Hey songwriters,

Tuesday, at the final Songwriters Circle of meeting of 2014, about 10 of us witnessed an unexpected confluence of talent. David Michael King (kingsomma@igc.org) workshopped songs and dialog for his short one-act musical, and veteran member Jack Erdie (jackerdie@comcast.net), back in town briefly while performing in a feature film, played and sang the accompanying part. It was a hoot!

Providing further evidence of the group’s diversity of talent, several good “winter” songs were played in a variety of genres, and David Michael King’s featured set included contemporary folk, country, protest and pop songs.

At the Jan. 6 meeting, Howard Davidson (howarddavidson@pennhills.org) will play the featured set and the optional songwriting assignment is to finish a song that you started in 2014.

Help Pittsburgh Songwriters Circle celebrate the holiday season at a one-of-a-kind Christmas show 7-10 p.m. Sat., Dec. 13 at Bloomfield Bridge Tavern. In addition to sing-along performances of traditional carols and songs, Bob Cook (Rob.L.Cook@icloud.com) will debut songs from his new Christmas CD,Sue Gartland (suegartland@juno.com) and Cathasaigh (cnmusic@cathasaigh.com) will perform sets from their Christmas albums, and individual Circle members will play their one-off holiday songs. Donation: A can of food or $5 for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Circle members will also play traditional and original holiday songs at homeless shelter Christmas parties Dec. 14 at City Mission, Washington, Pa., and Dec. 18 at Light of Life (New Hope Church on North Ave., North Side). If you have a Christmas or New Year song, or want to help us play the traditional tunes at any of the above dates, please rehearse with us 7 p.m. Dec. 9 downstairs at Bloomfield Bridge Tavern.

The Rupert Wates Trio plays 7-10 p.m. Dec. 17 at The Barn, Penn Hills Garden Club, 237 Jefferson Rd., Penn Hills, which Circle member Howard Davidson books as the Penn Hills Coffeehouse Series. $5 at the door, or contact Howard at howarddavidson@pennhills.org.

In 2014 more Songwriters Circle members and supporters helped and participated in group activities than ever before. The impressive list below doesn’t include everyone who made it to the meetings. To the people I’m forgetting to mention, sorry. To everyone who made this Pittsburgh Songwriters Circle’s most active year, you guys rule. Thanks, looking forward to 2015.

Webmaster – Dennis Malley

Facebook – Sue Gartland

Treasurer – Tom Beckman

Advice and counsel – Doug Wilkin, Acoustic Challenge promoter Nancy Lackner, Brenda Leeds, Kate Snow, David Michael King, Alex Spore, Chris Jones, Sue Gartland

Bloomfield Bridge Tavern – Steve Frankowski

Calliope Songwriters Open Stage backup – Alex Spore

Retrospective CD committee – David Micheal King, Dennis Malley, Mark Bennett, Alex Spore, Sue Gartland, Marty Zundel

Pittsburgh Marathon performers – Sue Gartland, Derrick Davila, Derek Allan Gabrish, David Michael King

Retrospective CD benefit show, The Barn – Howard Davidson, Ben Shannon, Sue Gartland, Mike Strasser, Donna O, Steve Gallo, Laurie Shea

Retrospective CD, GoFundMe – Dennis Malley

New producer committee – Chris Jones, Karl Bailey

Greensburg SummerSounds concert series – Promoter Gene James, Gerard Rohlf, Laurie Shea, Steve Gallo, Mo Nelson, Frankie Lee, Sue Gartland, Greg Wojo, Alex Meleshenko, Bruce Hoffman, Haley Rohlf, Marty Zundel, Dennis Malley

Retrospective CD judging – Calliope executive director Tricia Tanner and 10 unidentified Calliope members

Goddard State Park show – Derek Allan Gabrish

2015 and retrospective CD producer – Doug Wilkin

2015 and Retro CD design – Steve Gallo

Saturday Light Brigade – Larry Berger, Emay

Saturday Light Brigade performance – Alyssa Turkowski, Peter Donovan

2015 CD release event staff – Marty Zundel, Steve Gallo, Tom Beckman, Nancy Lackner, David Graham. From Calliope Donna Isaac, Lisa Alexander

2015 CD – Bruce Hoffman, Luca Zan, Gary Ritenour, David Micheal King, Peter Donovan, John Maciejewski, Derek Allan Gabrish, Donna O, Jess Klein, Marty Zundel, Tom Beckman, Sally Zehmisch, Kate Snow, Derrick Davila, Greg Wojo, Brenda Leeds, Alex Meleshenko, Alyssa Turkowski, Susan McClusky, Diana Kobus, Sue Gartland, Dennis Malley, Heather Kropf, Mo Nelson, Alex Spore, Theresa Schneider, Victoria Montgomery, Karl Bailey, Gerard Rohlf, Haley Rohlf, Steve Gallo, Howard Davidson

Retrospective CD – Jack Erdie, Nancy Deckant, Sue Gartland, Emay, Travis Shane, Jeff DeSantis, Dennis McCurdy, Ben Shannon, Laurie Shea, Alyssa Turkowski

New producer – Mike Hickman

Christmas shows – Sue Gartland, Bob Cook, Cathasaigh, etc.