News items posted to this page are usually edited versons of Member Mailings.
Four Winds News: 31 May 1999
I know it's been a while since I've posted a News page. But we've been busy. This is a good thing, so I'm not complaining.
Kurt Talking Stone
Choral Director
5 Year Anniversary Project Second Session
Back on Sunday, May 9th we went back into the studio and put down the second set of tracks for the Recording Project. We were a bit hampered by the sidelining of three core Members Daya-LI, Elspeth and Athena by resource, time, energy or schedule conflicts. However, the rest of the team was now more accumtomed to the to studio environment and we were able to get quite a bit of work done. We had a very successful day and we think we got a good selection of material recorded. People had a good time, worked hard, and finished the day with a good buzz and a lot of enthiusiasm for the project.
So we now have most of the raw tracks for the project completed. We were able to get versions of all of the following along with fresh takes of This Witch Is Not For Burning which was a little off the mark from the first time.
Thunder Beings
Grandmother's Dreamtime
Spider Woman
To The Ocean Mother (Shamanic Journey Medley)
Four Nations Song
Sioux Honor Song
Vocal Exercise (Zeus, A God)I was partcularly happy to get our renditon of the To The Ocean Mother Medley. Which aside from it's spiritual impact, also shows the potential of the possible and one of our more successful experiments with multi-song arrangements. Cool.
Blair provided us with a tape of the preliminary tracks from Session One that we played for the team at rehearsal. They paid probably the Chorus's highest compliment for the work. They actually SHUT UP and listened with complete attention. It ain't bad at all. I can see where we want to get some more vocal presence on Gaia, and I would like to have the missing bell part back. But reaction was overall very positive, including stuff like "that's US?" Medicine Bear/Bear Song was particularly strong!
We had kinda sorta talked about May 23rd as a possible date for the Final session, but time/energy constraints sank that and the next best avaiable date, June 13, fell through as Blair begins an alternating weekend schedule with his real job.
Soundman Blair Sez:
> Sunday's Unfortunately get a bit tough for me from here on out. In
> particular that one [June 13th] as I will be in Vermont that weekend.
> We do our outdoor concerts on Sundays. I trade off weekend with my
> boss starting the 13th on through Labor Day. Now this does not mean
> we can't get this done. Just take a bit of Coordination.So now we're into the festival season, and scheduling becomes a real hair-pulller. June pretty much washes out, but it's possible that we may actualy havce a window July 4th Weekend.
> Well, I have a show on the 2nd with a raindate of the 3rd. The band has
> a concert on the 4th which thankfully I have nothing to do with. So the
> best bet may very well be on the eve of the 3rd (sat) if here. Mostly a
> pretty dead time around here. So if this works for you I would love to
> show off my turf a bit.
>
> Blair
FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY RECORDING PROJECT
Proposed Third and Final SessionAfter we review the Second Session tracks, we're trying to find a gap in the busy festival season to fit in the session. We may travel up to Blair's lair at West Point to use his studio. We're seriously looking at a day or evening during the 4th of July Weekend, likely Saturday Afternoond/evening Stay tuned.
Contact us for further information. Note: Chorus Members need not have participated in the first recording sessions to participate in the project. Returning Members, make every effort to attend rehearsals prior to the session.
Since we're in pretty good shape, depending on the quality of the Session Two work, we have a short list of material that we want to get to cap off and balance the project. The material we'd like to cover to finish up includes:
Sacred Drum Jam Segment
Gaia - Vocal overdub and Bell track
We Are a Circle.
Farewell Song
The Witches' Song(if possible)
Any other overdubs and patches needed.
So we're planning and plotting and trying real hard to see if we can get a road trip together for possibly Saturday, July 3rd. If we can pull this thing together, I'ld like to halu the most experienced singers and accomplished drummers north for this. See the Schedule page for the works. We'll post the latest as soon as we get it. Keep practicing!
Alexandria and Robert Handfast in Sonic Circle
On Sunday, May 16th, the chorus turned out in enthusiastic and happy voice to wish our happy couple and fellow Members the blessings of a new life together. Everybody dressed up nice, sang well and a good time was had by all. Ali and Rob got hitched Wiccan-style in the courtyard at Enchentments where they were Grove Students in a ritual presided over by our own Jezibell and Joe "the Klingon" Zuchowski.
We also had a documentary video team on hand for the event doing a piece on contemporary paganism. So we may surface on cable over the next year or so. Pretty cool. We did have one minor incident relative to that. I has been dealt with, but I will quote from our guidelines.
4.1 All Members shall coduct themselves with courtesy and good fellowship to other Members and to all we come in contact with as a cooperative.
Was also quite nice to see some of our Semi-active Members come up for air and pay their respects. Congragulations again to Alexandria and Robert, may they live in a blessed and sacred manner.
Upcoming Events
Here's what we have in the works in the upcoming months.
Enchantment's Pride Day Circle
SATURDAY, JULY 23, 1999Courtyard at Enchantments, 341 East 9th Street, NYC
Four winds has been invited to add sonic support to thre ritual proceedings.
FULL MOON RITUAL FOR NEW MOON NEW YORK*
MONDAY, JUNE 28, 1999, 7:00pmThe Lesbian & Gay Community Center
Annex Space, Little West 12th Steet & Hudson Street, New York CityChoral celebration of the Full Moon to honoring the Goddess and community. Four Winds is commemorating the fifth anniversary of our first public event, a Full Moon Circle for New Moon New York in June of 1994.
*The Full Moon Circles are being facilitated by Network for Realization of The Goddess during New Moon New York's period of haiatus.
We're getting ready to reprise the event where we appeared before the public for the first time. Monday, June 28th happens to be the day after Pride Day so there's a little uncertainty about the venue. But We'll be ready! More information on the April 6th News page. Wešre looking forward to this!
African Unity Day 1999
SUNDAY, JULY 25, 1999 (Previously July 18)All day, Bryant park, 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue, NYC
A celebration and consciousness raising event for political and economic unity in Africa. Four Winds scheduled to perform.We're also starting to prepare for this event. The orgnaizers have revieved their permit for Bryant Park. This will be a very public outdoor festival even planned for all-day Sunday, July 25. We are honored to support the movment for political, cultural and economic unity in Africa, birthplace of the drum! Over the past year we have learned more African and African inspiried and influenced pieces and other unity themed pieces. So we should be in good shape to support this event. We hope to post more information as it becomes available.
Feel free to talk to us if you have any questions, ideas, problems or just want to gab. Rehearsals, bookings, gigs, songs, circles, teachings; you know wešre interested!
Got News, Questions or problems? Send E-Mail to us at: khgriffith@worldnet.att.net
Mitaquye Oyasin * Blessed Be * Ashe * Shalom * A Salaam * Amen
Kurt Griffith/Talking Stone,
Choral Director
