LYRE TEACHERS in North America (and Ecuador)
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Lyre Connections . . . (Contact lyrists@gmail.com to see if there’s a lyre buddy in your region.)
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Lyre Association of North America
Two New Colin Tanser Books Added to Music Sales Inventory
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We are excited to be able to offer two new books of Colin Tanser’s music through our music sales service. The two collections, The Eight-fold Path, Days and Planets and More Songs by Colin Tanser (both published by Upper Esk Music), remind us of why we love Colin Tanser’s music so much.
Read MoreThe School of Uncovering the Voice with Christiaan Boele: 2020 Opportunities
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In July 2019 seventeen students completed the 2nd East Coast School of Uncovering the Voice Foundational Training taught by master teacher Christiaan Boele and another 24 new students attended the annual summer East Coast Singing Retreat.
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LANA Membership and Financial Participation
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The Board of LANA is recommending an increase to an additional $25 for our Supporting Membership category, which would mean an annual contribution of $65 instead of $50. We warmly invite you to consider making this increased tax-deductible contribution as a Supporting Member of the Lyre Association of North America.
Read MoreBook Review: “A Circle of Songs and Star Wished Night”
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(Special note: These books have been marked down
to half price in our online music sales store!)
Learning to Play the Children's Lyre in China
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During this trip, I gave a course to adults in how to play the children's lyre. We met daily for 11 two-hour sessions over six days. Each participant, 12 ladies, had her own lyre, most of which were Chinese models. I used the newly published book "How to play the Children's Lyre by Gerhard Beilharz," but I also added my own improvisation and group games.
Read MoreEnriching Summer Events to Consider
/Now is the time to start planning for the summer! Whether you are interested in voice, lyre, music education, or all of the above, there is something for everyone and every level. Explore these national and international retreats, conferences, symposiums and academies on our events page (click here to go to Events).
Read MoreLetter from a Hospice Volunteer
/I have been volunteering for six months in a hospice environment. A friend of mine recently loaned me a pentatonic children’s lyre which has seven strings and is quite small.
Read MoreBook Review: “Songs of the Hebrides, Part I and Part II”
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In the beginning of the 19th century, the folksongs of the Hebrides were collected and recorded by Marjory Kennedy Fraser and Kenneth Macleod. Piano accompaniments for the songs were composed by Marjory Kennedy.
Read MoreBook Review: “Irish Traditional Slow Airs”
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Slow Airs - For solo or ensemble playing on melodic and accompanying instruments, selected and arranged with chord indications and embellishments - by J. S. Clark. (Volumes 1 and 2 published in 2018 - Volume 3 now available.)
Read MoreSpring 2019 Lyre Notes - Call for contributions
/Help us keep our lyre community connected!
We’re gathering lyre stories…
...and would love to include a contribution from you for our Spring 2019 edition of Lyre Notes! We welcome news, stories, photos, and announcements of lyre happenings in your region. Our copy deadline is March 15th. We look forward to hearing from you!!
Please send your contributions to wendypolich@hotmail.com.
If you are curious about...
LANA's online music/book store, click here.
Recent blog posts and book reviews, click here.
Upcoming events in your area or worldwide, click here.
Back issues of Lyre Notes, click here.
LANA membership, or if you need to renew, click here.
Thank you and happy lyre playing!
Wendy Polich, Lyre Notes Editor
Lyre Association of North America
wendypolich@hotmail.com
www.lyreassociation.org
Book Review: “Guide to Playing the Pentatonic Children's Lyre”
/This book, a guide for playing the 7-string pentatonic children’s lyre, originally published in German by Mechthild Laier and Gerhard Beilharz, has been newly translated by Veronika Roemer and edited by Sheila Johns.
“This booklet is meant for parents and teachers who wish to sing and play music for or with preschool children. In this context, the 7-string pentatonic children’s lyre has proven to be an easily accessible musical instrument. In these pages, Laier and Beilharz introduce a playing technique step-by-step. Those who cannot read music will learn to do so at the same time. They give suitable examples of songs, ideas for improvisations, and discuss situations where the pentatonic children’s lyre is of particular help, i.e., at bedtime, or to accompany a story with music. In the addendum, you will find practical tips for tuning and putting on new strings as well as suggestions for further development, reference material, and contacts.”
Angel Wing Lyre Miracle
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By Elisabeth Swisher, Chicago, IL
In October 2018, I taught morning circle movement and music (lyres included) to the Module 2 students of the WECC (Waldorf Early Childhood China) training at a mountain resort near Xi’an, in the north of China. One day, in the second week, we all met in our luncheon room at the hotel, and Guoqi, our training coordinator, brought in two guests, both musicians, who came from the province of Zhuhai in the south of China, where they had just attended a music workshop with LANA president Sheila Johns, sponsored by local lyrist Vicky (Zhiying) Deng.
Sheila Johns and Vicky Deng with Angel Wing children’s lyres
Both of the student musicians live in Xi’an, and for some reason, Vicky apparently knew that I was in Xi’an and asked them to bring one of her Angel Wing children’s lyres to me as a gift from her. So the man gave me this black case and said “it is a gift….” I had no idea what was in the case, and when I opened it and found a lovely letter from Vicky along with one of her beautiful Angel Wing lyres, I was overwhelmed by such an amazing surprise and generous gift from her. In my afternoon class, I showed and played my new lyre for the students right away, and they immediately wanted to know where they might purchase one. It took me awhile to find her phone number and email address to thank her and to ask where the students could order one of her lyres.
So why did she give me this lyre right out of the blue? The year before, I was in Zhuhai, mentoring kindergarten teachers (as well as doing graduation assessments) and giving some musical advice to grade school teachers, including the importance of practicing their lyres. Vicky was there to help. One day, she asked me if I could have a look at a new lyre that she had designed and built with other people whom I had not met. When I saw this lyre, I was astonished at how beautiful it was sculpted and finished and how wonderful it sounded - better than any model I had heard before! Even the Choroi kinderharp, which I had esteemed the highest quality among all the ones I had seen and heard, did not sound as beautiful as this to my ear. I shared these impressions with Vicky, emphasizing how happy it made me to see such a high quality lyre created in China, where I had seen so many cheap but poor copies of the well-known Swedish and German kinderharps. This lyre not only looks beautiful and sounds exceptionally good, but it is also easy to tune and keeps the tuning pretty well, too.
Vicky Deng playing the Angel Wing lyre
Vicky told me that the lyre was given to me as a response to the praise I gave to this new creation, which helped her to be confident about her work and research. It made me very happy and deeply grateful for this experience: the surprise as well as the instrument itself, which was created with such love and care.
Usually on my trips to China, I do not take my own lyre with me in order to save weight and volume in my luggage, but now, I have to, because there is not yet another such Angel Wing lyre available for my teaching, and I do not wish to play any other children’s lyre anymore. I wish Vicky and the group she is working with, musical and financial success with the creation of these new and beautiful instruments.
Book Review: “Songs of the Trees”, by Colin Tanser
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I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
Uncovering The Voice with Christiaan Boele in Chestnut Ridge, NY, Feb and July 2019
/“Every human being has a singing voice. Our work is to unveil, take away the
hindrances and free the voice.- Valborg Werbeck-Svardstrom”
A Three-Day Singing Workshop with Christiaan Boele
February 25 – 27, 2019, School of Eurythmy, 289 Hungry Hollow Road, Chestnut Ridge, NY
After four consecutive years of enthusiastic teaching and joyful singing, Christiaan Boele returns to bring “The School of Uncovering the Voice” back to our community for a three-day workshop. Out of the artistic impulse developed by Mrs. Valborg Werbeck-Svärdström under the guidance of Rudolf Steiner, Christiaan offers a refreshing, motivating and inspiring approach for the novice and professional alike. All are welcome who long to sing, even those who feel they cannot! No special talent required.
Two sessions each day: Session One: 9:35-10:45am; Session Two: 11:15am-12:25pm; $125 in advance, $150 at the door. For information contact Eurythmy Spring Valley: 845-352-5020, x113, info@eurythmy.org.
2nd East Coast Singing Retreat led by Christiaan Boele
July 5 - 7, 2019 at The Threefold Educational Center, 260 Hungry Hollow Road Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977
For anyone interested in singing in a holistic, spirit-filled and heart-opening way! Discover the innate potential of your voice. Welcome singers of all levels, musicians, teachers, and any person yearning to sing with creative renewal. No special talent or musical ability required.
Friday 6:30pm-8:30pm; Saturday 9:00am-6:30pm; Sunday 9:00am-12:30pm; Tuition $225. For more information or to register contact Shannon Boyce at 646-932-6062 or shannonaliciaboyce@gmail.com.
Christiaan Boele trained at conservatories in the Netherlands and Germany and is the leading authority in the Werbeck method. He has devoted his life to The School of Uncovering the Voice, performing, conducting and teaching courses around the globe.
Save the Date!
/Movement For Musical Renewal Conference: Monday, July 1 – Friday, July 5, 2019, Camphill Village, Kimberton, Pennsylvania
Movement – Sound – Music
Working with New Instruments in pedagogy and therapy with both children and adults, toward developing a new future-bearing listening
We will work with metal instruments (gongs, rods, cymbals, and others), stringed instruments (lyres, including pentatonic and Bordun lyres, psalteries, chrottas), wind instruments (C-flutes, pentatonic flutes, ocarinas), and percussion instruments (drums, rattles, etc.). Our work will be based on the books by Reinhild Brass (Hörwege entdeckenI) and Gerhard Beilharz (Musik in Pädagogik und Therapie), focusing on new methods in music pedagogy and therapy, as is possible with these new instruments. No previous musical experience necessary.
This conference will be led by Veronika Roemer, professional violist, pianist, and Seminar Music Teacher at The Camphill School, Glenmoore, PA. Veronika also teaches musical renewal in China, Hungary, and North America.
Lyre Association of North America: lyrists@gmail.com / 610-608-9281
Christmas Greetings from MetalGeorg in Brazil
/Dear friends of Sound Instruments,
Since August we live and work in Campinas / Brazil! Our blacksmith's workshop has been set up since September and some instruments have already been made for Brazil, Germany, and other countries. We have also developed a new instrument: a diatonic “Glockenspiel” (metallophone) C5–C6 and pentatonic D5–E6. The diatonic can be seen and heard in this video with a happy Christmas carol. Anyone interested in our instruments can contact us via e-mail (metal.georg@gmail.com) or telephone / WhatsApp (+55-19-997969503) or visit the website www.metalgeorg.com for details.
We wish you all a peaceful and blessed Christmas,
Daniela and Georg Ehrenwinkler
Metal Georg / AurumSom
Daniela Ozi-Ehrenwinkler, Cantoterapia-Musicoterapia-Terapiatonal
www.metalgeorg.com / 0055 19 99796950
Book Review: “Telemann en tijdgenoten” (“Telemann and contemporaries”)
/Telemann en tijdgenoten (“Telemann and contemporaries”), music for solo lyre; arranged by Petra Rosenberg
This is a lovely collection of Baroque music by French, German, and Italian composers, many of them probably new discoveries for most lyre players. Some of the pieces are edited in two separate keys for both soprano and alto lyre. Although the arrangements are made for a solo player, many of the pieces can be played by two players (stems up and down). The difficulty level is rather high when played solo. However, this should not be seen as a deterrent, as the wide variety of pieces offers wonderful opportunities for expanding and refining one's technical skills, such as finger dexterity, damping, playing separate voices at the same time, and interpretation. Petra Rosenberg isn't giving any dynamics, tempo indications, articulation or fingerings - a wide field for discoveries for each player!
Reviewed by Veronika Roemer
From the Book - Telemann en tijdgenoten, Muziek voor lier solo
Kinderharps play Raucous Rooster at the Detroit Waldorf School Winter Faire
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By Nancy Carpenter, Detroit, Michigan
The Detroit Waldorf School had its first Winter Faire in about 10 years on December 1st. Parents of one of my students were so taken with one of our Kinderharp songs that they made a Rooster Marionette and suggested that we present it at the Faire. This is a song taken from Mary Lynn Channer’s alphabet song book, Xavier Sings of his Alphabet Friends, for the letter R called "Raucous Rooster!" It's a particular favorite of all of the children; even the older students remember it from 1st grade. These 2nd graders were so happy to share this song with a very enthusiastic audience
