[img width=682.562px]//7ca49eb9f67ba1319ef136f9d52cd8b8.cdn.bubble.io/f1728184137988x817385839267792000/richtext_content.jpeg[/img] Dulcimer duo believe playing is labor of love Their independently-released album, entitled Just a Minuet, isn't exactly racing out of the record stores. "We're never going to make money like Madonna," says Christy Cook, who specializes in dulcimer music along with husband Fred Cook. Yet fame and fortune is not a priority with the Cooks. The dulcimer is a labor of love. "Quite simply, we play the dulcimer because we like it. It has such a beautiful sound,” says Fred. "In fact, the word dulcimer is à combination of two Greek words: dulce, which means sweet, and melos, which means sound," says Christy. The dulcimer is the forerunner of the harpsichord and has been around for approximately 1,500 years. It is strung with harpsichord wire (as many as 90 strings) and "is much like the inside of a piano," says Christy. The dulcimer is played with I small wooden hammers, which often have the tips covered with different material to evoke various tones. "There's a revival of interest in the dulcimer, especially in the United States. I have lots of friends there touring six months a year playing the dulcimer," says Christy, who also makes her living via the instrument. "The nice thing about the dulcimer is that it has such a sweet sound it appeals to all kinds of people, both in and outside the folk community," says Christy. The Cooks released two cassettes prior to Just a Minuet. "I've always wanted to do an album and it also gives us a certain credibility as performers, too," says Christy. The album is available at Sounds Good, Fidelio Records and through the mail order catalogue of the Canadian Folk Music Society.
