A SMORGASBORD of musical talent for young and old is being presented by the Labyrinth Walk Coffee House during its 2013Winter Solstice Celebration on Dec. 21, starting at 6:00 pm with an opening ceremony session. The festivities will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff (UUCOC) in the Faith Building at 3839 W. Kiest Blvd., Dallas from 6:00 pm to 9:30. During the indoor events, guests will hear folk songs, chants and world fusion, to name a few.
WILLOW & HER GIANT will be hosting a children’s “slumber party” in the Hope building – the kids can wear their pjs. There will be singing, dancing, storytelling, and some special friends of Willow & Her Giant. The children may be dropped off at 5:45 before Opening Ceremony in Faith at 6:00. Willow is a blue faery with the gift of song, storytelling, and the ability to bring smiles. The Giant pours his soul into his brilliant blue harp often accompanying the harp with his melodic tenor voice. Both are storytellers and their performances have an interactive format. http://www.willowandhergiant.com/
ODIN, a Norse god, and TESS CASTLEMAN, author, speaker, psychologist, Jungian analyst and Mohawk Native, will welcome guests and hold a candlelight ceremony to open the festivities at 6:00 pm.
JENNIFER MANSFIELD PEALwrites many songs classified as urban folk and character ballads because she is interested in “the human moment – creating a song that is like a painting or a photo of a moment in time for a real person, or a fictional person realistically human with all of the awareness, confusion, hopes, and fears that a person can bring to a critical moment.”
In addition to her singing and songwriting, she plays the guitar, accordion, and mountain dulcimer. She has twice toured Ireland, appeared at the Kerrville Folk Festival, is the volunteer DJ of Everybody’s Folk Tuesday from 7 to 9 am on KNON, 89.3 FM, Dallas, and has four independent albums. Ms. Peal has an M.Ed and has taught special ed. For the past seven years had been producing historical music programs for children.
Ms. Peal is scheduled to play the dulcimer during the opening ceremony and then perform her music. Visit Ms. Peal at http://www.jennifermansfieldpeal.com or https://www.facebook.com/EverybodysFolk
GLORICHANTERS, led by UUCOC’s own musical director Glorian Mulligan, will perform at 7:00 pm. Chant comes from the French word chanter and means he rhythmic speak of singing; it can be simply or highly complex. Chants may be ritual, recreational, ceremonial, or just fun and come is a wide variety: African, Hawaiian, Native American, Gregorian, Vedic, and Lutheran to name a view. Rap and Reggae are also forms of chant. Tibetan Buddhist chant involves throat singing while Zen Buddhist chants are sung from the lower abdomen. One can hear chanting during football and other sporting events as well as at auctions and protests.
GABRIELLE WEST will follow wth her rendition of Native American and folk songs. A multi-talented entertainer, Ms. West is a signer, actress, writer of songs and plays. Among the notable artists she has worked with are singers Lu Mitchell, Harry Belafonte, Eartha Kitt, Stevie Wonder, Al Jarreau, Pete Seeger and others. “When Gabrielle sings, it makes you want to howl at the moon,” compliments Ms. Mitchell.
In film, Ms. West has worked with Denzel Washington, Steve Martin, Liam Neesom, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee to name a few. Her theatre credits span more than 40 years. She has appeared numerous times at Fort Worth’s State West Theater which describes her as “a sassy, sensual mountain of talent – a thermo-nuclear device.”
THE SOUND OASIS will take the stage at 8:00 pm. Cornell Kinderknect, Cynthia Stuart, and martin McCall combine woodwinds, keyboard and rums to create a world fusion of soothing and soaring melodies and rhythms. A fairly new band, they have performed at the Dallas Museum of Art, the Dallas Meditation Center, the Opening Bell and IN the Music Room, among other venues. Their new album, “Overture to the Ethers,” is currently being promoted at their considers and on their website, http://www.soundoasistrio.com
TAIKODELIC will bring the indoor entertainment to a close. Taikodelic is a wholly American exploration of the Japanese style of drumming called Taiko. The group brings together performers from various backgrounds and “melds the influences within a traditional framework to perform traditional festival pieces, arrangements of well known songs from Japanese touring groups, and original pieces to excite the American audience.” www.taikodelic.com A Taiko is scheduled to participate in the open ceremony as well.
COOKIES, NUTS, fruit, hot spiced cider, hot chocolate, hot wassail will be available both Faith’s and Hope’s kitchens via self-service from 6:30 to 9:00. Please recycle your paper cups.
OUTDOOR EVENTS INCLUDE decorating an Earth Loom, a Yule Log burning, a meditative candle lit labyrinth walk; and a closing ceremony include a spiral dance to the beat of Drums not Guns.
IN CHARITY, and/or the Gazebo, depending on the weather, storytelling and fortune telling will also be available intermittently.
Parking is available at the Church’s two lots and at the New Life Bible Fellowship lot at the corner of 3727 W. Kiest and Coombs Creek Drive on the east side of Five-Mile Cemetery. Admission is free, but you may bring can goods and gently worn clothes for the church’s collection. Also donations and tips for performers, who are donating their time, are welcome. For more information, see http://www.labyrinthwalkcoffeehouse.com and/or https://www.facebook.com/events/570245633025395