Initiator and leader of the NCC - A potted musical CV

Little did I know when I began the NCC that chant would become the heart of my
spiritual and musical life. Singing is my bliss and I suspect the chant holds my life's work.
I am committed to encouraging others, particularly those within the pagan community, to
lift up their voice in song. Singing is an expression of our humanity and part of our birthright. It connects us to each other and the natural world we are part of.

I've been singing since my teens. I come from one of those families where at any family
get together everyone was expected to "do a turn", play their instrument, give a
recitation or sing a song and I was fortunate to be a teenager at the time of the Folk
revival of the 60's. Live DIY music has been a part of my musical experience all my life.

My musical background is varied. I've sung traditional English song, medieval song and madrigals, grand choral music in choirs, backing vocals in loud Tamla Motown bands,
and currently I'm singing lead vocal in a Balkan dance band Zaramo as well as
keeping my hand in with traditional English song by doing the occasional gig with my daughters and husband in The Dunns - our four piece a capella harmony group.

Music has been good to me! It's enabled me to travel, introduced me to people I would otherwise never have met and fed me emotionally, spiritually and physically. I've sung
all over Europe and the UK, in the streets and smoky Celtic round-houses, at folk and
story festivals, pagan celebrations and in stately homes and ruined castles for English Heritage. Since the beginning of the 1990s I've been exploring the magic of chant.

A friend suggested I start a chant group after I was invited to lead a chant and spiral
dance at the end of a public Samhain gathering. My daughters and I had learned a few simple chants at a circle dance group we were part of. Leading the spiral dance was a wonderful experience for me. I was surprised by the intensity of the singing and
intrigued by the way such a simple song could lift and unify a large group of strangers.
Participating in similar celebrations around the country confirmed my initial experience
of the power of chant so I took the plunge - advertised around the town and asked
friends if they would join me at home once a week for an evening of focused chant.

Since then the NCC has grown too big for my house and has begun to take the chant
out into the world.

I have had the privilege of witnessing people discover their own musicality and become a community where all are welcomed and appreciated. I have seen the power of the chant soothe emotional and physical pain, aid friendship, build confidence and create
moments of true beauty. I feel a deep gratitude to the people who have created the NCC - to everyone who turns up on a Wednesday night. My hope is that we will continue to grow and develop our understanding of the magic held in chant and encourage others to find enchantment. I hope it springs up like a wild flower wherever there's a crack in the
pavement or a patch of bare earth.

Blessed be.

Gee

Chant Sessions - Held at Alec Bussey Centre, 8:00pm start

dark moon - 17th Jan
full moon -21st Jan
dark moon- 14th Feb
ful lmoon - 28th Feb
dark moon - 14th March
full moon - 28th March
dark moon - 18th April
dark moon - 16th May
full moon - 30th May
dark moon - 13th June
full moon - 27th June
dark moon - 11th July
full moon - 25th July

Full Moon Rites (women only)

4th March
2nd April
2nd May
31st May
1st July
30th July
Please check with Gee or Ru for locations