An Evening of Heartsong and Chant

Heartsong by Candlelight

Join us as we share food and sing through the evening, and deepen in connection through voice, chant and song. This evening offers a safe and beautiful space to be nourished through giving and receiving song, to be held in the circle of voices, and invites the freedom to express and explore as you need.

The evening will begin with a simple shared vegan and gluten-free supper (provided) and then we'll use simple exercises to warm up and connect with our voices. You will learn the songs and chants through simple call-and-response, and then we'll journey with each song to see where it takes us as a group. There is an open invitation just to receive. Receiving song, being held in voice, is such a rare experience in today's world and can touch our inner world deeply, in a way that is healing and nourishing. Then as each chant or song ends, we'll experience the silence where we can feel the presence of its resonance.

Songs are chosen from their intention and may draw on texts or concepts from different spiritual traditions, which are honoured, but there is no need to follow any spiritual path or 'be spiritual': bringing our voices together is a deep and magic aspect of humanity in itself.

Everyone is welcome, whatever your previous singing experience.

We will be in a comfy garden cabin, and if the weather is fine, we may sing round the fire.

This event is led by Helen East, who will teach the chants and songs by ear using simple call and response. Helen is an experienced teacher and song sharer in the natural voice tradition.
Venue

• We'll be gathering in a garden off Mill Road, in a garden cabin, and may sing round the fire. Full directions given on booking. Free parking is available on the streets nearby. Bikes can be brought along the path to the garden if wished.
  I'm sorry so say that the venue is not wheelchair accessible as it is a long a narrow, uneven path.

What to bring

• There are some chairs and sofas but we would ask that if you are able to sit on the floor, to bring a cushion or what you need to make yourself comfortable. Bring your water bottle :) (and then take it home again!). Blankets are available, bring more if you like to feel cosy.

Low income

• If the pricing makes this inaccessible to you please message me and we will sort something out. Everyone welcome.

Contact and whatsapp

• Please email Helen to join the Heartsong Whatsapp group if you would like to, and for more information, or any questions or concerns - [email protected].

About Helen

Helen is a member of the Natural Voice Network and the Singing for Health network. She has trained in singing group leading with Susie Ro Prater, in sacred song with Delia Rosenboom, in vocal technique for singing leaders with Ailsa Nicholson, and has taken part in workshops to improve harmony singing with Chris Rowbury. She has also completed the intensive Circling Singing Leadership Training course with Guillermo Rozenthuler. Helen has also taken part in retreats led by Briony Greenhill, and in workshops led by Larisa Gosling and Heather Houston exploring mindful singing, alongside enjoying many thousands of hours of acapella harmony singing and song sharing workshops and choir sessions with talented leaders. She led Companion Voices, singing for the end of life, in Cambridge, has held many Heartsong circles, and joins Anna McIvor in leading Sacrae, Cambridge's Sacred Song Circle.

"We believe that singing is everybody’s birthright. For thousands of years all over the world people have sung — to express joy, celebration and grief, to aid healing, to accompany work, devotion and the rituals of life — without worrying about having a “good” voice or “getting it right”. Singing has been a part of life, a way of binding communities.

Each person’s voice is as unique as their fingerprint: the voice we are born with is capable of freely expressing a full range of emotions, thoughts and experience – this is what we mean by the “natural voice”.

Creating an accepting community is an essential element of our approach: a community where singing together is a natural experience that is open and accessible to all."
Helen is grateful to and often honours Rowena Whitehead and Penny Lutoslavska who introduced her to Natural Voice singing, and Nickomo Clarke and John Bowker who introduced her to Harmonic Temple and Heartsong, on which she often draws.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Cambridge, UK, United Kingdom