LANA Music Sales Report for July and August 2022

For the month of July, LANA had a total of 18 sales and free downloads for members and friends in Brazil, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Three music books were sold in the US, and there were 6 paid downloads of John Billing’s Scales book.  In addition, there were 3 free downloads for the US, the UK, and Canada.

We also had 4 LANA membership renewals – two each from the US and Brazil.

For the month of August, LANA had a total of 48 sales combined with free downloads to members and friends in the US, Canada, Switzerland, Korea, Japan, the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

Nine volumes of music and two books on music were sold to members and friends in the US in addition to two used books from the Kerry Lee Collection.  We had two paid music downloads for the US and Canada as well as 27 free music downloads for Korea, Japan, UK, US, Canada, Netherlands, Switzerland, Ireland.

We also had accessory sales of one tuning fork, one tuning wrench, and lyre strings in addition to two additional LANA membership renewals from the US.

Sally Willig, for LANA Music Sales

Seeking New Board Members

Dear Members and Friends,

LANA is looking for prospective Board members who are aligned with the mission of the lyre in our time as expressed in LANA’s mission statement:

The Lyre Association of North America is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to initiate, to inspire, and to support the sounding of the lyre in artistic, pedagogical, and therapeutic activities in North America and throughout the world.

We are an active board, and members are asked to serve in various working groups as needed for the smooth running of our organization.

At present, the LANA Board working groups are organized by their connection to the designations of the Three-fold Social Order:

• Cultural Realm: Events (Conference, Study, and Workshops), Publications, and Outreach (Website, Blog)

• Economic Realm: Finance, Music Sales, and Lyre Rental program

• Rights Realm: Membership, Lyre Connection program, and Governance 

In addition, LANA has a Coordinating Circle that consists of the officers and rotating Board members. The Coordinating Circle sets the agenda for our monthly Board meetings and establishes priorities for the organization’s work.

Each Board member is elected for a term of three years. Participation in monthly Zoom conference calls constitutes the major part of our collegial work. Communication for committee work is additional.

At this time, we are in need of someone interested in helping us in the Membership Working Group. Experience with spreadsheets, database management, etc. would be a plus to communicate with members and support new lyre players, though these skills are not required. 

If you are interested in learning more about the LANA Board of Directors and would consider becoming a member of our Board – or if you would be interested in being a non-board member of the Membership Working Group – please contact me at nancycarpenter680@gmail.com.

Nancy Carpenter, President
Lyre Association of North America
www.lyreassociation.org

Board members – Top: Diane, Margo, Nancy. Middle: Julia, Colleen, Debbie. Bottom: Sheila & Sally.

90th Birthday Celebration Weekend for Christof-Andreas Lindenberg

Please join us for a weekend of choral and lyre music in celebration of Christof-Andreas Lindenberg’s 90th birthday! (Follow the link below for details and to register as a participant October 13-15, 2022.)

Read more: https://lyreassociation.org/events/90th-birthday-celebration-cal

Oct 15 Celebration for Christof-Andreas Lindenberg

Book Review: ''There is a Path: Music for Daily and Festival Occasions '' by Channa Seidenberg

There is a Path: Music for Daily and Festival Occasions* by Channa Seidenberg is an amazing collection of music – a true classic. There are 54 compositions within its 75 pages, which are suitable for general use as well as within Camphill Communities, Christian Communities, or Waldorf School settings. These compositions may be enjoyed by small or large ensembles of singers, lyre players, and other instrumentalists. We could describe the exquisite vocal melodies Channa has composed, lilting and uplifting to sing. Or we could think of some of the inspiring lyrics: “Angels down to me are bending, always with me, they are ever caring, tending.…”  for an infant at a christening. Or we could examine the beautiful instrumental accompaniments for the vocal melodies. All of these aspects are present in this collection in abundance.

In addition to songs for christenings, there is a range of other occasions for which these songs are meant to be used: lullabies, mealtimes, birthdays, and seasonal festivals.

Beyond such riches, there are lyre accompaniments to support the voice and enrich the sound in various rounds and three- and four-part choir pieces. There are also pieces for bell choir, even with an added part for glockenspiel!

Dies ist Die Nacht, a famous German poem from as far back as 1683, has been set to music many times, and in this collection, Channa has added hers. Then there is a memorable setting of the well-known O Magnum Mysterium, a Latin piece that has been set by several prominent composers and sung by choirs throughout the world. Such an illustrious history didn’t hold Channa back – she composed her own lovely setting for this as well.

Extending her attention to modern poetry, she composed music to serve as prelude, interludes, and postlude to T. S. Eliot’s verse play The Rock, which refers to Christ as the Cornerstone. She also includes pieces with vocal parts for poems by Angelus Silesius, Sara Teasdale, W. B. Yeats, a Native American song, and musical settings of verses from Rudolf Steiner’s Calendar of the Soul. Quite a range!

In addition to composing, Channa brought music to residents of Camphill Village USA in Copake, New York over many years. During that time, she formed choirs as well as the renowned Camphill Village Ensemble, which performed numerous times at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.  Her collection of pieces in There is a Path represents just a fraction of the music she composed for these groups and for other community occasions over several decades.

There is a path into the heart of things,
There is a gate to truth;
In morning light the way seems clear;
On starry nights the way seems sure;
In deepest love the way is found…

Book review by Colleen Shetland, Marcellus, NY
*Windrose Publishing and Educational Services of Rose Harmony Association, Inc. 1995.

Is your Lyre in search of a Lyrist?

The Board of the Lyre Association of North America is very proud of our lyre rental program.  We recognize that finding and buying the lyre of your dreams can be an enormous commitment of time, money, and psychological energy.  In support of anyone who would like to play the lyre but isn’t ready to make that kind of investment, we have always made it one of our key member services to provide lyres to rent as a stepping stone to purchasing a forever instrument.

LANA offers a variety of beautiful rental lyres, built in European and American lyre workshops, and in varying sizes for beginners, seasoned players, and those working with young children.  Many of our lyres are available through our rent-to-buy program, and we make every effort to match the right lyre with the lyre player.  Monthly fees for lyre rentals range from $25 to $35 per month, with the option to rent for two years before committing to purchase.  A bonus to renting through our program is enrollment in the Lyre Connection program, which matches beginners with volunteer mentors!

Would you like to help new lyre players begin their journey with a rental instrument?  Do you have a lyre that has been sitting in the back of a closet or one just not being played that is in need of a lyrist to bring it back to life?  We would warmly welcome your donation of such an instrument and would be happy to restore your lyre to good condition for use by a new lyre player.  Through our rental program, your lyre will bring joy to players for years to come.

We are also glad to advertise used lyres for sale by LANA members through our website and our blog.  We can help assess your instrument and offer suggestions for a sale price, and we will list it until it is sold.  This is a great way to reach out to the lyre community with your used lyre!

Please contact Julia Elliott at juliabelliott@gmail.com or (978) 352-5581 to donate or to sell a lyre. 

Thank you,
Julia Elliott (for the Lyre Rentals Committee)

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Regional Workshop in Wisconsin

The Rafael Foundation for New Impulses in Music presented a workshop featuring Veronika Roemer in Pewaukee, Wisconsin on August 6-8.

The workshop took place in a local church with a spacious room large enough for 16-20 people to work along with a table full of resources for the participants, and another three long tables where a variety of instruments were displayed.

On Friday evening, Veronika led the group through singing and interactive work with gongs, metal rods, and Bordun lyres. On Saturday morning, the group was introduced to the children’s lyre, which was followed by Gail Sauter’s presentation of her story, ‘Little Lyre, Sing to Me’. 

On Saturday afternoon, Veronika introduced us to wooden rhythm instruments and finally to the metal instruments. We worked together throughout the weekend to improvise and create soundscapes with all these beautiful instruments. 

This valuable and engaging workshop concluded with Veronika performing on the solo chromatic lyre and then Veronika and Debbie Barford offering Colin Tanser’s duet, Sun Child.

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NEW – Free Download of Lyre Music from John Clark

We are pleased to be able to include with this blog post a free download of music composed by John Clark from Northern Ireland. He has added the following note about this lovely piece entitled "The School of Life". Thank you, John!

"The School of Life" was composed for a Christian Community confirmation for the school Youth Service, but it could also be played as a birthday greeting. The top part can be played by beginners and the bass part for slightly more advanced players. A metronome marking of 72 would be the slowest it should go, but it could be a little faster – perhaps as much as 90.

With best wishes,
John C

The School of Life can be found in the LANA STORE under PDF Downloads (https://lyreassociation.org/pdf-downloads/clark-john-school-of-life)

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Annual Report from the Lyre Association of North America

Dear LANA members and friends of the lyre,

We are very happy to share with you our 2021-2022 Annual Report of the Lyre Association of North America. You will hear the voices of each one of our Board members in the various committee summaries. The compilation of reports included in this edition provides an exciting picture of the diverse programs and activities that have characterized this last year for our Association! Please click on this link to read the full report.

2021-2022 LANA Board Members

Nancy Carpenter, President, Michigan
Sheila Johns, Vice-President, Ecuador
Julia Elliott, Secretary, Massachusetts
Margo Ketchum, Treasurer, Pennsylvania
Debbie Barford, Illionois
Diane Barnes, New York
Wendy Polich, Colorado
Colleen Shetland, New York
Sally Willig, New Jersey
Christof-Andreas Lindenberg, Emeritus, PA

Report on Kimberton, PA Regional Lyre Gathering

Last weekend, I participated in a wonderful lyre gathering that was led by Veronika Roemer and hosted by Margo Ketchum. Playing music together always offers a lovely opportunity for working in brotherhood and opening ourselves to the higher realms through the musical tone, and this experience was no exception. We played selections of music from Lothar Reubke, Christof-Andreas Lindenberg, Kerry Lee, Edmund Pracht, George Frideric Handel, Anna Cooper, and several other composers. The music included a lyre arrangement of "Stairway to Heaven," which was especially beautiful! -Sally Willig

From the Lyre Connection Working Group

One of the tasks of LANA’s Lyre Connection program is to assist new members who need one-on-one help in getting started with playing the lyre. Are you an experienced lyre player or a lyre teacher? Would you be willing to offer a few introductory tutoring sessions to a new member of our association? Basically, you would be connected directly with the new member and then provide short-term assistance and encouragement for them to develop some basic skills that would lead toward more independent work with the lyre. This could be done in person or online. We are looking for a commitment of one to three short sessions to guide a new member in the first (or further) steps toward learning to play the lyre. Particular suggestions for how to conduct the sessions can be found on the LANA website (https://lyreassociation.org/lyre-connection).

We appreciate any consideration you could give to participating in this mentoring program. This is a relatively new service for LANA that is entirely dependent upon the generosity of our more experienced members. One small gesture of reaching out to a new member can make all the difference as to whether or not the member will be able to sustain the enthusiasm needed to develop their skills on the lyre.

Here is the link to the mentor questionnaire.

For more information, please contact Diane Barnes at dianeibarnes1@gmail.com.

We look forward to hearing from you,
Diane Barnes and Suzanne Mays
For the LANA Lyre Connection Working Group

In Memory of Kerry Lee – Wednesday 8/10/2022 (7:30pm)

The invitation below is for all who would like to attend the Lee family gathering, and to those who are not able to, know that an in-person memorial for Kerry Lee will be happening in Kimberton, PA at 7:30 pm (Eastern) on Wednesday, August 10th. Maybe you can send some thoughts in Kerry's direction as well? It would be neat to have memories of Kerry span the country, and even internationally!

The family of Kerry Lee would like to invite you to join a gathering of family and friends, to share with each other memories and stories about our mother. We will have chairs placed in a circle and anyone and everyone can stand and speak to us all. Things you may want to share could be: what is your favorite memory, something she may have inspired in you, how she made you feel? We would all like to share these special moments with you, to hear how she affected the people and environment around her. Music is also welcome, as well as poems or quotes; what musical piece or saying reminds you of Kerry? We would just ask that you keep the music pieces short so that everyone who wants to, can have a chance to share.

The Kimberton, PA event will be Wednesday 8/10/2022, 7:30pm-8:30pm at Rose Hall in Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, 1601 Pughtown Rd. Phoenixville, PA 19460. Contact: Jennifer at jennbreimhurst@gmail.com, 814-643-1375.

Thank you for remembering our mother. –Jennifer, Heather and Cameron Lee

Book Review: "Scales – Harmonious Exercises for the Lyre," by John Billing

If someone were to ask me which collection of lyre exercises I had found to be the most useful in the building up of my own lyre technique, I would have to answer without question: John Billing’s Scales – Harmonious Exercises for the Lyre.

Self-produced in a very straightforward format, John dispenses with any introduction or opening fanfare and just dives right into the work, which is a well-appreciated John Billing signature approach to learning the lyre! What he manages to do in 15 pages of clearly explained steps is to present a rich wealth of graduated exercises that, if followed and practiced faithfully as he suggests, will literally guarantee a robust lyre technique, which is a claim I make without reservation! For 12 years, Channa Seidenberg and I provided each of our students in the Resonare Foundation Course in Music out of Anthroposophy with this slim volume to practice between sessions (and for the years to come), which was entirely possible for the students because in his accompanying text in this booklet, John sits right at the shoulder of the player, explaining and inspiring the student to apply and work through each exercise. Those of our students who took this up always made noticeable progress – even just during the one year of our course.

The exercises are structured in 7 parts. Each one is a complex of exercises related to a theme, which, though not explicitly stated, could be approximately summarized as follows:

• Exercise #1 – Fingering Dexterity

• Exercise #2 – Interval-based Scale Sequences

• Exercise #3 – More complex Interval-based Scale Motifs

• Exercise #4 – Harmonic Interval-based Scales with RH/LH Fingering Indications

• Exercise #5 ¬– Combining Harmonic Thirds as Ground Tone with Scale Patterns

• Exercise #6 – Combining Harmonic Sixths as Ground Tone with Scale Patterns

• Exercise #7 – Moving Both Scale Tones and Related Thirds and Sixths

It should be said that once any player has thoroughly mastered Exercise 1, the subsequent Exercises 2 and 3 alone provide excellent technical material for years to come. Exercises 4-7 are clearly more advanced but fully based on the acquisition of the skills that anyone can develop in the first three complexes of exercises.

The beauty of this collection is that no one will ever outgrow its value, since these technical exercises unfold in a purposeful, structured sequence that, in my experience, build a powerful technical foundation that can take one well beyond the skill level that most lyre players usually acquire just by improvising or playing pieces of music here and there. John has set out to demonstrate that just like with every other musical instrument, any student who sincerely wishes to become a serious and competent player can absolutely do so if he or she has the discipline to follow a well-laid out path of technical development. Through this valuable booklet, Scales: Harmonious Exercises for the Lyre, John has provided all of us with just that. (This booklet is downloadable as a pdf; click the title to go to our store.)