August 28, 2024

Our Mountville family is mourning the passing of our beloved Food Czar Chris Nicholson yesterday after a valiant battle with a rare cancer. He has been part of the Mountville "inner circle" for most of our 30 year history, and his spirit, warmth, wit and skills with food are all simply irreplaceable. No one more embodied the truism that making food for people is an act of love, and he truly loved the music, the people who made it, and the people who came together in community around it. 

When he was diagnosed last summer, he knew the odds weren't good, but the first round of treatment bought him several months of feeling good and being able to tend to "bucket list" things. When the cancer came back this spring, there were two big ones remaining - one last family summer trip to Maine, and serving as Food Czar one final time for our special 30th Anniversary. He did so with enthusiasm and excitement, and we'd be lying if we didn't acknowledge that we might have worked a bit harder planning this year's festival to make it as special as we could. He was thrilled at our collective success in that celebration, and proud of how much he personally had helped Mountville grow over the years as well.

Missions all accomplished. And now for dessert, dear Chris. Have all you want. You already know how much you were beloved here.

Enjoying the fruits of his Food Czar labors, feeding about 65 hungry musicians and volunteers - a well earned rest! Photo by Lisa Murray.

Caught during Pat Wictor's 2010 set, with some excitement far outside his usual attentive listening, Chris landed what will likely forever stand as the all-time Mountville Champion Fish. With thanks to Michael Troy for capturing the moment!

With thanks to Joni Bishop for so beautifully stating it; "To Chris - who serves the world with joy & kindness." Hard to find truer words.

Family portrait enjoying the 30th Annual Mountville, with thanks to Michael Troy for the photo.