" 'John Anderson My Jo' is a song for silver-haired lovers." Thus Janne Irvine introduced a song of love and loss to be sung by the women of the Tucson Seven Pipers Scottish Society Singers.
Indeed, the packed commons area of Santa Catalina Villas felt as if the air were filled with memories of lovers past. Many in the audience at the Aug. 29 performance smiled and swayed to the music, while others silently mouthed the words to songs that have been with them their whole lives.
"My mother sang the songs," said 93-year-old Jean Lovejoy, who couldn't quite remember when she learned the words — just that they must have been sung around the house and stayed with her.
Irvine, the group's summer director, accompanied the singers on piano.
The lone native Scot in the group, Phil Donnachie, sported his traditional kilt and belted out verses in Gaelic, beaming at the warm reception from the crowd at the Villas, 7500 N. Calle Sin Envidia.
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The singers will perform next at Tucson Meet Yourself on Oct. 14. The free event, a celebration of Tucson's richly diverse culture, is held Downtown at El Presidio Park, between the old County Courthouse and City Hall.
For more about the Seven Pipers Scottish Society, visit the www.sevenpipers.org Web site .
