1. Dunmore Lasses/Julia Delaney (3:31)
Christopher-Hammered Dulcimer;
Nicholas-Guitar;
Joel-Piano;
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer
We first heard this medley from one of our all-time favorite bands, No Strings Attached. They have been a huge inspiration and encouragement to us.
2. The Home Ruler (3:07)
Christopher-Piano;
Nicholas-Mandolin;
Joel-Pennywhistle;
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer
A beautiful tune about the Irish wanting home rule, or is it about the writer's wife? You decide. This tune was one of Grandpa’s favorites.
3. Cluck Old Hen (2:48)
Christopher-Banjo;
Nicholas-Guitar;
Joel-Fiddle;
Luke-Harmonica/Hammered Dulcimer
This song is one of our favorites and the name always gets a laugh at our performances!
4. Be Thou My Vision (2:00)
Christopher-piano;
Nicholas-guitar;
Joel-Pennywhistle;
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer
This is a wonderful old song that also has very moving words. God has really been our vision throughout our whole musical journey, guiding us even when WE can't see where we are going.
5. Old Joe Clark/Temperance Reel (2:33)
Christopher-Hammered Dulcimer;
Nicholas-Guitar;
Joel-Fiddle/Piano;
Luke-Piano/Dulcimer
These two songs we learned from Bill Spence's CD, 'The Hammered Dulcimer'. It is about as close to "Dueling Banjos" as we get! This is the song where Christopher hits that one note Luke can't reach!
6. Sally Anne (3:18)
Christopher-Banjo;
Nicholas-Guitar;
Joel-Fiddle;
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer
This is normally a fast song, but we slowed it to a lope. We also gave it a few new chords - one of our favorite things to do!
7. Arran Boat/Drowsy Maggie (3:43)
Christopher-Hammered Dulcimer;
Nicholas-Guitar;
Joel-Bones;
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer
Christopher’s arrangement of a wonderfully haunting song that is paired with a lively song which is not drowsy in the least!
8. Sandy Boys (3:17)
Christopher-Mountain Dulcimer;
Nicholas-Guitar;
Joel-Fiddle;
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer
Normally a fast song, this tune is incredibly moving when it is slowed down and the chords adjusted to reflect a more introspective mood. Seeing a trend?
9. Salt Creek (Salt Rapids)/Mississippi Sawyer (2:47)
Christopher-Hammered Dulcimer/Banjo;
Nicholas-Guitar;
Joel-Piano;
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer
A really fun medley that starts with one that was originally a slower song called Salt River. Bill Monroe sped it up and called it Salt Creek. Then Luke sped it up again and we did not know what to call it until someone at Glen Rose suggested 'Salt Rapids'! That idea is a keeper!
10. Star of the County Down (5:01)
Christopher-Piano;
Nicholas-Guitar;
Joel-Pennywhistle/Fiddle;
Luke-Pennywhistle/Hammered Dulcimer
This is a gorgeous Irish song that we decided to learn after we heard our friends play it at one of our music nights at home. While there have been many variations of this tune, this arrangement turned out to be one we are especially proud of. We really like it and hope you do too.
11. John Stinson's #2 (3:01)
Christopher-Banjo/Piano;
Nicholas-Guitar/Mandolin;
Joel-Fiddle;
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer
We play this tune with the chords that we learned from Cathy Barton and Dave Para, and then we added our own chords to the very last time through the "B" part. Cathy's incredible banjo playing inspired the extra strum added to Christopher's style of clawhammer banjo.
12. Greensleeves (What Child is This?) (2:49)
Christopher-Hammered Dulcimer/Mandolin;
Nicholas-Guitar;
Joel-Fiddle;
Luke-Hammered Dulcimer
We like closing with this one because it gives us a chance to stop and ask "What child is this?" He is Jesus Christ, and He saved us from sin and death by taking the punishment we deserve, making a way for us to be reconciled to God. Now that is GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!
Vanderveer Brothers String Band is:
Christopher Vanderveer – Hammered Dulcimer, Banjo, Piano, Mandolin, and Mountain Dulcimer
Nicholas Vanderveer – Guitar and Mandolin
Joel Vanderveer – Piano, Pennywhistle, Fiddle, and Bones
Luke Vanderveer – Hammered Dulcimer, Piano, Pennywhistle, and Harmonica
On this recording we use
a Leo Banjo,
a David's Dulcimers Chromatic Grand Hammered Dulcimer,
a Master Works Ultralight (16/15) Hammered Dulcimer,
a Yamaha FG-160 black label Guitar,
a Yamaha Conservatory C6 6′ 11″ Grand Piano,
a Scott Cao Fiddle,
a nice sounding fiddle from parts unknown,
a Mel Bay Pennywhistle,
an unknown brand Pennywhistle,
a Mitchell Mandolin,
and a McSpadden Mountain Dulcimer.
Recorded and mixed by Erik Herbst at The Panhandle House, Denton, TX.
Recording Assistant - Ace Crayton
Recorded and mixed June 27-30 2016
Mastered by Kevin Gray, Cohearent Audio
Photography by Randal Vanderveer
All songs in the Public Domain and arranged by Vanderveer Brothers String Band.
This recording is dedicated in loving memory of Grandma and Grandpa, who loved us and our music but never got to hear our CD.
We owe a debt of gratitude to so many of you that we can't list all of your names here. Please know that we are grateful for all of the support and encouragement we have received over the years. Thank You!!
Most importantly, we want to thank God for not only our talent and music in general, but for all the ways He is good to us, especially by saving us while we could do nothing to save ourselves.
We also want to thank our parents for their encouragement, love, advice, patience, and care. As Luke says, "Without them we would not be here!"
We also want to say a big thank you to our grandparents for being our number one fans and for all of their support and encouragement.
A huge, enormous thank you to Mr. Scott Jackson for introducing us to the hammered dulcimer and for his encouragement and inspiration.
Also, a big thank you to Mr. Dana Hamilton who has given us so much encouragement and advice, and who gave us our first opportunity to play on stage...even though it scared us to death! (He also inspired Christopher to start learning to play the banjo and for that we blame him every chance we get!)
Thank you to Mrs. Marie Graham, our piano teacher, who saw in us what we did not see in ourselves and who pushed us, even when we did not like it, to work hard to achieve excellence.
We want to thank all of you who have taught us in workshops, taken time to give us pointers, and to those whose CDs have been such a motivation and inspiration to us. We wouldn’t be here without you.
We want to say a sincere and humble thank you to our family, friends and all of our audiences for their support and encouragement, especially to the folks at the Glen Rose (LSSDS) and Winter Creek Reunion festivals! We count down the days until the festivals start!
We want to say a special thank you to all those who urged us to make a CD and those who offered us help, resources, time, and encouragement. The fact that you care and are willing to help us is GREATLY appreciated!
We are very grateful to Mr. Virgil Strange, who arranged for and funded this CD's production.
Thank you to Charles and Debra Bentley for the use of Green Gables for the photo location.
Well, here it is - our debut album! We based the name A Guided Path on Proverbs 3:5-6:
'Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will direct your path.'
In all of our different musical paths, God has guided our steps and directed us even when we had no clue as to what was going on. God gave us musical ability even before we knew we had it and certainly before we had any desire to do anything with it. He gave us multiple instruments before we ever wanted to play them. He also gave us the desire to share this gift of music with others. God has always gone before us, closing and opening doors and providing for us. So, it is obvious to us that God has been guiding our path all along, and we know that He will lead us on to whatever lies ahead.
We sincerely hope you are blessed by this compilation and if you are, please consider it God working through us to bless your day. To Him be all the glory and praise!
-Vanderveer Brothers String Band 2016
