Getting copies of A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual in the US

 

Hello, friends,

This post is an update about getting copies in the US of A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual book and CD, which Julie Forest Middleton and I co-authored:  

There are exactly ZERO completely new copies of A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual that are available legally and ethically in the US.  

Julie has none left.  Emerald Earth Publishing ceased trading some years back.  Julie as co-author still had some copies left, which she was making available at a reduced price.  I recently got a request from a congregation in the US to buy enough to host this in December -- about 12 books -- but Julie said all her stock is gone now.  

There might be some new or like-new copies available through re-sellers such as A Libris.  (Be warned, I've been told the ones available on amazon and Ebay are often scams.)  

But if anyone, and I really do mean anyone, no matter how reputable or plausible, offers you a brand-new copy in the US, not a re-sold new copy or an otherwise pre-owned copy, it's a bootleg, and it's both illegal and unethical.  (And neither I nor anyone who contributed to the book or CD would be getting paid.  It would be stealing our work.)

As far as I know, Julie bought Emerald Earth's books and CDs and was the last person or business to have any completely new copies.  She now has none left.  

If she offers you a photocopy for cost plus postage -- which in her recent email to me, she said should be well under $10 for the photocopying -- that *might* be legal; I don't know enough to say, and I have advised her to get a legal consult.  It should absolutely not cost you more than $10 per copy without postage; if it does cost more than that, I do know that's definitely not legal.  Or ethical.

And if anyone offers you a re-print?  Definitely not legal or ethical.  It's out of print and the publisher is out of business, so no one can legally re-print it, *including me and Julie*.  

I am not involved with selling photocopies or re-prints in the US, and I have not given permission to anyone to do so on my behalf.  

Re-publishing it would be legal, with my permission and Julie's.  However, Julie and I have not reached an agreement, much less signed any contracts, for anyone to re-publish it, including me.

  

Re-publishing: 

As you know, I had been hoping to re-publish in 2022 for the 20th anniversary of the original release of the book and CD.  

It's been hard knowing US stock has been getting lower and lower for several years without us making any progress on this.  I get requests from individuals all the time for the book and CD, and I get requests every year from congregations in the US, especially Unitarian Universalist ones, for enough books for their groups to host this.  

Re-publishing is very much something I am willing to do.  

Since 2022, I've done more research around re-publishing AWSSR, and it has the potential to be really, really exciting to take this forward now, both in terms of practical publishing tech and in terms of revising and updating some of the problematic parts of the original.  

(E-books! Print on demand in both the US and the UK as well as Europe!  E-sheet music for tablets!  Digital sound files!  Commissioning Inuit artists!)

It's been very frustrating knowing the US stock is running out when Julie and I haven't made any headway on a re-publishing agreement.  

I really hope that now that our backs are against the wall -- now that our two clearest choices seem to be let A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual die, or re-publish it, with updates -- that Julie and I will reach an agreement to re-publish.  

I wish I could tell you how to get copies of the book and CD in the US in the meantime.  I'm really sorry I can't.  

(If you bought a copy of the CD and have lost it, get in touch; I might be able to help.) 

I would very much appreciate it if you all would hold all of this in your spiritual care, whatever that looks like for you.  Many thanks. 

Blessings,

Stasa

Winter Solstice Celebration (A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual), on-line

bread and roses spiritual nurture invites you to

the 25th Annual

Winter Solstice Celebration

A Celebration of the Darkness and the Light

with Songs and Stories

Saturday, 18th December, 2021

On-line

7-9 pm GMT

Please note: the Celebration lasts one hour and fifteen minutes; we are allowing time for technical issues as well as for fellowship after!

* A time of quiet reflection in the midst of the hectic festive season

* Songs, stories, candle-lighting, silent meditation, singing, and more

* All ages welcome

* People of all genders welcome

Programme

You will receive a copy of the programme after you register.

If you wish to view the programme in advance, please go to this link:

https://sites.google.com/view/winter-solstice-celebrations/outlineprogramme

Donation -- sliding scale

We are requesting donations to cover our costs and pay our event organiser for their time.

TICKETS ARE ONE PER ZOOM LOGIN.  You MUST register in order to obtain the link. 

Any funds after expenses we will donate to Stonewall UK and Gendered Intelligence in support of trans lives.

Register here: 
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winter-solstice-celebration-on-line-tickets-214893802147

A presentation of A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual

For more information, please see https://bit.ly/WinterSolsticeCelebrations.

Top photo (c) Laura Treadway; used with permission. [a spiral of lit candles in the dark]

Footer photo: (c) Nevil Dilmen, Candles in love, used via Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike license. [two lit candles in the dark, sharing a flame] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Candles_in_Love_07406.jpg.

On-line Winter Solstice Singing starts in early October!

[image: candles in the dark]

On-line Winter Solstice Singing starts in early October!  

Sign up here: 
https://forms.gle/pi7i1GephusuArJh8  

Starting on the first Sunday in October, I'll be hosting on-line song-learning sessions / rehearsals for an on-line Winter Solstice Celebration (a presentation of A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual).

There will be regular sessions from October to December that build on each other, leading up to the Celebration on 18th 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. If needed or preferred, I will 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.

 == Song-learning sessions ==

...will run on Sundays from 3rd October through 12th December, each week building on the week before.

We'll cover the sing-along songs, of course, including harmonies, but also the "performance" songs as well. (If you'd like more information on the specific songs, please go to https://bit.ly/WinterSolsticeCelebrations and click on "Songs.")

* Song-learning sessions will run from 7-9 pm Edinburgh/UK time, and are open to anyone, regardless of geographic location.

* You can check what time that is for you here:https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html.

* You don't need a copy of the book or CD in order to participate, although they're helpful to have.  More on that below.  

== Schedule: ==

* Song-learning sessions/rehearsals Sundays, 3rd October - 5th December, 7-9 pm Edinburgh/UK time; not sure yet about 28th November

* Complete read-through and sing-through, Sunday, 12th December, 7-9 pm UK time

* Winter Solstice Celebration, Saturday, 18th December, 7-9 pm Edinburgh/UK time

== 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 text for the full Celebration), so it's very, very useful.

If you live in Europe and would like 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 https://bit.ly/WinterSolsticeCelebrations; click on "Songs."

I'm looking forward to singing with people from a wide range of places in the Northern Hemisphere!

== Open to people of all genders ==

Both the choir and the Celebration are open to people of all genders. Transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, and agender 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 in addition for several years, and these pieces adapt well for lower voices as well.  I teach "Line 1," "Line 2," "Line 3," etc.

* Anyone can sing any part that works for their voice on any song. You might sing one line for one piece, and a different line on another. You can also choose to sing the same line on all the songs if that's what works for you. We have lots of flexibility.

If you have any other questions, please let me know.

If you'd like to sign up for the song-learning sessions, please click here:
https://forms.gle/pi7i1GephusuArJh8  

Please share widely!

cover of A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual book

 

Upcoming events: Winter Solstice Celebration; Winter Solstice singing

I am excited to share a few bits of news!

• Winter Solstice Celebration (on-line): Save the date!
• Winter Solstice Singing (on-line song-learning sessions)

Winter Solstice Celebration (on-line): Save the date!  

This year I am hosting a presentation of A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual on-line again.  

Saturday, December 18th

11 am Pacific / 2 pm Eastern / 7 pm UT / 8 pm Central Europe

Presented by Stasa Morgan-Appel (bread and roses spiritual nurture) and friends

Live Narration, Readings, and Song-Leading; pre-recorded music; available in real-time only

Pre-registration required to obtain links

 

If you're already on the email list, you'll receive email updates (indeed, you should have received one already); if you'd like to receive updates, you should go to the website for more information and the link: https://bit.ly/WinterSolsticeCelebrations

Winter Solstice Singing (on-line song-learning sessions)

If there's enough interest, I will host on-line song-learning sessions again this year, starting in late September.

• Sessions will be on Sunday evenings from 7-9 British Time.  (You can check what time that usually is for you here: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html)
• If enough people are interested but can't attend live, I will make arrangements for video recordings to be available.
• Other song-learning resources will available outside live sessions (sheet music, audio teaching tracks, audio recordings).  
• Each week will build on the week before.
• To sign up or register your interest, please fill out this form:
  https://forms.gle/pi7i1GephusuArJh8  

These sessions are explicitly welcoming of all women and all other gender minorities, especially transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, and questioning people.

Websites

Just a reminder that the websites are: 

• bread and roses spiritual nurture: https://bit.ly/StasaMA
• Winter Solstice Celebrations: https://bit.ly/WinterSolsticeCelebrations

Three more Winter Solstice Celebrations!

 Hello, folks,

If you missed the Winter Solstice Celebration I led, it turns out there are three more communities, all in the US, who are presenting A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual this year.  

• Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church had their Celebration over Zoom on Saturday night, but will have a recording available for about a week on YouTube.  More here:
  https://ocuuc.org/events/winter-solstice-singing-ritual-2/
  

• On Monday, December 21st, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane will present theirs on-line at 7 pm Pacific / 10 pm Eastern.  More here:
  https://www.uucj.org/2020/12/17/a-winter-solstice-singing-ritual-with-uucs/

• On Tuesday, December 22nd, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville will present theirs on-line at 4 pm Pacific / 7 pm Eastern.  More here:
  https://uuch.org/events/winter-solstice-virtual-service/
  https://uuch.org/services/8856/
  

 

I am so grateful to everyone who is using this to help build and strengthen community during these (it's such a cliché to say it) challenging times.

"A year like no other," indeed.  (from A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual)

For more information about A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual project, please see:
https://sites.google.com/view/winter-solstice-celebrations/home

 

a spiral labyrinth, outlined by candles, in the dark
(c) 2004 Laura Treadway, used with permission

2020 Winter Solstice Celebration On-Line

 

You're invited to
the 24th Annual

Winter Solstice Celebration

A Celebration of the Darkness and the Light
with Songs and Stories

-------

Saturday, 19th December, 2020
On-line
7-9 pm GMT

Europe: 7-9 pm UK; 8-10 pm Central European Time
North America: 2-4 pm Eastern Time; 11 am-1 pm Pacific Time
Everywhere: Click here to confirm time in your location

-------

A time of quiet reflection in the midst of the hectic festive season

Songs, stories, candle-lighting, silent meditation, singing, and more

All ages welcome

-------

Registration required

To register, please click here

Sign Up for 2020 Winter Solstice Singing

 

I am going to be hosting a Winter Solstice Celebration (A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual) on-line, on Saturday, 19th December.  

From September through December, I am hosting on-line song-learning sessions / rehearsals for those who would like to learn the songs ahead of time, to sing along during the Celebration.  

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.

You do not need to attend these in order to come to the Celebration; likewise, you do not need to come to the Celebration if you come to these.  You are welcome at either and both!

Song-learning sessions will run from Sunday, 6th September through Sunday, 13th December, each week building on the week before.  

We'll cover the sing-along songs, of course, including harmonies, but also the "performance" songs as well. (If you'd like more information on the specific songs, please click here.) 

• Song-learning sessions will run from 6-8 pm UK time, and are open to anyone, regardless of geographic location.  
  

• You can check what time that is for you here: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html.   
  

• If you miss a session or the time generally doesn't work for you, there will be rehearsal recordings available.   
  

• You don't need a copy of the book or CD in order to participate, although they're helpful to have.

 

Schedule: 

• Song-learning sessions/rehearsals Sundays, 6th September - 6th December (no session 29th November), 6-8 pm UK time
  

• Complete read-through and sing-through, Sunday, 13th December, 6-8 pm UK time
  
  

• Winter Solstice Celebration, Saturday, 19th December, 7-9 pm UK time 

 

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 would like 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

Both the choir and the Celebration are open to people of all genders. Transgender, non-binary, agender, 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.

 

If you have any other questions, please let me know. 

If you'd like to sign up for the song-learning sessions, please click here:
https://forms.gle/ds2yV9eLfkLFa2ot7

On-line choir starting soon

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.

Winter Solstice and A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual on The VUU!

On Winter Solstice -- at the moment of the Solstice, too! -- I had the pleasure and privilege of spending an hour in the on-line living room of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Larger Fellowship, as a guest on The VUU. It was a lovely experience -- gift after gift during that hour.

Many thanks to everyone involved for our lovely conversation and experiential celebration of the Solstice, and especially to Lori Stone Sirtosky and Rina Jurceka, for much more than I can put into words in this space.

And just a reminder -- you don't have to have a group to do A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual.  You can do it by yourself in your living room, or with a small group of friends, or with 20 people in a friend's living room.   

Blessed Solstice and Happy 2018!

----------------

Watch the video on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iuGDm9Yr-c

Watch the video here:




Listen to the podcast/audio:

• https://www.questformeaning.org/vuu-latest/202-solstice-celebrating-dark/#comment-7378

Download podcast here:

• https://media.blubrry.com/clfvuu_latest/s/www.questformeaning.org/podcasts/vuu/latest/vuu202.mp3

More on A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual:

• tinyurl.com/WinterSolsticeSinging

A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual on Facebook:

• https://www.facebook.com/WinterSolsticeSingingRitual/

Erica Baron's wonderful Yule story, which she read on the program:

• http://www.patheos.com/blogs/naturespath/2016/12/yule-story/

"Deep in the dark..."

Deep in the dark of the longest night
We keep our vigil by candlelight
Waiting to sing to the newborn Sun
The Goddess will birth when the night is done
Raise your voices, sing on high!
Let all the Earth hear your joyful cry!
On this night we sing to Light
And the Goddess of all pleasure and delight
Raise your voices, sing your praise!
O'er all the Earth til the Darkness fades
On this night we sing to Light
And the Goddess of all pleasure and delight!

- (c) Anna Ophidia Alekner, "Winter Solstice Chant"

Blessed Winter Solstice!

Winter Solstice 2014

I have just update the list of communities presenting A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual this year, including:

• Edinburgh, Scotland; 
• Costa Mesa, CA; 
• Indianapolis, IN; 
• Louisville, KY (new this year! w00t!); 
• Pomona/Galloway, NJ; 
• Dallas, TX;
• and hopefully Hamilton, NJ, Gettysburg, PA, Clemson, SC, Spokane, WA, and Madison, WI. (I'm still waiting to hear back from some folks.)

Details at
TinyURL.com/WinterSolsticeSinging/Participating-Communities

If your community is presenting this and you're not listed, please get in touch!

Thank you again to SheWho

Way back in 2002, SheWho feminist women's vocal ensemble recorded the CD for "A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual" for me and my co-author. It was a one-off for them -- not part of their musical life long-term -- but it took a lot of their time and energy. That CD has certainly been part of my life long-term, and as I'm doing a lot of intensive teaching of this music right now, I find myself again grateful for all the time and work those eight women put into our project. There are of course things I'd do differently, mostly thanks to what I learned by doing this CD, but the CD has definitely stood the test of time as a fabulous resource for people learning this music. Thank you again, Karen Escovitz (Otter), Amanda Albright, Anne Cummings, Debra D'Alessandro, Gili Ronen, Hilary Barrett, and Juliet Spitzer.

For more information about SheWho -- or to order their fabulous independent CD, "The Earth Will Turn Over" -- please see:

• http://www.facebook.com/shewhomusic
• http://shewho.org/ 

Winter Solstice 2014?

I am looking for people anywhere in the world who would be interested in doing a Winter Solstice Celebration based on A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual, privately with a small group of friends / family. Think, getting together in someone's living room, using the CD or an iPod for the music, and sharing the reading. Five is a good minimum number, though I've done it with fewer -- you can do it by yourself -- and as far as I know there is no maximum number. Support and encouragement available from me.

Let me know if you're interested!

More information is available at TinyURL.com/WinterSolsticeSinging.

There's also a Facebook group for people who are involved in this project at http://www.facebook.com/groups/AWSSR/.

What shall I tell you about Winter Solstice?

Shall I tell you about the holiness of every day, of the sacredness of each of the four seasons? Shall I tell you about how tracking the seasons helps me understand, in a deeply...  Read more

Winter Solstice

Today is the longest night and shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

What time did the sun rise where you are, and what time will it set?

(Bonus points for folks in the Southern Hemisphere...)

You can find your sunrise and sunset times at these links:
http://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/
http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications

Happy Winter Solstice!

Edinburgh Solstice Choir starts 21 October

Edinburgh Solstice Choir

Book your place now! 

The Edinburgh Solstice Choir is in preparation to sing in the 3rd Annual Edinburgh Winter Solstice Celebration, on 14 December, 2013.  Come sing with us!

Requirements:

• A commitment to come to rehearsals on Monday nights; to come to the Celebration on 14 December; and to rehearse on your own outside our meeting time.
• You do not need to read music (although if you do, that can be helpful).
• All genders and voice ranges are welcome.  Our music is written for sopranos and altos; we can incorporate tenors and basses as well. 
• There are no dues, but there is a charge of £4 per week to cover room hire for rehearsals.  We offer discounts for concession card holders and non-waged workers.  There is also a discount if you pay for the whole term up-front (£30).
• You may not miss more than two rehearsals unless you make arrangements with the director. 

Where and when:

•   Monday nights, 7-10 pm (with a break in the middle), starting on 21 October
•   The Open Door, 420 South Morningside Road
•   Near the Morningside Clock, served by many bus routes
•   Winter Solstice Celebration on Saturday, 14 December, at a different location

Questions?
If you have any questions or would like to join but aren't sure, please contact stasa dot website at gmail dot com.

Booking
Book your place now!  Booking is free.  Click here.

Songbook and voice part recordings
We have a few copies of the songbook available to borrow during rehearsals, but not to take home.  You may choose to purchase your own copy for £14; it comes with a compact disc that includes recordings of all the songs, and teaching tracks for songs with harmony parts.  You are also strongly encouraged to record voice parts during rehearsals.


http://tinyurl.com/EdinburghSolsticeChoir

bread and roses spiritual nurture
presents

Edinburgh's Third Annual
Winter Solstice Celebration
A Celebration of the Darkness and the Light
with Songs and Stories

Saturday, 21 December, 7:00-8:30 pm
Location to be determined

• Songs, stories, candle-lighting, silent meditation, singing, and more  
• Suitable for children and adults
• Sliding-scale donation requested to cover the costs of hall hire and supplies; all are welcome regardless of ability to make a donation
• For disability accessibility reasons, please do not wear perfume/essential oils or other personal care products with fragrance

For more info: http://tinyurl.com/EdinburghWinterSolstice

 Click here for the Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/events/609513809063722/

Contact Stasa for more information


A presentation of A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual by Julie Forest Middleton & Stasa Morgan-Appel.

Book and compact disc available now through the website (click here), or through Stasa, and soon at at bookstores in Edinburgh.

Yes, it's ridiculously early, but I'm getting information about this out now, anyway!  - sm

How to use "A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual" for a Winter Solstice Celebration of your own

I've had a couple of conversations again recently where people seem to think the only way to use A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual is with a big group, a choir, etc., etc.

Definitely not, I promise! 

When my co-author and I put together the book and cd, one of the things we thought could be useful would be if groups of different sizes could use it to put on these Winter Solstice Celebrations.

We'd only worked with large-ish groups, with Celebrations open to the community, but what if individuals and solitaries, and isolated Covens, and small groups who weren't Covens and maybe didn't know each other well, and groups we hadn't even thought of yet, could use the book and cd to do this Winter Solstice Celebration?

From the feedback I've received, and from the experience I've had during the time I lived in different parts of the US and now in Scotland, it works as we'd hoped.

I've used (experienced!) A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual in a bunch of different ways:

• with small and medium-sized vocal groups and volunteer narrators and readers, in Celebrations open to the community
• with a group of drummers and the cd, narrating myself and with all of us sharing the reading
• with 13 people who sight-sang it in an unheated gazebo and no artificial lights, passing reading around the circle
• by myself in my living room in the dark
• with four other adults and a preschooler in my living room during a snowstorm, with the cd, with one narrator and the rest of us sharing the readings
•  in an open community Celebration, using the recording for some pieces, with one person leading group singing for the other pieces, about four people who'd learned songs ahead helping to anchor the singing, and one person anchoring drumming (everyone was invited to use other percussion as moved)

Who has done this?  Not an exhaustive list, but:

• individuals
• families
• many Unitarian Universalist congregations, either with their own choirs or in partnership with community choirs
• community choirs, especially feminist and LGBTQ choirs
• Pagan community groups 
• private covens
• Christian churches
• Quaker Meetings
• YM/YWCAs
• LGBTQ community centers
• peace centers
• community groups that aren't Pagan or religious at all, who have wanted to do some multi-faith community-building around/during the winter holidays, and/or have wanted to escape the commercialism of the season
• music therapy groups
• drumming groups

Okay, that sounds like fun!, you say.  How do I do it?  How do I use A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual for a Winter Solstice Celebration? 


Host an event on your own or with some family or friends. 

• You can do it by yourself, using the book and cd.
• You can do it with a small group of friends and/or family, using the cd for music, and asking people to narrate and do readings.
• You can get together a group of friends to learn the songs, and do it at one of your homes, either for family and friends or just for yourselves, and ask people to narrate and do readings.

Partner with an organization.

• Find out if a choir or chorus you know is interested in doing this as an alternative to a Christmas concert, as a community-building event, and/or as a fund-raiser.  (For example, a women's choir, LGBTQ choir, peace choir, or some other kind of community group you or somebody you know sings in.) 
• Find out if your spiritual community or congregation is interested in doing this as a service, as an multi-faith community-building event, or as a fund-raiser.

If you're part of a Unitarian Universalist congregation:

• ... and your congregation has a music program, talk to your music director or some of your musicians to see if they're interested in this as a service.  My co-author and I are members of the UU Musicians Network, and we can put you in touch with other UU folks who have done this. 
• ... and you have a CUUPS group (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans), ask them if they're interested in doing this. 

Start your own singing group. 

• You can do this with a group of friends, or cast a wider net in your community.  

For some examples, see the Past Locations pages: https://bit.ly/WinterSolsticeCelebrations. 

Feel free to contact me directly for encouragement, advice, practical assistance, and spiritual support. You can also join our Facebook group. 

We have a Facebook group for anyone who's been part of A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual in any way -- Been to a Celebration or a workshop, participated as a singer, reader, congregation, behind-the-scenes organizer, etc. -- or is interested in hosting it.  http://www.facebook.com/groups/AWSSR/

There are lots of practical suggestions in the second half of the book.  If you need to order books and cds for your group, please contact the publisher: https://secure.tradenet.net/emerald/order_form.htm. (EDITED:  Emerald Earth Publishing has ceased trading.  You can contact me or Julie to buy books/CDs in the US, UK, and Europe.)

For lots more information, see the main Winter Solstice page at my website: https://bit.ly/WinterSolsticeCelebrations. 


But most of all, have fun!  Enjoy the music, sing along, take time for the silence, and appreciate both the gifts of the sacred Darkness and the rebirth of the Light.

Winter Solstice 2012

bread and roses spiritual nurture
presents

The 2012
Winter Solstice Celebration
Celebrate the Darkness and the Light
with Songs and Stories

Saturday, 22nd December, 7:00-8:45 pm
doors open 6:45 pm

St. Mark's artSpace
Unitarians in Edinburgh
7 Castle Terrace, EH1 2DP

• Songs, stories, candle-lighting, silent meditation, singing, and more  
• Suitable for children and adults
• Sliding-scale donation requested to cover the costs of hall hire and supplies; all are welcome
• For disability accessibility reasons, please do not wear perfume/essential oils or other personal care products with fragrance

More information: http://tinyurl.com/EdinburghWinterSolstice2012

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/events/328798050525074/

A presentation of A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual 

by Julie Forest Middleton & Stasa Morgan-Appel

For locations in other cities and countries, please see http://stasa.net/winter-solstice

Forming now -- Edinburgh Solstice Singers! Please share widely

Forming now! 

The Edinburgh Solstice Singers

to sing in the 

Winter Solstice Celebration

presented by bread and roses spiritual nurture

Saturday night, 22 December, 2012

Details:

• We meet once a week for song-learning sessions / rehearsals, starting Monday, 8 October.
• We are a non-audition ensemble.
• You do not need to read music, although if you do, that can be helpful.
• All genders and voice ranges are welcome.
• Our music is written for sopranos and altos; we can make adjustments for tenors and basses.  (I am willing to work with tenors and basses if you are willing to work with my inexperience with those voice ranges.)
• There are no dues, but there may be a charge to cover room hire for rehearsals.

I am aiming for Monday evening rehearsals.  If there is another night that works better for most people, I would be happy to change.

We have a few copies of the songbook available to borrow during sessions, but not to take home.  You may choose to purchase your own copy, which comes with a compact disc that includes recordings of all the songs and teaching tracks for songs with harmony parts.

A list of songs is available on the website; detailed information about the songs is available on a sub-page.  http://tinyurl.com/EdinburghSolsticeSingers

I am looking for rehearsal space.  So far, the least expensive I have been able to find is £12-16/hr.  If there are enough of us to make that feasible, I will book that; if we are a small group, we may meet in my family's living room.  If you have a lead on more affordable space, please let me know!

If you are curious about or interested in joining, please contact stasa dot website at gmail dot com.

Please forward this to friends who might be interested. 

More information at http://tinyurl.com/EdinburghSolsticeSingers

Come sing with us!