MORE ON CIRCLE OF SONG BOOK

book-cover-wCircle of Song: Songs, Chants, and Dances for Ritual, and Celebration

Compiled by Kate Marks © 1993,
ISBN-09637489-04 
$25

This excellent resource book is designed for musicians, teachers, educators and anyone interested in sharing song, dance, and ritual.

This book features:

• Over 300 sacred songs and chants from many spiritual traditions and global sources
• Easy to read music and lyrics
• Instructions for 40 dances
• Meditations and rituals to inspire creativity
• Extensive index and resource guide
• 60 beautiful illustrations

Excerpt  from the Introduction:

If you can walk
You can dance
If you can talk
You can sing
– Saying from Zimbabwe

Sacred music and dance are powerful tools that have been used by cultures throughout the ages to awaken consciousness, call in power, heal the body and spirit and enhance the celebration of important occasions. For the ancients, dance and music were considered not just for entertainment but as forms of active prayer and worship, a way of communing with the gods and goddesses, of re-connecting with the cycles of nature and with all life.

Today in the West, many people have forgotten the true purpose of these arts. We need to reclaim our ancient dance/music heritage, to revive and create sacred music and dance forms that are appropriate for our lives today.

This ceremonial song/sourcebook offers chants, songs, dances, simple rituals and meditations to enhance our communion with the sacred and help us celebrate with others. The material is presented by themes along with other text and guidelines to inspire individual and group creativity.

There are over three hundred songs and chants in this collection, gathered over many years from various retreats, workshops, and healing/ritual circles. Some have their roots in ancient religions and native traditions; others come out of the human potential, new age, neo-pagan/shamanic movements that have grown in America and Europe since the late 60’s. Some have been created spontaneously by one or more people during prayer, meditation and ceremony. The women’s spirituality movement has also been a rich source of chants. The majority are in  the English language, but there are also chants and songs from many global sources including Native American, African, Celtic, Mayan, Maori, Aboriginal and Japanese.

The accompanying dances, by Kate Marks, draw their inspiration from folk and sacred circle dance traditions.

There is a companion Circle of Song CD available with recordings of some of the chants and songs from the book which you can purchase as a book CD pack.
(Circle of Song Products)

Workshops and seminars on many of the themes in this book can be set up in your area.


See what people are saying…

“I’ve never seen a song book so well-conceived, complete and well presented! From the easy to read musical notation to the evocative illustrations, Kate Marks has truly gifted us all with Circle of Song, a book all celebrants of the Music of Life will want in their libraries.” – Kay Gardner, composer, teacher, author of Sounding the Inner Landscape: Music as Medicine

“This is the finest collection of chants and songs for ritual use ever published. Its breadth and depth are extraordinary. It is truly a unique and useful resource for celebration and ceremonies.”  – Margot Adler, teacher, NPR commentator, author of Drawing Down the Moon

“Kate Marks has done a superlative job! Circle of Song is a welcomed and important contribution to the field of sound and spirit.” – Don.G Campbell, teacher, composer, author of The Mozart Effect and other books

“A wonderful collection- A must have for anyone interested in ritual and sacred music.” – Jonathan Goldman, musician, teacher, author of Healing Sounds: The Power of Harmonics


 

 

 

 

Harmonic Journeys © Kate Marks 2013