The Fulfillment of a Dream

The skies last Saturday morning were overcast, and the air was cool.  But that didn’t dampen my spirits as I walked across the grounds of the Sharon Temple in Sharon, Ontario.  I was on my way to fulfill a dream.

The Sharon Temple is a breath-taking, three storey, wooden structure.  It was built between 1825 and 1831 by the Children of Peace, a group of former Quakers who settled in the area. This group played a key role in setting up Ontario’s first co-operative, and the province’s first homeless shelter.  The temple was primarily used for the collection of alms for the poor.

This was a perfect setting for Spiritfest 2012 – A Festival for the Creative Soul in support of the York Region Food Network.  The event was hosted by the Sharon Temple National Historic Site and Museum, developed and organized by David Rankine and Liz Jefferson, and supported by numerous volunteers and staff.  The event featured an artisans’ market, heritage craft demonstrations, children’s activities, poetry readings, a drum circle, and musical performances. 

I was honoured to be asked to lead the opening sound meditation.  I have always wanted to sing inside the Sharon Temple.  It is a sacred space, and its wooden structure and soaring ceiling give it incredible acoustics. A steep curved staircase, Jacob’s Ladder, leads to what once was a musicians’ gallery high above the meeting space, hinting at the temple’s musical past.

I planned to sing to the accompaniment of a large crystal bowl, and set up the bowl near the front of the stage.  People started flowing in through the tall wooden doors.  After the welcome and opening comments, I kneeled on a cushion, and started moving a mallet in a clockwise direction around the rim of the bowl.  The rich tones of the bowl’s vibrations filled the air.

I began to add my voice, singing a chant I composed called There’s A Light That Surrounds You.  As I began to sing, I could feel energy flowing through me, the sound of my voice combining with the sound of the bowl, moving upwards towards the high ceiling.  People began to sing along and soon the space was filled by our combined voices.  Even after we stopped singing, the beautiful vibrations hung in the air. 

Afterwards, many people told me they were moved to tears by the experience.  I felt humbled by this, and so grateful for the opportunity to fulfill my dream of singing in the Sharon Temple with such a warm and receptive group of people.

Read Full Post »

Creating Culture Through Music

Last Saturday night I was reminded of why I make music.  Our group, The Appalachian Trance Project, played a local venue called the Everything Chocolate Café.  Can you think of a better place to play than café that serves up both coffee and chocolate?  The people who attended were not only supporting local musicians, but also the café – a local small business. 

It was such a joy to look out into the audience and see so many familiar faces – the faces of neighbours, people we see at the farmers’ market, people whose gardens we visit.  There were the faces of friends from the city, a young singer just starting out, plus some people we met for the first time.  During breaks, we did some “cross-pollination”, introducing people in the audience to one another.  It was an honour to be able to give, to share, to move people’s hearts – people who were right in front of us in our own community.

We’re an eclectic mix of musicians. Dave Rankine plays mountain dulcimer, cigar box guitar and a tiny instrument he calls a ‘dulcilette’.  Tom Warney (my husband) plays banjo and guitar.  Fernando Villalobos plays a variety of percussion instruments (that night it was the djembe drum).  And I play harmonium, autoharp, tambourine and crystal singing bowl.  To this mix we add our voices.  The music we make is unique.  We play old Appalachian tunes in a new way, and we write and perform original songs. It’s not music you’ll hear on the radio.

Dave Rankine said something to the audience that really struck me.  He said “culture is something we create together.”  And that’s true.  People used to gather at kitchen parties, barn dances and corn shuckings.  They would take turns making music, reciting poetry, and telling stories.  They were creating their own culture.  Unfortunately, popular music has become a mass-produced commodity that is made commercially.  With new technology, musicians don’t even have to be in the same room to produce a recording.  So called “culture” is created by the industry, and fed to the consumers, with the bottom line being profit.

That night, for our last number we involved the audience in singing a chant to the accompaniment of a crystal singing bowl.  The lights were turned down, and the beautiful sound of people’s voices joining together in song filled the air.  When they headed out, they took those lovely sounds with them, out into the cool evening air.

I’d like to urge you to support local independent musicians.  Check out folk festival listings and local coffeehouse performances.  And don’t miss Spiritfest:  A Festival for the Creative Soul 2012 to be held on Saturday, June 2, 11 – 5.  This is a FREE family-friendly all-day festival of creativity on the grounds of the Sharon Temple National Historic Site and Museum.  Enjoy musical performances (our group will be there), an artisan’s market, heritage craft demonstrations, children’s activities, poetry reading and a variety of creative celebrations.

For information updates visit www.davidrankineart.com (scroll down to bottom left hand corner of the website) and Facebook:  Spiritfest: A Festival for the Creative Soul.

Read Full Post »