This month, join Sing for Pure Joy for a weekend of group singing with West Coast composer and song leader Laurence Cole.
Cole, who hails from Port Townsend, Wash., writes easy to learn songs, chants and rounds with rich rhythms and harmonies, and gathers such songs from other times and traditions.
He is known to quickly transform any group into a joyous “insta-choir” sharing the deep pleasure of co-creating lustrous tapestries of beauty and meaning together, using only what we came in with: our hearts, our voices, our bodies, our spirit, our love.
Nearly every culture throughout human history has made use of group singing as perhaps the most primal “technology of belonging.”
Cole has had a life-long passion to discover the strings of connection in deep, sustainable community, and in that search has found the particular pleasure that arises when folks come together to craft multi-layered songs. Sometimes people find holding a part is difficult without your partners, but as you form a cluster of mutual support with others, it’s much easier. Then when you join with other such clusters holding their parts, you all become a partnership.
Cole loves inviting folks on a journey of deep connection and joy.
The event takes place Friday, Sept. 9 to Sunday, Sept. 11 on Quadra Island.
The weekend begins with an evening welcoming song circle on the Friday and on Saturday and Sunday mornings there will be early morning yoga with with Kate Alexandra.
In addition to song circles with Cole throughout the weekend, there will also be a Djembe Drum Workshop with Claudia Raaen.Space will be limited and pre-registration is required for the event.
Anyone interested in reserving a space can contact Mary at, singforpurejoy@gmail.com or Barbara at, joyofretirement@gmail.com as soon as possible.