FOUR WINDS EARTH CHORUS

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Four Winds News - 7 December 2002

Rehearsal and Events Schedule 
NEWS INDEX Page

News items posted to this page are usually edited versions of Member Mailings.


GROVE SAMHAIN

We provided choral support to Grove Samhain, on Saturday October 26 to wonderful effect. The Chorus and Grove and Coven members that joined out effort performed very well. A particular triumph was a very successful rendition of The Prophet's Song, especially gratifying since we made our attempt, without having Freddie Mercury or Brian May on hand! Thank you all!

Additional Info about Enchantment's Grove is available at their Website: www.joeandjezibell.com


WINTER SOLSTICE

FOUR WINDS EARTH CHORUS and COVEN KYKLOS TON ASTERION
cordially invite you to a

Choral Winter Solstice Celebration
Saturday, December 21, 2002, 3:00-5:30pm
(Members call: 2:00pm)
Musical Theatre Works, 440 Lafayette Street, NYC, Studio 4A
FREE (donations gratefully accepted)

Amidst the hustle and noise of the shopping and celebration, join us to share a special evening of song, chant and dance, celebrating the Winter Solstice and Yule and honoring the Winter Holidays. All Singing, all Chanting, all Dancing! Welcome the return of the Sun. All are welcome to celebrate with us!

This will be a new incarnation of our very successful Sing-it-Ourselves Winter Solstice and Yule. Songsheets and lyrics will be provided. Please bring your voices, songs and chants of the season and some simple (non-messy!) food and drink to share.

For information call: Kurt or Heather at: 845 623-0940, Jezibell at: 212 592-9053
Email Four Winds •  Email jezibell ¥ www.joeandjezibell.com
Musical Theatre Works: 212 677-0040

The Winter Solstice, just happens to fall precisely on Saturday, December 21st at 8:14pm. How could we NOT do ritual? Preparations proceed and dusting off classic material and bringing in new stuff proceeds apace. People sound good and we expect to have a lot of fun celebrating this Solstice.

We have secured Musical Theatre Works for Saturday Afternoon, so we will be in ritual space for the transition from day into night. We are structuring the ritual to include some of our favorite set-pieces and some honoring of all the winter holiday traditions. We have decided to include Invocation, Circles, Winter Solstice Sunrise, See the Sun Arising, O holy Night, and our totally kicking percussion enhanced version of Little Drummer Boy, with like, uh... drums!

First, we've nailed down the rehearsal dates and locations for December. So we're all set right up to the event. We also have training CDs and Tapes of some of the material, particularly the new stuff. Will have source tracks of Kwaheri, Oidhche Mhath Leibh, Round Dance Song, and the new item- Light One Candle (see below) and a few others. Asking a dollar per against costs. We also have a PDF file of the Event Flyer here for you to download. (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

People have been very diligent and working hard to learn the new material. We have seen some excellent work and suggestion over the past few weeks from many Members. We've also managed to recruit and bring aboard some new people and returning old timers! We're very pleased to add to the list Peter Yarrow's (of Peter Paul & Mary) very excellent Light One Candle. We're working hard, but we're having a LOT of fun!

We are OF COURSE welcoming new Members to the chorus for this event. Please attend any rehearsal to be a part of our circle of song. We respectfully request that participants, especially new Members please attend at least two full rehearsals, prior to the event, particularly the run-throughs on December 17 and 20 to stand in the arc as Chorus Members. Please see the Chorus Schedule for rehearsal dates and times.

For those of you participating in this event, or friends, fans and supporters wanting a look, here is the TA-DA- Final Playlist and Ritual Outline. ( and SURPRISE... too much stuff... we have to cut it!)

WINTER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION OUTLINE

Gather Circle/Anointing/Smudging - Now The Darkest Time of Winter
Circle Cast - The Moon Is High*
The Elements - Invocation
Feminine energy - Old Woman
Masculine energy - Bright Sun/Dark Death
Passing of Autumn - The Wintry Queen
Honoring/Progression - (order may change )
    Solstice - Heru-Udjat*
    Christmas - O Holy Night*
    Solstice - Winter Solstice Sunrise
    Christmas - The Little Drummer Boy
    Hanukkah - Light One Candle*
    Kwanzaa - Kwaheri*
Dance - Round Dance Song
Candle Dance - toning & drumming (Burn Fire)
Circle of Light - See the Sun Arising
Cakes and Ale - AÕSouling
Conclusion - Light Is Returning
Celebration of Community - We Are A Circle
Elemental Devocation - Returning Elements Chant
Circle Release - Between the Worlds*
Closing Song - Ochide Math Leibh

*New Song or Chant

We hope to see many of you there! We're going to have a good time!


THUNDER NATION CEREMONY

In the last few months, the New York Tri-state area and the Northeast in general has received an above average amount of rainfall. And north and west of the city has even received our first snowfalls. Apparently the very act of planning for this ceremony and the prayers of many many good hearted people have been hear by the Sprits. Wakan Aloh!


UPCOMING

More details on our activities will come when we get then and will be posted to the Schedule Page. And keep checking back with us, things always come up. We're planning a Drum Workshop for January, kicking around ideas for a Beltane, Giveaway Concert in the Spring, and looking ahead to the next Grove Bardic Ritual. Stay tuned, more to come...

THE DRUMMER'S PATH I - Fundamentals of Ritual Drumming
Sunday, January 12, 2003

1:00-5:00pm, CAP 21 Studios, Studio #4,, 212 807-0202
Collaborative Arts Project, 18 West 18th Street, 6th Floor, NYC
FREE - $5 donation towards room rental requested

Please join us for a return of our very well received workshop on the basics of ritual drumming. This will focus primarily on African Hand Drumming, but will also touch on other drum traditions. The role and use of the drum in ritual, ceremony, circle, celebration or just to lift the spirit. Introduces many drum traditions, how to support ritual, singing and chanting with the drum, using the drum to move energy.

Put this information in your appointment books and calendars! Print it out even! Stay in touch, don't forget to keep practicing! Please email us with any questions, problems or news. Send E-Mail to us at: khgriffith@worldnet.att.net

 

Mitaquye Oyasin * Blessed Be * Ashe * Shalom * A Salaam * Amen * Om

Kurt Griffith/Talking Stone
Choral Director

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Version 1.11.2, 20 December 2001, By Kurt Griffith/Talking stone, E-Mail: khgriffith@worldnet.att.net
Copyright (c)2002 KG/4WEC except for original material and lyrics, which are held by individual artists and organizations.