The Minstrel had extra reason to celebrate at its 37th anniversary show last week.
Christine DeLeon, one of the most popular singers at the Morris Township folk venue, took the stage just one night after being released from Morristown’s Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute, where she had spent nine anxious days being treated for a frightening heart condition.
Without any rehearsals, Christine played a flawless flute and led a jubilant sing-along combining the Marshall Tucker Band’s Can’t You See with the Beatles’ Hey Jude. Her husband, Mike Del Vecchio, accompanied her on rhythm guitar while David Rimelis handled lead guitar and Jean Scully shared the vocals.
“I was pretty tired since the last place you can get any sleep is in a hospital, but I wanted to keep my commitment to the Minstrel’s birthday show because that tradition has always brought me a lot of enjoyment, and also so I could feel like life was returning to normal. To some degree, it was a ‘get back on the horse’ moment,” Christine said.
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Just before dawn on July 24, Christine awoke from a sound sleep feeling disoriented and nauseous. Her heart was beating wildly out of control. Ventricular tachycardia was the diagnosis by doctors at Dover General Hospital, where Mike had rushed Christine from their Victory Gardens home. She was transferred to the heart institute at the Morristown Medical Center when her situation was stabilized.
Scared as they were, Christine and Mike both felt grateful for the timing of this flareup. Had it struck a few days later, they would have been tenting on a farm at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in the Berkshires.
“There are a lot of ways this whole episode could have gone very badly for me compared to how and when it actually did happen,” said Christine, who gained a new appreciation for “how precious and delicate life can be.”
“It’s a reminder that life can change in an instant,” added Mike, acknowledging they will have to make some adjustments.
Fortunately, medication appears to have tamed Christine’s irregular heartbeat, known as an arrythmia. She expects to complete her second album without any difficulty.
Don’t be surprised if a tune or two emerges about the world of I.V. drips and EKGs–though Christine is hesitant to invade the turf of another Minstrel favorite, Carla Ulbrich, the “song queen of ‘sick humor,’“ in Mike’s words.
You can check out Carla’s wicked concoctions on Aug. 17 at the Fifth Annual MorristownGreen.com Film Festival, on the Green. The Festival is free and Carla has a video entry in our comedy contest.
And you can applaud Christine’s return to health on Sept. 21, when she headlines at the Minstrel, at the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship.
CHRISTINE DeLEON SOUNDTRACK AT 2010 MG FILM FEST
CHRISTINE DeLEON AT FIRST NIGHT MORRIS
Dear Christnie:
I had no idea when I saw you perform Friday night that you had been through this scarey medical ordeal
As usual,you sang beautifuly, and performed in your charismatic way.
Or course you are on the mend with all the prayers and positation from your Folk Project family.
Love,
Geri