Celtic Moon is:
Verlene
plays harp, guitar, fiddle, mandolin,
nyckelharpa, tenor banjo, and concertina.
Barbary
plays harp, melodica, piano, cello, button
accordion, mountain dulcimer, and ukulele.
Both
are polished singers, with stunning vocal
harmonies.
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Celtic
jigs, reels, waltzes, strathspeys, and ballads
Mashups
with modern styles
Tunes
from around the world
Each
concert includes entertaining and informative
introductions to the songs and the unique
instruments.
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Verlene
Schermer
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The
Early Years
Verlene's musical journey began when she was 4 years
old and her mother started giving piano lessons to
her older brother, Duane. After he finished
practicing, she would often climb up on the piano
bench on her knees and play his songs by ear. Duane
was not happy. One day he complained, "Mom, Verlene
is playing my songs again and she has the book
upside down!" Mom put a stop to her "playing just by
ear" by starting her on her own set of piano books
so that she would learn to read music properly --
but she secretly continued to play a lot by ear...
That same year, she had her singing debut at a
mother-daughter luncheon at the church accompanied
by her mother on piano. She sang "M-O-T-H-E-R" and
thought that every little girl sang with their
mommies.
The Legacy Continues
When she was in third grade, Verlene started violin
lessons. She was the youngest member of the district
orchestra that admitted only 4th through 6th
graders. In 7th and 8th grade, she played violin
solos accompanied by her mother on piano during the
district orchestra concerts. In her junior
and senior years of high
school she was concert mistress.
Verlene took over her Dad's guitar in 7th grade and
also picked up cello that same year. By the time she
was a teen, she was playing guitar and singing folk
songs and original songs in local coffee-houses. She
never stopped picking up new instruments -- so
today, in addition to piano, violin, and guitar, she
plays Celtic harp, mandolin, tenor banjo, ukulele,
concertina, Swedish nyckelharpa, Swedish Cittra (a
zither), Norwegian hardingfele, harp-guitar, and
treble viola da gamba.
Awards and Accomplishments:
After taking up the Celtic harp, Verlene quickly
entered the harp world doing workshops and concerts
at national and international harp conferences. She
placed third in the Lyon & Healy Jazz and Pop
Festival competition in 1997, and she won a position
on the "Best Stories Ever Told" for her story of an
Irish harper, which included singing in Gaelic with
harp accompaniment at SJSU in 1995. More recently,
three of her original song videos placed in the top
10 in the MasterPeace competition in 2014, and she
was featured in the Heart Chakra Podcast with Jay
Michaels in 2021 with interviews and music from her
CDs. During 2021 and 2022, several of her original
songs were featured in the "Women of Substance"
radio broadcast.
As a Performer:
In addition to performing with Celtic Moon, she
currently performs as a solo artist and also with
her traditional jazz band, Parlez-vous Jazz, her
flute and harp duo, Silverwood, and The Verlene
Schermer Band.
Past performance bands include:
Local
Hero (a fun 6 piece dance band in which Verlene
was lead singer and band leader)
Nykken
(a Scandinavian trio in which Verlene arranged
much of the music, played several of her unusual
stringed instruments, and sang in Swedish)
To
the Moon (a vocal trio that sang a capella
jazz a la Andrew Sisters, as well as Celtic and
modern pop music with harps, guitar, and a
sprinkling of other instruments)
In addition to Verlene's public performances, she
have been a hospital musician at Stanford Hospital
and Cancer Center since 2003 playing soothing music
for patients at their bedsides on her double-strung
Celtic harp.
As a Recording Artist:
Verlene's original songs have been described as
"thought-provoking" and "inspiring." They cover a
wide range of themes from dreaming, visioning, and
the creative process, to observations about modern
living and social issues. These songs can be heard
on her 6 solo recordings. In addition to her
CDs of original songs, she has recorded 3 CDs of
traditional music. Both Silverwood and Nykken have
also recorded CDs. All CDs are available on Verlene's
website!
As a Teacher:
In addition to her busy schedule of private students
and online workshops, Verlene has been a clinician
for workshops throughout the country and in Europe.
She teaches voice, harp, guitar, piano, violin,
nyckelharpa, mandolin, ukulele, music theory,
songwriting, improvisation, and composing. See Verlene's current workshop
schedule!
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The
power to evoke deep feeling lured Barbary Grant
from a successful career as a classical pianist
into the lyrical world of traditional Celtic
music. Now her rich Irish harp and crystal-clear
voice breathe new life into the old songs of the
Gael.
Her
affection and respect for Celtic musical
traditions have led Barbary to the study of Gaelic
languages. She now performs songs in Irish, Scots
Gaelic, and even Manx. This homage won her first
place in the sean nós competition at the
1998 Great American Irish Fair. (Sean nós -
"old style" in Irish - is a highly ornamented
style of a cappella singing.)
By
turns romantic and playful, Barbary's music and
warm stage presence have captivated concert-goers
for decades . A favorite performer at Scottish
Games and Celtic Fairs throughout California, she
has shared the stage with Boys of the Lough, Eric
Rigler / Bad Haggis, the Wicked Tinkers, John
Whelan, Alex Beaton, and Craicmore.
Off-stage
Barbary works as a hospital musician at El Camino
Hospitals (and formerly at Stanford with Verlene!)
With wheels strapped to the base of her harp, she
moves through the hospitals playing soothing music
for patients, families, and staff everywhere
from the newborn nurseries to Intensive Care
Units.
In
1997 Barbary recorded her first CD, Brigit's
Well, with flautist Aimee Aul under the
Changeling Records label. Her solo recordings, Bonny
at Morn and Celtic for Kids (Recommended
by Parents' Choice) followed in 2002. Ellipsis
Arts selected three of her graceful songs for
their Celtic Dreams CD (2003). Barbary
celebrated the release of Soft Mild Morning,
a collection of soothing harp instrumentals in
2004. A CD of Scandinavian music with the trio
Nykken – Fager som en ros – followed in
2010.
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Barbary Grant
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Our
logo was created by the fabulously talented artist
and harpist, Deb Knodel. She worked closely with
us to bring in all the elements we wanted in a
logo to represent the many aspects of our music:
The
Moon is a symbol of the feminine, and the
rhythm of time. It is a reflection of sunlight,
illuminating, and
ever-changing. It is a force that pulls the tides,
as well as our emotions.
The
Wolf represents wisdom, strength,
communication, and family. The Native Wolf Symbol
represents loyalty, strong family ties, good
communication, education, understanding, and
intelligence. Of all the land animals, the wolf
has the strongest supernatural powers and is the
most accomplished hunter. The Celts believed the
wolf to be a powerful symbol of the moon. It was
associated with transformation and intuition.
The
Celtic Knot with three points is called a
triquetra, which to us represents the triple
goddess symbol of past, present, and future, or
the three ages of womanhood: Maiden, Mother, &
Crone. It also represents the Celtic concept of
land, sea, and sky.
The
Shooting Star stands for energy, motion,
surprise. For many the shooting star is a
connection between the physical and spiritual
worlds.
The
Colors:
Midnight
Blue projects sophistication and elegance.
Its association with formal occasions and royalty
conveys confidence, power, and authority, while
it's deep hue can also seem dark and mysterious.
Shining
Silver represents innovation. It has
traditionally been viewed as a distinguished color
-- one associated with wealth, glamour, grace, and
elegance. As a metal, silver also represents
innovation, refinement, sleekness, and
sophistication.
Fiery
Red represents action, passion, and energy.
More characteristics: confidence, curiosity,
strength, and courage.
Golden
Yellow is for success, achievement, and
triumph, but also higher ideals such as wisdom,
understanding, and spirituality. It adds richness
and warmth. It is optimistic and positive.
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Celtic
Moon -- a brief history
The
journey began when Verlene Schermer met Lynda
MacNeil at a Harpers Hall event. We became
friends and colleagues sharing a love of Celtic
harp, singing in many styles, and teaching
private music. Lynda has participated with
Verlene in the Harpers Hall Ensemble for a
number of years. (See first photo)
The
journey continued when Verlene was asked
to join Gaelic Muses with Lynda
MacNeil and Alison Kline. (see second photo) Their
love of Celtic music eventually expanded to
include original music with themes of empowerment
with inspiring, invigorating melodies, and when
Alison left Gaelic Muses, Verlene and Lynda formed
Celtic Moon, bringing in more vocal tunes and more
mashups with modern styles. They continued playing
their favorite jigs and reels, as well as the
vibrant music from Celtic themed movies and tunes
from around the world for 2 years. (see third
photo)
As often happens, talented and versatile musicians
branch off to pursue new projects. Starting in
August 2025, Lynda will dedicate her time to an
exciting new collaboration, while Verlene
continues Celtic Moon performances with longtime
friend and colleague, Barbary Grant.
Verlene
and Barbary also met through Harpers Hall, and
have performed concerts together initially as
"Scotch & Soda" in the early 2000s, and then
in the Scandinavian trio, "Nykken" from 2010 -
2015. (see
fourth photo) they
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Our
historical photo collage
Top:
Harpers Hall Ensemble; Gaelic Muses
Bottom: Celtic Moon (Lynda and Verlene); Nykken
(Kris Yenney, Verlene, and Barbary)
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