News items posted to this page are usually edited versions of Member Mailings.
SEMI-URGENT
There is the very real possiblity of a New York City Transit Strike, beginnig on wednesday. If it should happen and not be settled by Monday the 20th, it may be necessary to cancel the Winter Solstice Celebration on December 21st.. We have not decided what we are doing yet, but we will be sure to post it. Bear with us!
Four Winds News: 13 December 1999
Between the Witch's Ball and Winter Solstice, we have also been working a little behind the scenes on distributing and promoting the Album. Here's a couple of tidbits.
Oasis CD (www.oasiscd.com) has selected Four Nations Song to be included on their upcoming Oasis World Music Compilation Disc #3. These discs are distributed to distributors and record stations nationwide, so it's wonderful support for the Recording, no charge with the replication service. We receiveied Volume 2 with their info package, and it was a very nice collection of work by the Oasis Artists. What could we say? We signed on the dotted line... We are told the disc should be ready sometime in the spring.
We have also received the contract for non-exclusive internet distribution via The Orchard (www.theorchard.com) which will give us access to sales via outlets such as CD Now! and Amazon.com. This is a good thing and we're getting it togehter.
Our press kit went out to the amazing megasite The Witches Voice (www.witchvox.com ) and the album was featured on their homepage for the week of December 6th (and this week too!) and will be permanent inside their Music Of The Witch section.
Since a number of people have asked. We're also adding sound clips to the 5 year Project Page. Enjoy!
Magickal Realms signed on last week to carry the Recording. Our 2nd NYC outlet! Now what we really need is to get nto Enchantments...
WE EACH SEND A VOICE:
5 Years of Celebration in Song,
Chant & Rhythm • 1994-1999We Officially released We Each Send A Voice; 5 Years of Celebration in Song, Chant & Rhythm • 1994-1999. On October 31, for Samhain/Halloween. We are so psyched! In other words, this is pretty freeeeaaking cool!!! To give it the proper launch, we also performed a rockin' righteous night at the 17th Annual NYC Witches Masquerade Ball, Including a fair amout of stuff from the album.
The discs and tapes came out unbelievably spiffy and we got the shipments of tapes the week after the Ball. Our first order of business was to fulfill preorders. Thank you so much for your support, it really went a long way to making this project possible. Especially those of you who have been waiting since the Spring!
Check out the Official Press Release
WE EACH SEND A VOICE:
Five Years of Celebration in Song,
Chant and Rhythm
CDs and TAPES NOW AVAILABLEPrices: CDs: $15.00, Tapes: $10.00
Anybody who is interested in distributing this recording, please contact us at:
718 373-8987, khgriffith@worldnet.att.net or by mail to
Four Winds Earth Chorus, 4114 Seagate Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11224-12339.
The Witches Ball, Another Look
Check out some Scenes from the Ball, courtesy of Joe Matzzie of Mynce Pye
At the November 24th Rehearsal, after rehearsing for Winter Solstice, we took another look at The Witches Ball with a little more information at hand and without a recent memory of the Very Large Speakers in our ears...
Overall, the event got high marks and we got straight on the fact that most of the logistics problems we had, were related to nteracting with the club, and the NY Club scene in general. It is definitely another world... In essence, our differing expectations of what made a good party. For instance, the delays in the scheduled events had a lot to do with the club not having their tech in place for the Midnight ritual. And it certainly wasn't Lady Rhea and Lady Zoradia's idea to have a house soundtrack booming over the ritual. Which is why many folks in the front couldn't really tell what was happening... And that sort of thing.
Feedback that we've gotten says that most folk liked the club and the location was superior. The fact that is was clean, roomy and well ventilated was much appreciated and the staff was also very nice. At Wetlands, with the swooping clouds of cigarette smoke- last time, many of our voices didn't come back for a week after the event!
We're glad that we were able to pull out the two sets, including the extended first one. But It was a stretch, and our team was pretty frazzed. Thinking perhaps that one longer set would be a better fit. We are told that the sponsorsexpect that event will still be at Ohm again next year and the real lead time may allow for more bands, and folks seem to like variety. Also being on stage for so much of the event, we didn't get that much opportunity to experience much of the rest of the event. So we kind of missed out on the big picture.
We did hear that people would have liked more different entertainment. In previous years, there have been typically three or four acts, and that's what's folks seem to have become accustomed to. And it would be nice, with more time to line up talent, it's certainly possible. Having the Sunday fall on Halloween/Samhain was interesting, but not so big an advantage, after all. The major police presence and blocked streets and awful traffic was inconvenient enough to counteract some of the coolness factor...
I've been told that the Witches' Council had their doubts about us as performers. And looking back on previous years, I can understand it. We first got started with a very limited repertoire with not quite two dozen ritual chants and songs, not a lot of room to wiggle... Over five years we've gotten up to over 150 songs and chants from dozens of genres, cultures and traditions and a fair amount of our own material. Much better... And we're also better, more polished and frankly have a clue now about what we're doing. I have to thank Rhea and Zoradia for sticking up for us. I think we managed to put up a good show. And technical-logistics challenges aside, we did have a pretty good time.
It's been pointed out that the NYC Pagan Community is a bit of a moving target. But as the event evolves, I expect that folks will continue to find The Witches Ball the Premier NYC Pagan Event of the Year.
Since I am also maintaing the Official Witches Ball Support and Information Page, we have to see about a sum up. Hopefully I can convince one to the ladies to write it!
-Kurt Talking Stone
We be spent most of this past month or so working on distributing We Each Send A Voice and getting ready for the All Singing, Chanting and Dancing, Sing-it-Yourself Winter Solstice Celebration. See you there!
Kurt Griffith/Talking Stone,
Choral DirectorMitaquye Oyasin * Blessed Be * Ashe * Shalom * A Salaam * Amen
