A Singing Christmas Stocking!

 

Dear Singing Friend A Christmas Singing Stocking! Happy December! - here's this month's offering - a Singing Stocking full of music, musings and magic. At the end of this extraordinary year, I share with you these gifts... feel free to share the love.. they're free and widely available! 1. A HUGE THANKYOU Thank you for being here, for staying connected and reading this! I am so grateful to everyone who has sung, donated, contributed. Thank you for your generosity, kindness and resilience. 2. The Power of Breath and Song to hold us  In the midst of multiple forms of loss, lockdown has shown me how breath and song can hold us. Just taking a deep breath in sync brings us into empathic connection.  Choirs have discovered that even when we can't hear each other we can still sing together. Amazing!   3. Vocal Freedom Despite the restrictions of lockdown, this has been an unprecedented year of people claiming the freedom and power of their voices.  The global Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd released marginalised voices and put dialogue about anti-racism centre stage.  It was heartening this week to see supermarkets uniting around Christmas adverts that truly represent our diverse communities.  In my Vocal Revolution Zoomcast, Esther Austin and I reflect on this powerful liberation of voices and how we can stay tuned to our own authentic voice. 4. Creative Contribution This year of collective retreat has prompted reflection on how we contribute and connect locally and globally.  The shared crisis of Covid has, I hope, made us more aware of being a global community, whilst still honouring our diversity.  For many of us, experiencing restrictions renews our commitment to address ongoing social oppression - poverty, inequality, war and violence.  One cause that is important to me is The Circle, Annie Lennox's Charity for Girls and Women Worldwide. Reflecting this year on the Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women (25th Nov), it feels even more important, given that lockdown has precipitated a crisis in domestic violence.  I talk more about this in my Facebook Live and invite you, if you are able to contribute their End Violence Appeal - donations given between 1st-8th December will be doubled. 5. LOVE  As the preciousness of life and love has truly been brought home this year, here's a little song that came to me and a whole bunch of music, reflections and invitations to fill your stocking full of singing... May this unusual Christmas be full of the true gifts of what really matters, the fundamentals of life - the solace of nature, the love of friends and family, the songs in our hearts. Thank you so much for staying tuned!  Be well, be safe, breathe deep, sing loudly  Lots of love, virtual hugs and good singing vibes info@therosewindow.org Come and share some festive cheer on Social Media

Don't Hold Back  A little 4 part, 2 beret ditty that came to me at the end of a year that showed us how precious life is.

How to Sparkle in the Dark

 

Dear Friend  How to Sparkle in the Dark Sending lots of singing sparkles to you, wherever you are and however you're feeling at this moment on the Coronacoaster ride.  At this time of year in the UK, we would usually be gathering with friends and family to enjoy the tricks and treats of the festive season.  As we face a second lockdown with many different levels of loss, it is absolutely understandable to be experiencing grief, anger, anxiety and disorientation.  So here's a little offering to help us sparkle in the dark. 1. Connect with Contagious Joy and Laughter Joy is a fundamental part of our being, of our psyche, because it’s just such a WOW experience. - Joe Hoare, Laughing Yogi, Vocal Revolution Zoomcast We've all seen how the infectious burbles of a baby laughing can get everyone smiling.  Humour is an incredibly contagious tool in tough times.   I've long wanted to share the wisdom of my inspirational friends and colleagues and lockdown has given me the space to do it - as we've all now become Zoom Video Stars, I've created a monthly Vocal Revolution Zoomcast.  My first guest is Laughing Yogi, Joe Hoare, because laughter, as they say, is the shortest distance between two people and we all laugh in the same language.  Do enjoy chuckling along with us on the video, where Joe shares his top tips for staying connected to joy in tough times and shines light on how there's been lots of the right sort of contagiousness from some of the wrong sort of contagiousness. 2.  Be Guided by Shining Lights We had to play because the Red Cross came three times a year. The Germans wanted to show its representatives that the situation of the Jews in Theresienstadt was good. Whenever I knew that I had a concert, I was happy. Music is magic. We performed in the council hall before an audience of 150 old, hopeless, sick and hungry people. They lived for the music. It was like food to them. If they hadn't come they would have died long before. As we would have. - Alice Herz-Sommer In times of great challenge, we can draw solace from the wisdom of shining lights who endured, survived and found a way to alchemise great suffering.  Listening to their voices can bring us hope, encouragement and guidance. On our Zoomcast, Joe told the inspirational story of pianist Alice Herz Sommer, who describes above how music supported her to find joy and survive in the horrors of the Holocaust.  Alice lived to the age of 110, and her wisdom has been shared in many documentaries where she says:  Life is beautiful, love is beautiful, nature and music are beautiful. Everything is a present. 3.  Groovy Gratitude Celebrates Everything!  Stop and smell the flowers And lose it in sweet music and dance with me Cause there is beauty in the world - Macy Gray, Beautiful World Gratitude is an essential part of any self-care toolkit and helps us celebrate ourselves, our lives and each other.  During lockdown I learned to treasure every small victory, every beautiful thing - seeing a friend in person is now a five star deluxe treat and autumnal walks are a technicolour feast.   As music can help tune us into thankfulness, here's my Gratitude Grooves Playlist.  What and who would be on your sparkly Gratitude Playlist?   As the word compliment comes from Latin meaning to fill up or complete, who can you uplift and celebrate by gifting them a big thank you? Together, we can sparkle in the dark and spread contagious joy, wisdom, laughter and gratitude. Thank you for being sparkly you! Come Sing and Sparkle!  All sessions are taking place online via Zoom in November Singers Salon - Being the Song - develop your special solo singing sparkle - 6 Weds evenings starting Nov 4th Creative Coaching - claim the joy, power and magic of your voice. Choirs - connect with sparkly singing communities Sunday Session - Chai Day- November 22nd 3-4.30pm - dedicated to helping end gender violence - bring a cup of chai, poem, story, song or reflection. Donations welcome to The Circle. More info on my website Thank you so much for staying tuned!  Be well, be safe, breathe deep, sing loudly  Lots of love, virtual hugs and good singing vibes info@therosewindow.org