Greetings! We have a loyal hearing-impaired contingent and an ASL interpreter who is wonderfully creative. Please come! A couple of photos are attached and more are at: http://www.earthrhythms.org/solstice/ws_photos09.html
17th annual
WINTER SOLSTICELEBRATION
theme: JOY & WONDER
Friday December 18, 2009
Solstice Service from 7 to 9 pm
Yule Fest before & after: 6 to 7 pm & 9 to 10 pm
Cathedral of Hope
5910 Cedar Springs at Inwood
northeast corner, access from Nash St. off Inwood
map: http://www.cathedralofhope.com
$10 at the door, $8 in advance, $5 for under 13 & over 65
www.earthrhythms.org ~ 214-261-5599 ~ [email protected]
Presented by Earth Rhythms and Center for Spiritual Living, with support from Cathedral of Hope and Unity Dallas.
Winter SolstiCelebration returns for its 17th year, energized by a new interfaith support team. Attracting over a thousand people each year who come to experience the redemptive power of darkness and the regenerative nature of light, the beloved North Texas celebration is the second largest Winter Solstice gathering in the nation.
For 2009, the multi-cultural, non-sectarian event explores the theme of Joy & Wonder through song, poetry, ceremony, dance, comedy, ritual, storytelling, drumming and a myriad of musical styles. This year also features puppetry, magic, juggling and even professional yo-yo artistry. It promises to be lighthearted yet full of awe.
In the hour before and after the Winter Solstice service, a lively Yule Fest in the lobby hosts roving characters, music, photos with Father Winter and much more. Arriving attendees are blessed by the Wonder Women and invited to symbolically help prepare a communal soup in the fellowship hall. After the Solstice Service, the hot soup is served with bread, nuts and cheese, plus a variety of beverages.
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Make it a double-treat weekend. After celebrating the Winter Solstice on Friday, enjoy Local Honey Holiday Mix, an eclectic take on the traditional Christmas variety show, on Saturday. And you get to see vocalist Kelly Brown and trumpeter Freddie Jones on both nights! Info: http://www.localhoney.org/
~ ~ ~ Music & Dance ~ ~ ~
Creating a sacred soundscape that carries the service through its deepest, most intimate moments, is an exceptional ensemble, Sojourn, led by flutist Cornell Kinderknecht, with Quinn Eaker on didgeridoo, Craig Shropshire on udu pot drums and Ann Williams on Tibetan crystal bowls.
The evocative “Circle of Love” sung by Charity Lankford is deepened by the fabric dance of Monica Lecrone and Karen MacIntyre.
Combined choir members of Center for Spiritual Living’s Celestial Voices, directed by Lainey Bernstein, and Unity Dallas’ Singing Unity, directed by Neil Mowles, move the audience with a truly unique version of “Amazing Grace” and rock the house with “Halleluiah Anyhow.”
Lainey Bernstein enchants with her medley of childhood songs and rhymes done scat-style, with the incomparable jazzy trumpet of Freddie Jones.
Steve Leach presents a snazzy jazzy a laugh-out-loud singalong song about the humorous aspects of aging, accompanied by a the comical Midlife Chorus.
A lively acappella do-wop version of “Joy to the World” is brought to life by the Center for Spiritual Living’s Puppet Zone.
Matt Willis of the Kildaires presents a short and lively bagpipe solo. Geoffrey Ricketts does the same on harp.
A joyous embrace of life is shown in a climax medley of uplifting R&B tunes, energized with soul by vocalists Gary Floyd and Kelly Brown.
The high-energy West African sound of Michael Kenny and Drums Not Guns drives the finale as the audience dances through ceremonial gates into a new year.
A smokin’ R&B band wraps up the service, with Julie Bonk on piano and the snappy rhythm section of bassist Buddy Mohmed and drummer Matt Thompson.
~ ~ ~ Spoken Word ~ ~ ~
Event creator Amy Martin serves as narrator and emcee for the service.
Twice Upon a Time storytellers Gene & Peggy Helmick-Richardson bring to life an African tale of the thrills and spills when a buzzard took a monkey for a ride. With an assist from Monkey, a charming terry-cloth primate.
An essay by writer Amy Martin on the wonder of stars blends with snippets of favorite childhood star songs sung by Shanti Michelle, all carried aloft by the glissando harp music of Geoffrey Ricketts.
Rev. Petra Weldes of Center for Spiritual Living and trumpeter Freddie Jones are at play together to celebrate the most deeply lighthearted writings on joy by the Persian mystical poet Rumi.
~ ~ ~ Ceremony ~ ~ ~
Feel the power of large Japanese taiko drums by Taikodelic invoking the sacred space, with colorful elemental dance by Sultan’s Dreams.
Get caught up in the enthusiasm of the opening Joy Brigade. The Creative Motion Circus of ball spinners, stick clickers, spring walkers and jugglers is joined by hula hoopers and ribbon dancers, mothers and babies, people with puppets, a variety of dancers and a singing unicyclist. Performers include vocalist Lora Cain, yo-yo artist Valerie Oliver and tai chi artist Lane Cawthon.
Move to your inner groove in embodied conscious movement led by Jule Aguirre, Angie Dutton, Monica Blossom Hochberg and Heather Spiller-Gream, and assisted by Sultan’s Dreams and other dancers.
~ ~ ~ Ritual ~ ~ ~
Participate in a “Community Beyond Time,” led by Rev. Petra Weldes, by speaking the names of and acknowledging those passed on in the prior year.
Three-minutes of silent meditation in “Solstice Passage” is wrapped by sacred music from the Cornell Kinderknecht ensemble Sojourn and dance from Monica Lecrone.
Be a part of the web in a yarn-based “Weaving Joy & Wonder” ritual led in a most humorous way by Bryan Lankford.
~ ~ ~ Yule Fest ~ ~ ~
The lobby and fellowship hall bubble with energy and activities before and after the Solstice Service. Arriving attendees are greeted by the Cosmic Carolers intoning an eclectic array of songs while brown-robed monks from the Order of St Francis & St Clare accept donations of food and winterwear.
Inside, after being greeted and blessed by the Wonder Women, particpants can enjoy the South American-Celtic harp and recorder of Paracelt in the lobby and flute by Standing Bear in the Fellowship Hall. Get your picture taken with Father Winter (Ed Townley); photography by Jennifer Walz. Find a world of peace in the Peace Zone.
Interact with roving characters including the popular Mother Yule (Valery Guignon), Spirit of Peace (Alyce Payne) and the Boogeyman (Troy Young). Representing other cultures are the Wandering Druid (John Beckett), and Mother Holda (Jennifer Culver), the Germanic goddess of Yule. Others include the Fairy Princess (Lucinda Lankford), the Kissing Wench (Star), the Kissing Rogue (Ted), and the cross-dressing Faerie Godmother (Scott Smith).
In the Yule Fest after the service, Covenant of the Goddess volunteers serve the communion soup and hot beverages. Earthspirit distributes pieces of the wonder web. Ancient Traditions hosts a dance and drum jam on stage. In the sanctuary, look for the Creative Motion demonstration area where anyone can try their hand at the circus arts.
As people leave, the Radical Faeries of North Texas offer to-go “Stirrup Cups” of hot chocolate or coffee along with a wish for safe travel home.
~ ~ ~ Stage & Production Crew ~ ~ ~
Event creator and writer: Amy Martin
Music directors: Lainey Bernstein, Eric Folkerth, Cornell Kinderknecht, Neil Mowles
Staging director: David Fisher
Lighting director: Anne Kojan
Video director: Mary Beth Boehm
Executive producer: Amy Martin
Event producer: Rodney Steman
Promotions: Amy Martin
Yule Fest producers: Gaelen, Bryan Lankford, Ed Townley
~ ~ ~ Important Notes ~ ~ ~
• Colorful dress is encouraged!
• ASL deaf interpretation provided.
• Childcare is available during the service for $5 per child.
• Donations of canned meat, fish and saltine crackers for the cathedral’s food pantry are appreciated. Also winterwear for the cold-weather collection.
• A community flier table is available to set out promotional materials. A small donation is requested.
• A Helping Hands voucher is available for those unable to pay admission.
• TRAFFIC – IMPORTANT!: The road to Cathedral of Hope, Nash St, is under construction. Please enter through the Park Cities Ford dealership on Inwood or through the old Ruth Chris Steakhouse parking lot on Cedar Springs. (The fenced-in enclosure in the Cathedral parking lot is the construction site of the Interfaith Peace Chapel.)
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WINTER SOLSTICELEBRATION http://www.earthrhythms.org
DEC 18 FRI, 2009 – 6 to 10 pm at the Cathedral of Hope
Presented by Earth Rhythms and Center for Spiritual Living
DONATE TO OUR ONLINE AUCTION: http://earthrhythms.cmarket.com
BUY A PROGRAM AD – BE A SPONSOR: http://tinyurl.com/yfnzlrb
Submitted by
Amy Martin
Email: [email protected]