Following is a copy of the program with the nights lineup courtesy of Merrily Teasley, Innkeeper of the Balsam Mountain Inn
A Weekend In The Mountains
April 17 - 20, 2003
This past weekend Debbie and I went to North Carolina and stayed at the Windsong Mountain Inn just outside of Waynesville. It is a contemporary log home built on the slopes of Cedar Mountain looking out across the valley below and onto several distant mountain ranges. I have posted some pictures on Mike and Debbie's web site.
During our exploring of Waynesville and the surrounding area we came across the Balsam Mountain Inn. This is a very old inn built around the turn of the century. We discovered that the inn is host to songwriters that come to entertain guest and visitors during dinner about once a month. The show is listed as " Song Writers In The Round "........We made plans to arrive for dinner about 6:30 Saturday evening.
Dinner was a buffet with dishes and desserts from the standard menu, prepared for a wide variety of tastes. All the food was excellent and with a nice bottle of wine, it made for a very pleasant meal.
The songwriters came in at about 7:30 and began their show. They were seated in the center of the dining hall that seated about 100 people, most every table had a clear view of the event. Each writer took turn, round-robin fashion, expressing a story along with a song of some moment in life. Be it sad, happy, or humorous, each song has a special meaning to those that write them. And as for the listeners, they too make strong connections to the notes and words of each song.
The entertainment lasted for about 2 1/2 hours and I was able to get a few pictures of the folks that played. I put together a collage from the photos and placed the names with respect to each artist.
All in all, it was a great evening of food and fun with the unique chance to meet some of the best songwriters of our time.
(click image to enlarge)
Following is a copy of the program with the nights lineup courtesy of Merrily Teasley, Innkeeper of the Balsam Mountain Inn
LESLIE SATCHER: This is Leslie's fourth visit to Balsam, but her first as Host. Her debut album - Love Letters - was released by Warner Brothers in 2001 and many artists have recorded her songs, including Vince Gill, Deana Carter, Wade Haynes, The Kinley's, Randy Travis, Lorrie Morgan, Aaron Tippin and many more.
WYNN VARBLE: Wynn has been here several times over the past couple years, but ever time he's here, folks are asking when he'll be back before he even leaves the room! He's currently working on his first album for Sony / Capitol Records
and Have You Forgotten?, a song he wrote with Darryl Worley, has been sitting a #1 on the charts for the past couple of weeks. His songs have been recorded by artists such as Lee Ann Womack, Trace Adkins, Montgomery Gentry, Garth Brooks, Mark Chestnutt and several more.
MARV GREEN: This is Marv's first visit to Balsam and you'll hear some familiar songs from this man! His hits include; Amazed by Lonestar, Let's Make Love from Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Me by Faith Hill and More Than Everything from Rhett Adkins.
MIKE PYLE: This is also Mike's first visit to Balsam and while we don't know a lot about him, if Leslie's bringing him, we are sure you're in for a treat!
Couples and singles may share a table with others, when necessary, if seating is limited.