The Rooster's Wife brings season's greetings to the community with an eclectic group of performances for the month of December.

Girlyman performs Saturday, Dec. 5, followed by Al Petteway and Amy White, Friday, Dec. 11. Petteway and White combine their musical virtuosity with exquisite photo images. Redbird Round, a new collaboration among Alice Gerrard, Laurelyn Dossett and Diana Jones, features their amazing voices solo in their own work and together on Sunday, Dec. 13. Martha Bassett pays a visit Thursday, Dec. 17, for a program of Christmas music, including a community sing. This is the first of the Rooster's Wife's newest programs for weeknights, "Soup and a Song," which brings together local restaurants and live local music. The last performance for the month will be the renowned John Cowan and his stellar band, showcasing his new Christmas album. "A package of all five shows is a wonderful gift, available online and at the show," says a spokesman. "The package includes the latest poster produced for the Rooster's Wife by the letterpress artists at Handcranked Press."

Girlyman, the well-traveled trio, makes its first trip to the area to perform at the gallery space of Poplar Knight Spot in downtown Aberdeen. Salisbury artists Lisa and Tim Klutz provide the backdrop for these evenings of distinctive acoustic music. Local singer-songwriter Patrick Fuller will open at 8 p.m.

Doris Muramatsu and Tylan Greenstein became best friends in second grade. The two met Nate Borofsky in college at a talent show, and since then they've been creating their own unique language of three-part harmony. Influenced by 1960s vocal groups like Simon & Garfunkel and The Mamas and the Papas, and infused with years of classical and jazz training, Girlyman's songs are a dance of melody and suspensions.

Girlyman formed in 2001 in Brooklyn, where the friends shared an apartment; their first rehearsal was scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 11. It was postponed, but the events of that day helped the trio clarify its vision.

"We decided to just have fun," says Borofsky, "and not take ourselves too seriously. We started by naming our new band Girlyman."

Others, however, took the group quite seriously. The first few years brought critical delight, awards and long opening runs with the Indigo Girls and Dar Williams. Girlyman sells out renowned venues such as The Barns at Wolftrap, The Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, The Ark, and The Freight and Salvage. They also frequent festival main stages, making a huge splash this past year at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival, the Kate Wolf Memorial Folk Festival and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, to name a few.

Poplar Knight Spot is located in downtown Aberdeen, one block east of U.S. 1 at 114 Knight St.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.theroosterswife.org, or at the door with check or cash. General admission for adults is $12 in advance, $15 the day of the show.

"Fulfilling the mission to educate our children with the best in live music, patrons under 12 are invited to attend at no cost," says the spokesman.

The Rooster's Wife is a private nonprofit association organized to celebrate the performing arts in Aberdeen.

For information, call (910) 944-7502.