For people who require neat boxes for describing the music a band plays, Possum Holler is a challenge. There are elements of swing, country and torchy blues and no song sounds the same as the one before.

The constants through all the music that Possum Holler plays are the clarity and brilliance of Tori Anderson's voice and the unabashed melody that underlines all the songs. Their original music which dominates both their CDs and their concert sets may be written by any member of the band or collaborations among them. They also cover popular songs that play to the band's strength -- Tori's singing and the band's precise musical excellence. It's also a bonus that band members know it is Tori who is the centerpiece so they never dominate her voice. As one fan remarked: "Possum Holler is the only band I know where you can actually hear the vocals."

Possum Holler has a pair of CDs: "Out on a Limb" and their latest, "Substantially Blue" has received enthusiastic reviews and was named one of the best independent CDs of the year by Indie-Music Magazine which raved: "From the first note to the last, this band, and most certainly lead singer Tori Anderson, take nary a musical misstep." The reviewer added that after hearing them perform, "you may find yourself thanking heaven for giving the world this talented woman and Possum Holler."

Since its formation in the early 1990s, Possum Holler has always been a family band at its heart although the make-up of family members sometimes changes. Currently, Tori Anderson and her guitarist husband, Mike are joined by Tori's sister Cathy Moats. Greg Elwood is lead guitar, joined by Greg Mills and Wes Moats (no relation to Cathy) on drums. Together, the band members ably represent the four states in the region.

The MAC Summer Concerts in the Park are sponsored by Carl M. Freeman Foundation. Additional funding for the free concert is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, West Virginia Commission on the Arts and local hotel/motel tax revenues. Berkeley Springs State Park is made available courtesy of the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources. For more information about the Morgan Arts Council and the calendar of upcoming concerts visit www.macicehouse.org or call 304-258-2300.