Throughout time, in all cultures, women have gathered together to sing - rejoicing, healing, mourning, praying, and creating celebration. There's a spirit in creating live music that many of us have forgotten, but it can be born in us again. Women new to the exploration of their voices and seasoned singers are invited to join Susan and Marytha. Loosen up, shake out, breathe, feel your natural rhythm, open your voices, and align with yourselves and your sound in our singing circle. We will share songs, silence, dance, stories, ritual, and our sense of wonder.
Libana's breathtaking, exquisite harmonies make you believe you're hearing the voices of angels. For 24 years their concerts have created a sense of peace, hope, wonder, buoyancy, and oneness. Join Susan and Marytha in a retreat for discovering the singers we all are. Each voice is unique; our voices express our spirits, our souls, our hearts, our essential beings. Through the profound pulsation of chant, the exquisite circular harmonies of rounds, and the spirited songs of the world, we will experience the ephemeral, inexplicable joy of music.
Our bodies are instruments. When we sing, a shift occurs; our cells and molecules dance and rearrange. Enter the sound, and it will teach you. As each woman's resonant and authentic voice is joined around the circle, a delightful, beautiful, and transformative experience of community emerges. Bring drums or small percussion instruments if you have them, an open heart, and a willingness to find the singer that lives in each of us.
Libana, New England's international touring world music ensemble, is now in its 24th season of researching, performing, and celebrating songs, dances, and instrumental music from around the world, especially as handed down through women's traditions. The group's highly acclaimed recordings, which preserve the integrity of each culture's unique musical language, are sold worldwide. Susan Robbins, Libana's founder and Artistic Director, knew from an early age that singing was at the core of her spiritual path. Her deep compassion, love of laughter, and heartfelt belief in the healing power of music bring a clarity, insight, and brilliance to her music and teaching. Marytha Paffrath, Libana's principal drummer and percussionist, is an innovative teacher, singer, composer, and writer who believes deeply in bringing the simplicity of song to the complexity of the world. Together, Marytha and Susan bring lively, humor-filled, grounded guidance to workshops and song-circles coast to coast.