact that four members are Mayflower residents helps! And, on the night of performance, they added the granddaughter of residents Sig and Judi Barber, vocalist Ani Ford, GHS class of 2023. Mayfowerians include Sig Barber, Bob Cadmus, and Betty and Sandy Moffett. They closed the night and the season with “Goodnight, Irene.”
— Leslie Jaworski, Community Life Director