BATH – On the final bars of the ballad “Peggy Gordon,” when their instruments stop and only voices are heard, Schooner Fare still harmonizes.

Chuck Romanoff takes the high part. Steve Romanoff takes the melody. And somewhere, Tom Rowe sings bass.

“I still hear him,” said Russell Rowe, his brother and the group’s behind-the-scenes worker for 22 years. So do Tom’s bandmates.

“We hear that bass booming away,” said Chuck Romanoff. “We hear him on stage with us. He follows us.”

If only he could follow closer.

In January, Tom Rowe died from a heart attack. He had been sick with throat cancer, but he was getting better.

Then suddenly, he was gone. He left behind a wife and five children.

He also left behind Schooner Fare, which had performed thousands of concerts over 27 years. Together, they made 13 albums and traveled the United States and Canada.

For a brief time after Tom’s death, Steve and Chuck Romanoff considered ending the group. Then, they thought of changing the name or adding a new singer.

Instead, they decided to simply move on. The trio has become a duet. And Russell Rowe will continue with them.

“The music is a lot stronger than us,” Steve Romanoff said. “The music has always saved us.”

Back on stage

They’re counting on the music to do it again.

“We’re not going to abdicate,” said Steve. “We’ve got lots of songs to sing.”

On April 10, the brothers Romanoff strapped on their guitars and walked onto the small stage of Bath’s Chocolate Church Arts Center.

They smiled, joked about the weather and began their first set, singing a song about “sailing ships and sailing men.”

It was their first public concert in Maine since Tom’s death.

They sang their ballad about Peggy Gordon and songs of Portland Headlight, Nova Scotia and Aroostook County.

By the second song, audience members began singing along. A couple in the front row held hands and gently swayed to the music.

They were the same songs the brothers might have performed with Tom. And, in most cases, the two brothers sang the same parts they always have.

Signature songs such as “We the People” still felt rousing. Quieter moments continued to be handled with delicacy.

When their second set ended, they bowed low and walked off the stage. Then, the audience stood and applauded until they returned for two more songs.

“They haven’t lost any of their spirit,” said John James, a longtime friend who attended the Bath concert. “The soul will live.”

The performance had been scheduled for late January, a ritual for the group. They performed here every January for the past 27 years.

The church was one of the first places that Tom, Chuck and Steve played. The three recorded an album there and had sold out this January’s concert.

Of the 260 tickets that were sold, only 10 failed to be redeemed for the postponed show.

James believes the brothers will be able to maintain the group’s popularity. People who loved their music before will continue to love it.

“It’s like a bowl of chowder on a cold day, warm and comforting” James said. “You know all the words and everyone sings along.”

There will be challenges, though.

Without Tom, the rigors of faraway concerts and commitments will weigh harder on Steve and Chuck. When one was sick, the other two could carry the show. No longer.

“We’re very aware of how fragile this lifestyle is,” Steve Romanoff said.

But there’s reason for hope, too.

Upcoming shows will take them to Maryland, Virginia and Wisconsin. Venues have already begun inquiring about next year.

They are also scheduled to be part of a tribute concert for Tom Rowe on Saturday, May 8, in Portland. They’ll be joined on stage by friends, including Christine Lavin, Denny Breau and Tom’s son, Dave Rowe.

And every time Schooner Fare performs, Tom will be remembered.

“It keeps his memory fresh and vibrant,” said Chuck. “For us, the grieving has just begun.”

But they don’t want his memory to take away the fun of their performances. Tom wouldn’t want that, Steve said.

Meanwhile, Russell Rowe waits for the time that he can enjoy the music again.

A South Paris carpenter, he would often listen to Schooner Fare and Tom’s other music in his truck, but he hasn’t been able to since his brother’s death.

The group helped Russell and Tom become friends, to know each other as adults. Russell, now 41, was only 19 when he began traveling with his brother.

Someday, he will listen to his brother’s music again.

“At least I have the recordings,” he said. “They’re more than most people have.”

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