Student meets, sings with legend

As an elementary school student, Geri Smith frequently borrowed Peter, Paul and Mary folk records from her local library. And throughout Smith's high school and college career, her secret dream was to hit the road as a singing act. As a third-year graduate student in the French Department, Smith finally fulfilled her childhood dream last week when the Blizzard of '96 brought her train, traveling from Boston to New York, to a halt three miles outside of Penn Station. With broken switches, no heat or lights and a diesel freight train coming to the rescue, Peter Yarrow of the legendary folk group Peter, Paul and Mary began an impromptu folk concert in which Smith took part. Smith, who was traveling with her sister, described the beginning of her journey as "long and tiresome." "It was really horrible, especially when the train became stuck in New Hampshire for two hours," she said. But even though the entire trip took about 21 hours, Smith said it was definitely worth the time and trouble. Just as the passengers were becoming nervous and restless, an attendant announced that Peter was singing in the club car. Smith and her sister continued to sleep in their seats until they heard "Stewball was a Racehorse" begin to increase in volume. "My sister looked at me and said, 'They said Peter was singing and I can hear 'Stewball', maybe it's actually Peter Yarrow'," explained Smith. "I still couldn't believe it but I made her go check." When the duo finally ventured into the club, they discovered Yarrow entertaining a group of about 30 weary travelers. "Yarrow was just as I pictured him, the perfect folk singer," Smith said. "He really cared about getting people involved in the music." When Smith was sitting at the bar and quietly humming to "Freight Train," Yarrow suddenly looked at her and requested a duo. "I was completely taken off guard," explained Smith. "I couldn't believe that Peter Yarrow of my favorite folk band was asking me to harmonize at 2 a.m. during a blizzard." Yarrow strummed songs like "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" and began to feed Smith lines for the duo. Smith says that Yarrow was extremely personable and asked her several personal questions during lulls in the music. The pair sang for close to a hour and toward the end, Yarrow asked for Smith's phone number. "Everyone sang along," Peter Yarrow stated in a press release. "Geri Smith, a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, joined in. "She had a brilliant voice, and helped make it a Peter and Mary show," the release continued. "Paul didn't have a sub, but we hobbled along gloriously." When the happy but chilly passengers finally arrived at Penn Station at about 4 a.m., they were still humming away. The following morning, Smith received a telephone call from her mother saying that she had been on television and in the papers in Connecticut. And a few days ago Smith received a phone call from Yarrow. "I feel that we are connected by this unusual experience," Smith commented. "I hope that we can continue our friendship. I plan to call Peter in the near future."