Hello, all!
Starting in August, I am hosting on-line song-learning sessions for an on-line Winter Solstice Celebration (a presentation of A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual).
There will be:
* two taster sessions in August;
* regular sessions from September to December that build on each other, leading up to the Celebration on 20th December.
You are invited to participate in the Winter Solstice Celebration whether you sing or not -- but if you'd like to learn the songs in advance, including harmonies, please sign up!
You also do not need to commit to the Celebration to come learn songs. Maybe you just want to come learn songs and sing! (You can also decide later.)
We will meet once a week. I hope to record rehearsals for those who can't join us live and for anyone who wants to go back over the rehearsal during the week; these will be shared privately. There will also be a variety of learning resources available between sessions for your work on your own.
Everyone is welcome, regardless of experience singing or ability to read music. There are easier pieces and more challenging pieces -- a little something for everyone.
== Dates ==
Taster sessions:
Sundays, 9th & 16th August
6-8 pm BST
(7 pm Central European, 1 pm EDT, 10 am PDT)
Regular rehearsals:
Sundays, 6th September-13th December
6-8 pm British Time
(7 pm Central European, 1 pm Eastern North America, 10 am Pacific North America)
Winter Solstice Celebration:
A presentation of A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual
Sunday 20th December
6-8 pm UT/GMT
(7 pm Central European, 1 pm EST, 10 am PST)
== To sign up ==
Message me on Facebook, or email me if you have my email address.
== Copies of the book and CD ==
You do not need to own a copy of this in advance, but the book contains all the sheet music, and the CD contains full recordings of all 15 pieces, as well as teaching tracks for 8 (as well as the full Celebration), so it's very, very useful.
If you live in Europe and want a copy for £14 + postage, you can get one from me.
If you live in the US and want a copy, the person to contact is my co-author Julie Forest Middleton; I can put you in touch.
== How do I know without knowing more about the music itself? ==
The songs are a mix of rounds, well-known songs, spirituals, feminist spirituality chants and Pagan chants, and a couple of choral pieces.
There's detailed information about every song at tinyurl.com/wintersolsticesinging/for-singers.
I'm looking forward to singing with people from a wide range of places in the Northern Hemisphere!
== Open to people of all genders ==
EDITED TO ADD, because this has come up a bit with people who don't know me personally, and I'd neglected to say it explicitly:
Both the choir and the Celebration are open to people of all genders. Transgender, non-binary, and genderqueer people are explicitly welcome.
* The music I have is written mostly in treble clef and is labeled for sopranos and altos, but I've worked with tenors and basses over the last several years, and these pieces adapt well for lower voices as well.
* Anyone can sing any part on any song that works for their voice. You might sing a part labelled one way for one piece, and a part labelled a different way on another. You can also choose to sing all one voice part if that's what works for you. We have lots of flexibility.
== Open to people of all genders ==
EDITED TO ADD, because this has come up a bit with people who don't know me personally, and I'd neglected to say it explicitly:
Both the choir and the Celebration are open to people of all genders. Transgender, non-binary, and genderqueer people are explicitly welcome.
* The music I have is written mostly in treble clef and is labeled for sopranos and altos, but I've worked with tenors and basses over the last several years, and these pieces adapt well for lower voices as well.
* Anyone can sing any part on any song that works for their voice. You might sing a part labelled one way for one piece, and a part labelled a different way on another. You can also choose to sing all one voice part if that's what works for you. We have lots of flexibility.
