The Next Chapter: News

Hey there, all! We just thought we'd take a minute to update you on all that's been going on over the past couple of months.

The Next Chapter has been as busy as ever preparing to head up to Estes Park, CO for our second appearance at the Longs Peak Scottish/Irish Highland Festival. We'll be playing several sets up there the second weekend in September and we're preparing lots of new music and old favorites for the show.

We've also been gigging around town some. In the past few weeks you might have caught us at Calvary Chapel or at Christ Community Fellowship doing Sunday evening concert series, and we're heading down to Las Cruces for Music in the Park next week. If you haven't seen us around this summer, you still have a couple of chances, so check out the Calendar page to find out where to see us next.

One of our members has also been doing a little of extra-curricular music we'd also like to share with you. Adam has a few videos on youtube that have been getting some attention, so we figured we'd post one here. If you haven't made it out to one of our last two concerts, maybe this solo version of one of our newer songs will entice you - it's a cover of "Smoothie Song" by Nickel Creek. Hope you enjoy it!

Hi there all! Just wanted to give you a quick update on what The Next Chapter has been up to recently. We have been working up several new tunes for the summer concert dates we have listed in the Calendar section, and we're really excited for you all to hear the new material! Check out the Calendar tab to see where you can catch us over the next several months. You'll have opportunities to see The Next Chapter play in July, August, and September, and we'll even be doing a bit of traveling during that time. Check the dates to see if your city is on the list!

Also, check out the Products page, as Jeanne has a new book out this summer!

The Page family would like to take this moment to bid a fond farewell to our fiddler and dear friend, Tracy Sjaardema. College is just around the corner for Tracy and she has wisely decided to put her musical journeys on hold for now and instead focus on the educational opportunities and paths opening up before her. Tracy’s talents go way beyond her musical gift (which is exceptional!), so we are excited that she is exploring all the possibilities that await her in the future. We’ll miss you, Tracy, but wish you many blessings as you pursue your life’s dreams and goals.

While Tracy’s departure leaves a big hole in the band, we are thrilled to announce that we have found just the right person to fill that gap. Those of you who have seen JUBALation perform know that Tracy has been twin fiddling with Natasha Coffing for several years, so it seemed a natural fit for Natasha to bring her fine fiddling skills to use in The Next Chapter now. Natasha is classically trained, but has a real love for fiddling with her favorite genre being Celtic. Natasha had her debut with The Next Chapter at our St. James Tea Room performances in March wowing everyone not only with her fast fingers on the fiddle, but also her lovely voice on a moving rendition of “Danny Boy.” We look forward to a great future of wild jigs and reels with our newest member, Natasha Coffing. Welcome Natasha! If you’d like...leave a little welcome note to Tasha on our guestbook.



And thanks to Larry CdeBaca for our fabulous new promo photos!

That's right, we have completed the long drive there and back again - that is, to Dallas, TX for the North Texas Irish Festival! For a run-down of our experience at the festival, check out the "Past Dates" section of our calendar (there's a link at the bottom of the calendar page). But if what you're looking for is photos, just scroll down...


"On We Go" on the Shamrock Main Stage Friday night

Jamming on the Pub Stage Sunday afternoon

In case you were wondering, NTIF and The Next Chapter are both dog-friendly!

Hope you enjoyed seeing a few of our photos. Next time, make the trip out and see it all yourself!

You've probably noticed our cool new look! We are happy to unveil our brand new website to you today. We've worked very hard on it and we hope you like it!

We think you're really going to enjoy the new features we've been able to incorporate recently. For instance, you can check out our guestbook and leave us a note. Or, check out the "Music" page, where you can download and preview some samples of our tunes.

The best part about our new site? We can finally post video!

Enjoy this brand new montage of our Celtic Christmas concert 2008. For the full show* as performed at Calvary of Albuquerque, visit Calvary's website and click on the link that says "Services" in the top-left corner. Our show date was December 17, 2008.

And don't forget to check this space often for more updates, news, and yes: videos, too!



*Please note that the show performed at Calvary of Albuquerque was an "abbreviated" program, and did not include many of the numbers performed at other locations in this year's concert series.