The Soothing Sounds of Vermontbased band Low Lily Heard on the Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour

This Monday night at 9 p.m. on radio station WVPE 88.1 FM, be prepared to be pleasantly engaged by the polished harmonies and superb musicianship of the Brattleboro trio, Low Lily. Consisting of Lissa Schneckenburger—a graduate of the New England Conservatory in Boston, Liz Simmons—a music scholar from Goddard College, and Flynn Cohen—a student of John Renbourn (Pentangle Band)at Darlington College in England, Low lily parades a variety of fine original tunes that tickle the ear and renew the senses. Starting with Liz Simmons’s song about growing up in rural New Hampshire, the band unreels the ballad, a reflection on her leaving home and the security of a close friendship to explore new worlds. “Here the world seemed rich, by all that we had in sight—we thought we’d follow the same way down . . .” Throughout the chorus the harmonies blend, lifting the kicker – “We must go wherever we’re bound.” After discussion of his time in England, Flynn Cohen, switches from lead guitar to a ringing mandolin on a fiddle tune he penned, “The Good Part.” Flynn explains, “It has a funny harmonic rhythm –if you get confused, you can tap your feet to the beat and it will still be there—promise.” Lissa Schneckenburger kicks off the second part of the band’s performance with the original song, “The Girl’s Not Mine.” Composed as a nod to the song, “Jessie’s Girl,” by Rick Springfield, Lissa plays the violin and sings in a honeyed alto that proclaims the unrequited plaintive cry, “Baby lay down, baby lay down . . . with me.” Another song by Lissa, “Hope Lingers On.” closes the set. Sung acapella, and driven with syncopated handclaps and foot stomps, the infectious refrain rises in lock-tight harmony as this folk anthem proclaims: “When equality is gone . . . when justice is gone . . . when honor is gone . . . I will not fear, I will not hate, in our darkest hour, hope lingers here.” As usual on the show, there’s a musical interlude featuring a song written by host George Schricker for the Chicago Field Museum’s opening of their Archaeopteryx Exhibit. Wild Rose Moon regulars, Matt Scutchfield and Jerry Mitchell help do the send-up, providing a funky bassline and Cajon backbeat. Following that, audience members, John Lee (Indianapolis) and Forrest Reed (Sacramento, CA) answer some off-beat questions about the band’s geographical roots on the Shoot the Moon quiz show. All in all, it’s an hour of fine music and fun, Monday night, on The Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour – “A Home for Humans.”