News items posted to this page are usually edited versions of Member Mailings.
Four Winds News (updated 1/6/2001)
Greetings to All our Members, Friends, Fans and Allies,
As the thunderous strains of “Thus Sprach Zarathustra” play in the background, New Years greetings to each and every one of you. 2000 has been a very interesting year for the Chorus and the Griffith clan. Thankfully it ended on a high note, but in general, “that was interesting, but letÕs not do it again.”
Check out the Schedule for January-February 2001 Rehearsal and Events dates .
The Bardic Yule 2000
Speaking of high notes, on the 29th of December, the Chorus celebrated the Winter Holidays with our open Bardic Yule 2000 Ritual and Circle. For this event, we created a mixture of ritual and bardic elements. There were set ritual pieces to move the energy, honor the seasons the Solstice, the Holidays and offer prayer and worship. Between the ritual segments, about half the time was devoted to whatever our guests, friends and Members brought to offer the circle. While not our biggest crowd, our circle was pleasantly full and voices raised in joy and praise filled the space. But the time we were done, the smiles and hugs indicated that a good and uplifting time was had by all. And we made the rent thanks to the generosity of the people. Also we sold some CDÕs and tapes. This is a good thing as our operating costs ever rise.
Special thanks to participating Active Members, Elsbeth, Jezibell, Athena, Alexandria, Richard Courage, new Member Paula who added lovely guitar work to several pieces, and Semi Active Member Ceancaite who took to being drafted on the spot with both good humor and good voice. Missed were Joni, sidelined with car trouble and Ali, out of town with a previous commitment. All of you have shown the skills and commitment that help to make the event both successful and a joy to the ear and spirit.
Special thanks must go to Musical Theatre Works, and their Bookings Manager David Wolfe. His agreeing to open the facility after having inadvertently booked us into MTW’s holiday break, is service beyond price. Thank You! Pilamaye!
Other surprises among the lovely contributions of our guests and friends included additional verses to Pagan “classics” brought from England. An exceptional reading of Richard CÕs “Left is Me” by his friend Sasha. The telling of the story of the author of ÒJingle BellsÓ... with the inevitable singing of the song. The Directors’ son Alexander also premiered his own original elemental chant much to the delight of the Director and the Circle. And a traditionally taught (listen, sing it like this...) Cheyenne Round Dance Song brought the people to their feet.
All in all, it was a delightful evening and a wonderful way to end our 2000 season on a high note. Blessings of the Season to each and every one of You. Joy of Solstice, Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Yule, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and a most healthy and happy New Year. Wi cho sa’ne wi oki.
Mitaquye Oyasin • Blessed Be • Ashe •ÊAmen • Shalom •ÊA Salaam •ÊOm
Follow-Up Stuff (1/6/2001)
Hey Folks. Missed a couple of things from the Bardic Yule write-up. If I truly had my wits about me I would have been writing down what people were contributing as we were going. But do know that everybody who stepped up, added beauty to that circle.
Jezibell (& Joe Z) contributed two notable items to the Bardic portions of the event. A dramatic original composition by Jez, Heru Udjat, which means Eye of Horus, and this song honors the returning power of the sun. Fascinatingly, partly written in ancient Egyptian. They also brought in a well received filk of a Christmas standard, THE TWELVE NIGHTS OF YULETIDE... a decidedly Norse twist on the classic. Adding to the venerable... *cough*... canon of... filk.
We may just post that one on the website. *evil laughter*
There was more stuff. We also took guest requests for a couple of our standard crowd pleasers, including Spirit of The Wind and our own Four Nations Song.
Also really missed mentioning that Debbie Bregman donated a very excellent Taos drum ( a large tom-tom style log drum ) to the Chorus. Since she acknowledges her limited skill and that it would have a better home among us. A glaring oversight on my part. We pledge to caretake it well, play it, and with Spirit's help, learn his/her Name.
Kurt Griffith / Talking Stone
Choral Director
Four Winds Earth ChorusAnd as threatened... enjoy.
THE TWELVE NIGHTS OF YULETIDE
On the first night of Yuletide old Odin gave to me
a raven in a yew tree
two snarling wolves
three sets of runes
four long boats
five Valkyries
six skalds a Ðsinging
seven jarls a-drinking
eight dwarves a-digging
nine volvas trancing
ten giants feasting
eleven hammers swinging
twelve berserkers howling—as channeled by Joe & Jezibell
2000 In Review
Of course this year was terribly shadowed by the near-destruction by fire of Choral Director Kurt Griffith / Talking Stone’s family home in April. But the Chorus, despite serious challenges still managed to somehow endure and even grow throughout the year.
We opened the year with a Ritual Drumming Workshop in February, followed by the raucous and odd Jesters, Fools and Coyote Bardic in March as we began our seventh (!) year as a cooperative. In April, Kurt and Thunder traveled to Virginia to bring the Songs of the Drum to the CERC Crossroads festival. Then, a few days later, after a rehearsal, Kurt returned home to find his home in flames. The following morning, the Griffths truly became gypsies. Never the less, the Chorus supported Grove Baric the following weekend.
In June we ventured to Four Quarters Farm for our first official road trip for Our appearance at Magic Mountain Music 2000. With all the stresses and unresolved conflicts within the group, plus the added stress of the disaster in the background, the trip was not very comfortable even though we are told we put in a fair performance. Still, far our best effort. We returned from the road to enter an extended hiatus to last the remainder of the Summer into the Fall. It is chilling to admit how close Kurt came to permanently folding the tent and calling it quits.
During that time several Members became empowered in their own pursuits throughout the work they’ve done both musically and spiritually in the Chorus. Other Members also gave Kurt a piece of their minds (and then some!) about the value and uniqueness of the Chorus and our Mission and work. So he set himself to find a way and made prayers and offerings to Wakan Tanka Great Spirit for guidance. The answers surprised him.
Kurt was a participant in Four Quarters Farm’s Lodge Quest weekend, an intensive weekend retreat of fasting, prayer and Stone People’s Lodges. His commitment to the red road and his Medicine as a ceremonial singer was reaffirmed in powerful ways.
Shortly after, on Labor Day weekend, he returned to Four Quarters with his family and members Joni and Jezibell for Stones Rising 2000. As part if the raising of new stones, they sang the Spirit Drum, to honor the people and the Raising of new stones. Along with Jane, Erin and Andy, who joined them on the site, the experience was incredibly powerful. What was the most amazing is the spirit power of the songs themselves to utterly encapture and channel through people who had never worked with some of this material before. Washte aloh, wakan loh! Another reminder from Spirit delivered in a good, powerful and sacred manner.
The Chorus would continue.
We reconvened in September, determined to find a way. The Chorus established the two tracks of Bards Circle and Apprentice Circle to address the needs of both novice and journeyman members. A schedule was put back into place and we continued our work, determined to maintain an atmosphere of purpose, commitment, sacredness... and serious fun. And we began to actively solicit new Members once again.
Since the Fall, we’ve been working on adding melodic instruments to our work and Paula’s work on guitar has successfully added a layer of beauty and elegance to several pieces. Most challenging for a group of singers that has been essentially rhythmically based for over 6 years! Sister Ali’s violin had been heard at the recent Grove Samhain, supported very successfully by Four Winds Members, along with the the lovely harp strains provided by Friend and Alumnus of Four Winds Erica. We hope to bring these elements into more of the chorus’ work as we move forward.
Members also supported the NYC Witches Ball and we reappeared at New Moon’s Pagan Spirituality Expo in November. “The news of our demise was severely premature”. ...Ahem.
We were invited to perform at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens Blooming Lights holiday festival. But as we were preparing we found ourselves bounced by higher-ups due to the fact that our content was largely spiritual. Ouch... but no dishonor. Frosty and Jingle Bell Rock are not exactly our forte. We’ll live, but it got us back rehearsing.
So we officially came back at the dark end of 2000 with a sweet and successful Ritual and Bardic circle, The Bardic Yule 2000. The very things we do excel at. A moment of beauty and hope to vindicate a stormy and difficult year. The thanks of the Chorus and the Director to each and very one of you who believed in us and felt that what we had to do was worth doing.
The best 2001 to All.
Kurt Griffith / Talking Stone
Choral Director
Four Winds Earth Chorus
Schedule Updates
A little info on upcoming events on the Nov 24-Dec 18 News Page.
Disaster Updates
Review the story of the fire on the April 20-28 News Page.
Most recent update: November 8 News PageThere IS more going on, hopefully moving to new digs in Mid January, but will get back to you all LATER...
For folks who have been asking what they can do. One of the overwhelming losses has been our extensive library, Books, Music and videos... One of Four Winds' special assets was our collection of folk, pagan, world and indigenous music and source material. So anybody with Books and Music to donate, particularly Pagan, Native American, and Science Fiction and Fantasy, they would be very welcome.
Our Continuing Thanks to everyone who has been offering their prayers, energy, support and helping out.
Kurt & Heather
Mitaquye Oyasin * Blessed Be * Ashe * Shalom * A Salaam * Amen * Om