Our Vision for Halcyon World Music |
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Dear Friends,
In June, the Halcyon Board met to approve our new vision for the Halcyon World Music Institute, defining the various programs we will offer. Thanks to Michael Harrist, our new World Music Director, for all his time, inspiration, and articulation of this vision.
Our mission is to provide an intimate space, via concerts and workshops, in which students and lovers of music can connect directly with master musicians and skilled practitioners from the world’s great musical traditions and burgeoning cross-cultural forms.
Program Offerings:
- Retreat workshops (4 days long; 2 or more per year)
- Masterclasses (3+/- hours long; as scheduled per interest and availability)
- Concerts (12 per year, including concerts from workshop instructors)
- Halcyon House Ensemble (1 concert/retreat per year)
- Halcyon World Music Festival (1 per year)
In our masterclasses and workshops, "Halcyon aims to provide an environment in which students can sit at the feet of masters of the great traditions and learn from them on their own terms. We expect our students to respect the traditions, but not to treat them as fixed exotic forms. We recognize that these traditions are contemporary living entities and we aim to cultivate an environment of discipline, play, experiment, and full-bodied engagement." The masterclasses will be 3-4 hour sessions and the retreat workshops will generally begin Thursday evenings and continue through Sunday afternoon at a retreat center in New England.
We aim to offer in-person concerts beginning this Fall and are currently working on securing venues in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. Some of these concerts will be paired with Masterclasses.
I am personally excited about the Halcyon House Ensemble, an annual, residential program in which we invite a collective ensemble of regional musicians who each bring an original composition or repertoire piece. The musicians will arrive on Friday evening, rehearse Saturday and Sunday morning and give a public matinee concert on Sunday. The Ensemble will be provided with meals and lodging Friday through Sunday and will be paid an honorarium. In future years, as it becomes established, we will open the Ensemble program to applications.
Finally, the Halcyon World Music Festival will bring musicians from a variety of traditional music traditions and as well as contemporary crossover and fusion expressions. This will likely be our longest term goal.
In this issue of Sound & Spirit, you will find all our upcoming programs. We hope you will join us for a retreat.
All the Best,
Beau
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From Fear to Joy: Discover Your Inner Singer
September 10-12 with Nancy Salwen
Hallelujah Farm Retreat, Chesterfield, NH
Claim your birthright, and step into the joy of singing! Whether you’re a “non-singer” who wishes you could sing, or a more experienced singer who would like to delve deeper into the magic of your own voice, this weekend retreat/workshop is for you! Through a combination of games, improvisation and simple songs from around the world we’ll explore different aspects of the voice. We’ll create a tool kit of accessible techniques for you to take home and use as you develop your skills. Discover the joy of your unique voice and let go of that old idea that singing isn’t for you! Read More
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Halcyon Institute for Spiritual Studies |
Module 1: The Two Streams of Western Spirituality
Four monthly sessions begin September 2021
A new cohort in spiritual studies begins September 2021. Each semester consists of four monthly topics, Facebook group content and interaction, a bibliography, spiritual direction, and a reflection in a chosen medium.
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Eight bi-monthly Zoom sessions begin September 26
Every two weeks, we will take up the study of a sacred text, core teachings of the world's religions. Using Socratic dialogue, we will unravel hidden meanings and new understandings. We will share personal insights and experiences. We will travel ancient but ever new terrain, paths long forgotten or dimly remembered. Like archeologists of the spirit, we will uncover new insights, inspiration for our personal journeys. Read More
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August 13-15 with Heath Missner and Robert Bowler
Hallelujah Farm Retreat, Chesterfield, NH
Join us for a weekend of spiritual exploration and companionship. After a long journey of isolation during the pandemic, we are joyful to come together on retreat to strengthen our spirits. Support for your own spiritual journey, as you discover its shape and form, is essential as you build the spiritual muscles to move forward from day to day. Join us for a weekend of prayer and meditation, spiritual friendship, and unconditional love. We will learn about western and eastern spiritual traditions, the varieties of spiritual practice, and soul friendship. We will offer Morning Meditations, spiritual companionship, and Lectio Divina. Guided by prayer and meditation practice, Celtic spirituality, and interfaith understandings, we seek refreshment in one another's company and in nature. Read More
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Hildegard of Bingen,
Magistra, Mystic, Musician
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December 3-5 with Ruth Cunningham,
Melinda Gardiner, and Robert Bowler
Hallelujah Farm Retreat in Chesterfield, NH
Saint Hildegard of Bingen (1098 - 1179 CE) was a German magistra or monastic leader, mystic, healer, artist, author, counsellor, and composer. In this weekend retreat/workshop we will explore the several facets of Hildegard's prolific life. Read More
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Your donations, large or small, help us bring our programs to venues in New England. Ticket sales and tuition alone do not cover our overhead. We need the generous support of patrons like you. We are now federal tax-exempt status and all donations are fully tax-deductible. And thanks! |
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Halcyon Arts | 413-345-2917
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