AMAZING WOMEN ~ SACRED COMMUNITY
VOICES STRONG!
A GATHERING TO CELEBRATE THE SACRED FEMININE!
A women's WEEKEND RETREAT for singing, drumming, poetry, self-care, healing, community building...and so much more!
Featured Facilitators for
Winter SingFest 2024!
Past Events:
Every year we invite Featured Facilitators to participate in the Opening Ceremony, facilitate a keynote address, and offer Friday-Saturday morning AND afternoon workshops where you can join in the fun to sing, drum, dance, and write poetry. Other offerings, yet to be determined, will also be included in the program. Then, on Saturday evening, there is a culminating, collaborative concert!
Information about 2024 Guest Facilitators is below
Sing! Drum! Dance! Write!
Linda Koehler with Rissa Moore
Guest Facilitator 2024: Singing in Sacred Circle
Linda Smith Koehler is a singer / songwriter, called “chant maestra” by her mentor, Kay Gardner. Her chants are sung by Singing in Sacred Circle groups all over the US and beyond. She has been singing with Women With Wings in Bangor Maine since its inception in 1993 and has been music director since Kay’s death in 2002. Many of Linda’s songs are short and simple chants. Anyone who sings along can quickly move beyond thinking about how to sing and into singing from heart and soul. Doing so brings a sense of peace within, causing us to radiate peace into the world. It is the intention of this music to joyfully bring peace to the world, one heart at a time.
Rissa Moore will be joining Linda on vocals and djembe.
Natalie Jackson
Guest Facilitator 2024: Drumming
Traditional African Song, Drum, Dance and Storytelling
Natalie Jackson, who will be offering Djembe workshops on both Friday and Saturday is an amazing teacher! Natalie, a co-founder of the award-winning troupe Kummba: Dancers and Drummers, has dedicated her life to preserving West African Culture over the past three decades. Kuumba Dancers and Drummer is a community based organization that offers classes and trains their members ranging from young children and adults of all ages. Based in Tampa, Florida since 1980, Kuumba has provided numerous audiences throughout the U.S. and Canada with their insightful display of traditional African folk dance, music, songs and storytelling. We are excited to have Natalie and several of the Kummba artists perform in the Saturday evening collaborative concert.
Albie Johnson
Guest Facilitator 2024: Poet
Poet, Lay Minister, Community Organizer, Counselor
Alberita, aka Albie, Johnson is a dynamic facilitator who inspires her workshop participants to dig deep to tell the truth about their life perspectives and experiences through writing original poems. Her workshops are power-filled and promise to challenge and inspire! Albie, who is a published poet, has been sharing her own original poetry and facilitating poetry workshops for decades! Be sure to bring a journal or notebook and pen...we will be writing poetry! Albie was recently commissioned as a Unitarian Universalist Lay Minister and will be the final speaker of our SingFest 2024 gathering as she serves as the Guest Minister at the Allendale United Methodist Service on Sunday, January 28th.
Shelley Graff
Guest Facilitator 2024: Singing in Sacred Circle~Healing Circle
Shelley Graff, who is a Singing in Sacred Circle facilitator, singer-song/chant writer and performer, has been working with local communities as well as communities around the country to gather womyn/girls to sing! Shelley’s folksy, personable approach to performing and facilitating Singing In Sacred Circle workshops, draw her audiences down a path of political inquiry, peace, healing, and personal transformation. Whether she is sharing her music at political events, women’s conferences, coffeehouses, or music festivals, Shelley charms her way into her listeners’ hearts! Carolyn McDade said: “We are fortunate to have Shelley Graff among us. She is generous of heart and skill -- infused with love for the promise that comes when women sing together.”
