Interested in joining LANA's Board of Directors?

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The Lyre Association of North America’s Board of Directors is always looking for interested Association members to join our work in promoting the modern lyre in North and South America. We are a dedicated group of lyrists who enjoy the opportunity to share ideas and work toward providing services for our members. If you have a potential interest in joining LANA's Board of Directors and would like to know more about board membership, please contact me at nancycarpenter680@gmail.com.

Nancy Carpenter, LANA President

February Music Sale – 30% off all music by Raimund Schwedeler

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Here at the LANA Music Store, we are big fans of exploring new music – especially music that is new to us!  And as our way of encouraging other lyrists to do the same, we will be offering 30% off of select music each month.

 If you have never encountered the music of Raimund Schwedeler* (1925-2011), now is the time!  (We found an interesting bio of Raimund Schwedeler here – Klassika: Raimund Schwedeler (1925-2011): Lebenslauf.)

The LANA Music Store carries four titles by Schwedeler and they are all on sale this month:

  • Leierstudien:  Seven studies for soprano lyre, soprano lyre duos, and alto/soprano lyre duos. The studies are lovely and accessible; good for late beginner/intermediate players.

  • Musik fὕr Leierchor:  Eight compositions (five Christmas pieces and three studies) for lyre ensemble.  Most are for two soprano and two alto lyres; one is set for three sopranos and three altos.

  • Metamorphosen:  Based on a motif from “Falstaff” by G. Verdi, this 13-page composition is for lyre ensemble, including two soprano lyres and two alto lyres.  This is a rewarding piece for a group that is up for a challenge!

  • Sieben Lieder nach Gedichten von Lisa de Boor (Seven Songs based on the poems of Lisa de Boor):  For soprano and two lyres (soprano and alto).  The text is in German and the lyre accompaniment is for advanced players.

 We would like to encourage our members and friends to experience the music of Raimund Schwedeler! Just use the discount code “FEB30” when you check out, and you will receive 30% off as our gift to you.

Kilkenny Lyre Ensemble Performs “The Dream Song of Olaf Åsteson”

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We are pleased to share a lovely report of lyre activity from the Republic of Ireland!

Here in the Republic of Ireland, there is a centre of lyre activity surrounding John Clark in County Kilkenny. The Kilkenny Lyre Ensemble meets every two weeks under his direction, and during November and December, we practiced Johanna Russ's "The Dream Song of Olaf Åsteson".

John Clark leading the Kilkenny Lyre Ensemble

A successful performance was offered to the community on the 15th of January in the large studio of the KCAT centre in Callan (https://kcat.ie). We were eleven lyrists and four singers, which created a wonderful tonal balance. John Clark gave an informative introduction to the whole piece and to each of the individual four songs.

With greetings to all of you for a positive 2023!

John Billing

Celebrating the centenary of Maria Schüppel's birth

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Celebrating the centenary of Maria Schüppel's birth

Celebrating the Centenary of Maria Schüppel's Birth … The purpose of the project to create performances of the "Children of Lir" was to prepare musically and artistically for the centenary of Maria Schüppel's birth in 2023. This musical work is about a spiritual journey and contains many symbols of Celtic culture and Christianity in Ireland.  The target audience was children and adults. The project was led by four music and singing therapists: Marcela Paz Moreno, Eva Rüdiger, Irina Welsch, and Kristin Kannenberg. They were supported by other musicians, who played soprano lyre, alto lyre, flutes, tenor flute, bass flute, and tubular bells. The concert was offered in three locations in Hamburg, Germany. …

It was a great experience to lead the "Children of Lir" concert. The music and the artistic production were very well received by the audience. We hope that this project will help to make anthroposophical art and music therapy better known to the public and that it will bring joy to many people. If anyone here in the USA is interested in supporting this initiative through a Waldorf school or individually, through playing lyre in the project, please contact me, Marcela Paz Moreno, at: info@marcelapaz-moreno.com

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Crowd Funding to help replace Diane's cracked lyre

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Crowd Funding to help replace Diane's cracked lyre

In early December, Diane Ingraham Barnes discovered a crack in her beloved solo lyre. This instrument has been her performance lyre for a number of years. … She is gratefully borrowing the lyre of a friend to use on the frequent occasions for which she is asked to perform, but she needs to purchase her own lyre as soon as possible.  Fortunately, she has been able to identify a beautiful solo soprano built by lyre builder Horst Nieder in Germany that would perfectly match the quality of her voice.  Unfortunately, she does not currently have the funds to purchase this lyre for its asking price of $2700 plus shipping costs – a total delivered cost of $3000.

Diane’s family members and friends are coming together to support her life as a musician, music teacher, and music therapist by helping her to purchase this new lyre.

 Please consider joining us to support Diane’s professional and community music work by being a part of this GoFundMe campaign!  https://gofund.me/85e2772b.

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Happy New Year from LANA

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Happy New Year from LANA

Happy New Year from LANA!

As our gift to you this season, we invite you to take 30% off all purchases made through our music store. 

Our online store is well stocked for the new year with books on anthroposophy, Waldorf education, and music, as well as a treasure trove of sheet music for all the musicians in your life.  Plus, check out our supply of accessories, which include CD’s and beautiful Madonna cards. . . .

As part of our year-end sale, LANA is pleased to offer The Kerry Lee Collection, a compilation of Kerry’s personal literature and music. A lifelong student and committed teacher, Kerry Lee acquired many books on education, teaching, and self-development over the years. . . .

See: https://lyreassociation.org/store-home. . . . Once you have loaded up your cart, please use the code “MERRY30” at checkout for a 30% discount (sale ends January 5th). 

We wish you a happy new year!

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Greetings from the LANA Board

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Greetings from the LANA Board

Dear Members and Friends of the Lyre Association of North America:

It’s a natural time of year to consider the blessings in our lives, and, in case we haven’t said it lately, the LANA Board feels very grateful to have each one of you as a part of our lyre-playing community….

I feel very grateful for the joy of playing with many of you and deeply appreciate the friends I have made through this Association. We hope that you have also benefitted from your membership in LANA and that you might consider showing your appreciation through a modest gift to further our mission. As we look toward the new year, we ask for your support. Tax-deductible donations, even small ones, from our members and friends around the world are so important in defraying the costs of accomplishing our mission….

With this year-end letter, we are happy to include a gift of music for all our members and friends to thank each of you for your continued financial and soul support for the work of the Lyre Association of North America.

Enjoy our free download: Advent Bells by Christof-Andreas Lindenberg.

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Comings and Goings on the LANA Board

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Comings and Goings on the LANA Board

The LANA board would like to thank Wendy Polich for her years of service to our lyre community. During her 6 years on the board, Wendy has been a part of every committee and has offered her expertise and gifts to each one of us….

And … the Board is very pleased to announce our newest board member, Sarah Stosiek. From the first moment her fingers touched the lyre strings at the early age of 6, the unique sound of the lyre has captivated Sarah. She has studied the lyre with LANA members Channa Seidenberg, Diane Barnes, and Christina Porkert. … When the opportunity arose in 2018 to work with Jan Braunstein, Sarah began playing the whole tone lyre and was introduced to free improvisation, which has become a deep interest. With the lyre, Sarah is always excited to experience moments when music consciously comes alive in new and exciting ways.

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A Gift from LANA's Store!

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A Gift from LANA's Store!

A Gift from LANA!

As our gift to you this season, we invite you to take 30% off all purchases made through our music store. 

Our online store is well stocked for your holiday gift giving with books on anthroposophy, Waldorf education, and music, as well as a treasure trove of sheet music for all the musicians in your life.  Plus, check out our supply of accessories, which include CD’s and beautiful Madonna cards. . . .

As part of our year-end sale, LANA is pleased to offer The Kerry Lee Collection, a compilation of Kerry’s personal literature and music. A lifelong student and committed teacher, Kerry Lee acquired many books on education, teaching, and self-development over the years. . . .

See: https://lyreassociation.org/store-home. . . . Once you have loaded up your cart, please use the code “MERRY30” at checkout for a 30% discount (sale ends January 5th). 

We wish you a very happy holiday season!

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LANA MEMBERSHIP ... and more!

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LANA MEMBERSHIP ... and more!

WELCOME LANA members who are new or rejoining – since April 2022:

Margaret Collinson – Farmington, ME;
Kelly Corson – Rindge, NH;
Melanie Eberhard – King of Prussia, PA;
Christian Giersch – Baden-Württemberg, Germany;
Brenda Hollweger – Solomons, MD;
Elizabeth Howe – Langley Park, UK;
Carla Huitt – Gettysburg, PA;
Nicole Krutzke – Glenmoore, PA;
Stephan Kühne – Berlin, Germany;
Yee-Ching Lau – Selangor, Malaysia;
Hanna Lloyd – South Dartmouth, MA;
Susan Moss – Kimberton, PA;
Yoko Ossing – Newton, MA;
Marcela Paz-Moreno – Berkeley, CA;
Natalia Peschiera Picasso – FL;
Petra Rosenberg – Zeist, Netherlands;
Corina Schad – Glenmoore, PA;
Julian Shu-Yen Liu – Kennett Square, PA;
Lisa Stauffer – Devon, PA;
Sarah Stosiek – Hillsdale, NY;
Yuka Taylor – Washington, DC;
Martin Tobiassen – Witten, Germany;
Maria Workman – Phoenixville, PA

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Forgotten Music from the Isles of the West

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Forgotten Music from the Isles of the West

Forgotten Music From he Isles of the West
Review by Diane Barnes ­– Hillsdale, NY

Those who are familiar with the Songs of the Hebrides, collected mainly by Marjory Kennedy-Fraser, will love this new book just published by John S. Clark, and those who are not familiar with these songs are in for a treat! Ms. Kennedy-Fraser arranged many of these wonderful songs with lovely piano settings for artistic performances. In this book, John has shared songs listed in Kennedy-Fraser’s written introductions that received no piano settings and for that reason, have been somewhat passed over in favor of the longer and more elaborate art-song settings. These were work songs that the industrious Scottish people sang over and over again as they carried out their hard, monotonous tasks. The singing lifted their souls so that they could work for long hours.

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2022 International Lyre Conference

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2022 International Lyre Conference

As reported in the recent edition of Lyre Notes, last August the world lyre community had the opportunity to participate in our first international lyre conference since we gathered in the Netherlands in the summer of 2018. Six LANA members, including two new members from abroad, were among the participants. Each has written a brief reflection on various aspects of this memorable experience, and we hope that the rich images contained in the following words and photos will give our members and friends a glimpse of this unique and soul-nourishing time of making music together again with so many lyrists from around the world in the extraordinarily beautiful town of Český Krumlov in the Czech Republic.

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Attending the World Lyre Conference in Český Krumlov

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Attending the World Lyre Conference in Český Krumlov

By Saeko Shibayama Cohn ­– Nyack, NY

From August 5 through 14, I attended the World Lyre Conference in Český Krumlov in the Czech Republic, accompanied by my son, Leon.

The conference opened with a three-day pedagogy workshop in which 20 people participated. Martin Tobiassen offered an opening talk entitled “Precious Forgetting,” and guided us throughout the weekend on the theme of lyre teacher training. Martin repeatedly emphasized the importance of learning pieces by heart on the lyre. “One of our tasks as teachers is to give students a skill they can rely on.”

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Resounding In Me ...

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Resounding In Me ...

By Yee Ching Lau – Malaysia

It is still resounding in me like a beautiful dream when I reflect on my memories of the World Lyre Conference in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic after my return home to Malaysia.

Because of my love for the lyre, the encouragement and support from my lyre teachers as well as the financial aid provided by LANA, I finally I took my very first flight to Europe to attend my very first World Lyre Conference!

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A Final Gift

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A Final Gift

By Christina Porkert – Kinderhook, NY

I have been to Cesky Krumlov before – in fact, this was my fourth visit, and I knew of its beauty. But I never cease to be overwhelmed by it anew. I often took a stroll to the castle gardens in the early morning and marveled at the workers who, every morning, sweep all the cobblestone paths and rake the gravel courtyards of the entire castle complex – not a small task, I can assure you. And it was always done with such care, only to be walked over again by hundreds of visitors who may never know what special care had been taken to prepare the way for them.

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Reflections on the World Lyre Conference

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Reflections on the World Lyre Conference

By Elizabeth Howe – Langley Park, UK

What an unexpected and amazing gift to be sponsored to attend the 2022 World Lyre Conference by LANA member Norma Lindenberg, my friend for nearly 50 years. Work, family, and financial constraints have prevented my attendance at past conferences. I traveled for 32 hours on five trains, a coach, a bus, and a tram to get to Cesky Krumlov from Durham, England, but once I finally arrived, it was like a homecoming. Yes, there were a few familiar faces, but more than that, I found similar biographical journeys, connections through Camphill or Waldorf schools, and more. These days I live alone. I play the solo lyre and sing in hospitals, and there are no other lyrists within 200 miles. What a joy it was to play again with others, to feel carried in the music, to attend workshops and come to collective new insights together.

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Lyre 2022

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Lyre 2022

By Nancy Carpenter - Detroit, MI

The World Lyre Conference in Cesky Krumlov was a wonderful experience. I have missed playing with other lyre players over these past two years. There were benefits to having a smaller group than usual for an international conference, in that we were able to play together and have more personal conversations with international lyrists John Billing, Christian Giersch, Jan Braunstein, Martin Tobiassen, and John Clark as well as to get to know new friends. I met new LANA members Yee Ching from Malaysia and Elizabeth Howe from England. Our Czech hosts were graciously welcoming and accommodating of our every need. For example, Miroslav Klusák was up every morning at 7, making porridge, boiling eggs, and checking to be sure we all had enough to eat for breakfast and our snack breaks.

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The Essentials of the Lyre in Český Krumlov

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The Essentials of the Lyre in Český Krumlov

By Sheila Johns – Ecuador

After a long four-year hiatus, the experience of being in the exquisite, fairyland village of Český Krumlov provided an unforgettable portal back into the human and musical embrace of our world lyre community. Because we were fewer in number than in previous international gatherings, there seemed to be a heightened appreciation for the presence of each participant. Old friends and new acquaintances mingled in a warm, intimate circle as we began our initial pedagogy workshop that preceded the larger general conference. As Saeko Cohn has already beautifully described, this workshop, artfully led by Martin Tobiassen, was designed to be highly participatory, and by the end of the weekend, pearls of wisdom and important insights about the pedagogy of the lyre had been masterfully extracted from each and every participant.

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LANA's Annual Directors' Meeting

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LANA's Annual Directors' Meeting

July 17, 2022

In order to gather the entire LANA Board of Directors from around the country and South America, the 2022 Annual Directors' Meeting was held via video-conferencing. Members in attendance were:

Debbie Barford (IL), Diane Barnes (NY), Nancy Carpenter (MI), Julia Elliott (MA), Sheila Johns (Ecuador), Margo Ketchum (PA), Colleen Shetland (NY), and Sally Willig (NJ)

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A Special Birthday Celebration

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A Special Birthday Celebration

August 20, 2022 was the date of Christof-Andreas Lindenberg’s 90st birthday, but being in the midst of summer travel time, it was only on October 14/15 that the Lyre Association of North America organized a festive concert weekend in his honor. It was a mighty celebration, paying tribute in a variety of ways, to a long life dedicated to music and healing!

Eleven lyrists from across the US (Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Boston, Massachusetts; Central Virginia; as well as Ithaca, Chestnut Ridge, and Columbia County, New York) and abroad (Ecuador and Ireland) joined five local lyrists and several local singers to rehearse all day on Friday, followed by a dress rehearsal on Saturday morning in preparation for a concert performed that afternoon at the Karl Koenig Schoolhouse in Camphill School Beaver Run, the home of Christof-Andreas and his wife Norma for over 30 years. Not only the residential school community, but also many friends from nearby filled the hall on this beautiful autumn day to listen to a program of lyre and choral music composed by CAL over the past 70 years. The music was introduced by various performers as well as the composer himself, sharing the background or memories connected to individual pieces, which added colorful snippets of Christof-Andreas’s life to the program.

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