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Happy Year of the Dragon. Here is my Dragon Girl Bird sculpture from 2018.

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Friday, April 7, 2017

Choirs

I was fortunate to be able to sing on tune for a few years after I retired. Though Annelinde Metzner believes if I just practiced, I might get my voice back, I usually feel that it has flown the coop.

There was a lovely Sunday last month when I did sing with many of her choir members...it felt possible again! of course it was her birthday party!

For now I'll share photos of  the lovely Sahara Peace Choir.  They give concerts for various non-profits or just for a ceremony for the Divine Feminine, or maybe for a peaceful purpose.  These women practice at the end of the day, for hours sometimes, to get their harmonies just right. And they definitely do.
 
Linda on far left, with some of the Peace Choir giving concert at Ten Thousand Villages in Montreat, NC

The  Sahara Peace Choir was founded in 2008 by Annelinde Metzner with Roberta Newman, to support peace talks among Muslims, Christians and Jews with the Friendship Force.  They created their name by blending the names of Sarah and Hagar, the matrilineage of all three religions.  Sahara sings benefits for women's wellbeing, the Earth, the Goddess, and for world peace and tolerance.  Many songs are composed or arranged by Annelinde, who has produced a songbook of praise songs of the Goddesses of Europe, Africa and the Middle East entitled "Lady of Ten Thousand Names,"

More cheerful talented singers in the Peace Choir
This is totally voluntary, and I think those of us with little background in music are guided along by the more talented ones.



Then Linda also leads the choir at my church, The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley, here in Black Mountain NC.


Linda leads choir practice just before the UUCSV Sunday service, March 2017.

Here people with musical interest learn two new songs after church one Sunday, practice for a few hours on Wed. evening and on the next Sunday, and deliver an outstanding performance to a congregation which is very grateful!

Thanks to Sepia Saturday which suggested sharing something based on this photo of choir boys.



 Today's Quote:

Try pausing right before and right after undertaking a new action, even something simple like putting a key in a lock to open a door. Such pauses take a brief moment, yet they have the effect of decompressing time and centering you. Br. David Steindl-Rast

11 comments:

  1. The Sahara Peace Choir sounds like a lovely idea, and very successful from the look of it.

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    1. They get together and give performances several times a year, all for donations to a cause having to do with women.

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  2. As someone who has sung in a choir since primary school days, I always like seeing photographs of others who get such pleasure from singing.

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    1. I forgot I sang in chorus in high school, probably because I'd learned to read music when taking piano lessons!

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  3. I'd love to hear these women sing! Could you possibly post an audio?

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    1. I've recorded onto my iPhone, but haven't learned the techno skills to download and then put on blog yet. But you give me reason to learn that. Soon!

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  4. Do NOT give up on your voice! Age does take a toll - I can't hit those used-to-be easy high B flats anymore, and high A is an occasional thing, but other than that the voice is still there. The voice is dependent on muscles like any other part of the body. Annelinde is right about regular practice. But a few voice lessons with an instructor who can show you how to steady your voice could probably get you back on track. Like ScotSue, I've been singing in choruses and choirs since I was 9 years old and I'll never give it up. Singing is a feast for the soul! :)

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  5. So many people have had so much pleasure from being a member of a choir (or an orchestra) in church.

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    1. That's true, for sure. Then there are those driving along roads singing to their hearts' content!

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  6. A perfect choice for the theme! I've not seen many antique photos of choral groups. Sometimes I come across photos of smaller vocal ensembles with 6-12 voices that toured the Chautauqua circuits. But the most common are early stereoviews of the giant massed choirs for Handel's oratorios with several hundred voices.

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  7. Singing makes people happy and that can be see from your photos of these choristers. A contrast to the choirboys who are rather staid and formal.

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Thanks for your comments...