Music in the Atrium Features Hammered Dulcimer

The Dulcetones pose for a photo with their instruments.

The Dulcetones feature (from l) Dave Roth, guitar; Tim Felker, vocals; Phyllis Shea, violin/vocals; Mary Hynes, bass; and Paul Saunders, hammered dulcimer.

Photo: janice duran

A man plays the hammered dulcimer. Another man plays the guitar in the background.

Photo: janice duran

A seated woman plays the violin. Behind her, a standing woman plays the bass.

Photo: janice duran

A man in a green t-shirt sings into a microphone.

Photo: janice duran

Three of the Dulcetones mid-performance, playing guitar, violin and bass.

Photo: janice duran

The Dulcetones, an intergenerational musical quintet formed in 2022 in Arlington, Va., recently gave a lunchtime concert in the Clinical Center (CC). The group’s sound includes the distinctive strains of a hammered dulcimer, a percussion-stringed instrument consisting of strings stretched over a trapezoidal resonant sound board.

Dulcetones performers include Paul Saunders on hammered dulcimer, David Roth on guitar, Phyllis Shea on violin and vocals, Mary Hynes on bass and Tim Felker on vocals. The group enjoys creating fresh and unique takes on pop, rock, jazz, classical and folk classics, highlighting both their varied backgrounds and a shared love of musical collaboration.

Featuring more than a dozen songs, the Mar. 12 playlist at the CC ranged from Jim Croce’s folk/rock classic Time in a Bottle and the bossa nova/jazz hit Girl from Ipanema to Irish folk ballads such as Fields of Anthenry and Danny Boy and blues standard The Thrill is Gone.

The concert was part of the CC’s Music in the Atrium program. To see the schedule of performances, visit https://clinicalcenter.nih.gov/ocmr/music.html.