Matariki Winter Solstice

Anna’s musings…

I love this time of year - the pause, the quiet stillness in the darkest part …

“Rest, sleep, go deep

Take time with all your making

Tending to to our inner fire

Before the earth is waking”

~ round by Ma Muse

Did you celebrate the season of Matariki in your singing group or choir?

I held a singing workshop in a ‘barn’ with a group of 24 women on Sunday, themed around the Winter Solstice/Matariki - the dark stillness of this moment in the year, yet still holding the spark of promise of the coming light.

We honoured our ancestors, and remembered those who have passed.

We sang for a couple of hours, then had delicious pumpkin soup and some of us rugged up round a fire outside afterwards.

It was magical.

A couple of little song highlights from the afternoon - a wonderful layer/round song by Ahlay Blakely called Net of Remembrance (via Lisa Littlebird). This has a meditative ‘heartbeat’ rhythm to build up - I did a simple one click of the fingers & 2 beats on the heart… its a beautiful one to sink in …
and a nice simple layer song by Heidi Wilson called ‘Belly of the Dark.’ This is a raw recording of us singing it on Sunday (song available through Heidi's Patreon though - this is just a taster.)

We also sung a Matariki song by Jeremy Hantler from the Harmonic Resonators as a playful counterbalance to the quiet songs. I found it in the membership archives from Lead In last year - a suggestion from Carol. 

Here is a youtube video of it  - its very easy & I had a couple of the women accompany on the ukulele, which was fun.

We'd love to hear some of your favourite songs for winter, if you feel like sharing any shareable ones, we could make a little compilation on the member area of the website?

Please drop us an email with your sharings :)
songleadersnetwork.aotearoa@gmail.com