It has been a long time I’ve not found the words…

Something about… the River of Song. The one that flowed before we earthed, the one that will continue after we are gone. Old songs, fresh takes. Two Ensembles I lead, Acapollinations & Medena Ensemble, had the pleasure last weekend of sharing this devotion – in joyful colour and resonant bodies – at the 51st Auckland Folk Festival ! Tender eye, Trevor Villers & the young Sabine Mignault were there to capture moments during our acapella contribution to the “Songs From The Old Country” program.

These images are a trace of a sound, first of all. The sound that originates before it begins. The open, connective shapes that we align with, before the voice is even heard. Our dedication to the continuum of vowel matter as musical line. The un-ending, un-starting river running, that we join for a while. Breath as an integral part of the wheel of sound, naturally occurring as a consequence of complete, and devotional, delivery of the musical phrase. The gift of love in motion, released to the world.

The stirring continues…

In lending myself to the propagation of beautiful dissonance, trans-cultural vocal calibrations, and an intentional return to the vulnerable, powerful, ancient arts of acapella music – I’d like to share with you our upcoming Workshops & Concerts :

1. “Like Ringing Bells & Howling Wolves” Interferential Diaphony Workshops will pop up in: RAGLAN next Sunday 11th Feb (half-day) and in WELLINGTON on Saturday 2nd March (full-day) REGISTER HERE

2. ACAPOLLiNATiONS Trio, featuring the fresh soprano raptures of Gabrielle Young (Cantonese-Belgian-Kiwi), are taking their “M/OTHER Tongue” repertoire to Festival of Cultures in Palmerston North (Saturday 24th February) and Newtown Festival in Wellington (Sunday 3rd March). See you there!

3. For those of you taken by the honeyed voices of Medena Ensemble, save your Sunday 19th May to join us in the beautiful wooden heart of the Unitarian Church, in Ponsonby, Auckland @ 3pm.