Hot Summer Nights: Music on the Labyrinth - All Those Who Wander

     First Christian Church is presenting the next program in their “Hot Summer Nights: Music on the Labyrinth” series, featuring All Those Who Wander, a folk alternative group which creates an eclectic mix of American, Scottish, and Irish folk styles.  Nicholas and Danielle Booker and Forrest Alvarez play a variety of instruments and sing in tight harmonies. The program will be held outdoors on the south side of the church (but will move indoors for inclement weather), so bring a blanket or chair.  A free will offering will be taken.

     All Those Who Wander is a three piece folk alternative group creating original and traditional music. The group creates an eclectic mix of American, Scottish, and Irish folk styles combined with recorded sounds. From mandolin and penny whistle to tight harmonies and ballads, All Those Who Wander is a dazzling Colorado folk group making its way into the world of folk legends.  The group is composed of Colorado natives Nicholas Booker, Danielle Booker, and Forrest Alvarez. All three are versatile musicians who perform on guitar, piano, penny whistle, flute, bodhran, mandolin, bouzouki, trombone, and vocals. The group is diverse in their schooled and unschooled musical backgrounds as well as their bold stylistic choices, resulting in a unique sound.

     Nicholas Booker performs in a myriad of styles, from folk to classical. He has studied flute since the age of nine, but the spark for his musical inspiration was lessons, jam sessions, and a church praise group on guitar in high school. He has always had a close relationship with folk music and has loved performing his music in settings from the Sydney Opera House to Scottish pubs. He has a strong classical background and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Denver, but his folk style is defined by bluegrass, Appalachian folk music, Canadian folk music, and Scottish and Irish folk musics. In keeping with folk traditions, he explores many instruments including guitar, flute, voice, piano, and penny whistle.

     Danielle Booker is a Colorado-based musician who has enjoyed learning a wide variety of instruments over the years. She started singing at an early age, and took up the piano soon after that. At age 11 she was introduced to the trombone, and played in several Colorado honor bands through high school. She attended the University of Denver, obtaining her Bachelor of the Arts in Music in June of 2015, and played in a variety of ensembles both at the university and around Denver on trombone, euphonium, voice, penny whistle, and bodhran. Danielle also loves world music, and jumps at any opportunity to learn about music in other cultures and to try their instruments. Through the world music class at DU, she had the opportunity to perform in an impromptu Ghanaian drumming ensemble and played in a Balinese Gamelan ensemble. Though Danielle loves learning about all cultures and their music, Scottish music has always held a special place in her heart, and is currently learning to play guitar and bagpipes and would one day like to learn how to fiddle.