25 guests spent an enchanted evening as David Stancliff, troubadour, composer, storyteller, and Alaska historian entertained with his voice, guitars (3 of them!) and banjo.

An Alaska dreamer, Mr. Stancliff lives the dream, a true Alaska lifestyle, and then sets the dream and the lifestyle to his own melodies and his own drummer.

He modestly describes his playing style as "bread and butter" guitar and banjo, but for the audience it is a 5-course banquet and epicurean dessert followed by a 5 star hotel visit!

His original material topics include such humorous entrees as Bunny Boot Blues, Don’t go to Tok if You Can’t Take a Joke, It’s a Moose!, grand scale images like Denali You’re the Great One, and sentimental and serious material with titles and content like Little Cabin in the Hills, and My Lady Alaska. He also encourages audience sing-along with familiar songs such as You are My Sunshine and gospel standards.

And he is a story teller—his recitation of the classic Robert Service Sam McGee was powerful and dramatic—for several moments we were transported to Lake Lebarge, seated on a log by a glowing campfire, unable to see beyond the periphery of the fire light, warm on one side and cold on the other, remembering Sam being perpetually cold.

He evoked childhood scenes, geographic memories and travel images, all nicely balanced with more songs.

Mr. Stancliff had a few copies of his 3rd CD entitled Beyond Alaska, and one was awarded as a door prize to a lucky winner. The song We Shall Rise on this CD is a memorial to the losses of 9-11 in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, and the song itself was first presented at Gettysburg National Cemetery on November 19, 2001.

What a splendid enjoyable evening in the company of a nice, talented, creative man, who showered the audience with his niceness, his talent, and his creativity—meet Dave Stancliff—we did, and if you do, you’ll never forget and never regret.

If you wish to be placed on the notice list for this Lyrica House Concert series, please call us at 895-4104.

If you should be in Tok in season, find out where Mr. Stancliff is playing for tourists, and take in his show. Meanwhile, support and encourage live music in Delta—Thanx to those who do and who did!

Article submitted by Ken Farrow

Photo Courtesy Judith Farrow