| Dear Friends,
The snow this morning confirms for me that it’s “Solstice time” once again (in case I have any trouble remembering why I’ve been in marathon for the last few weeks). We are now a week away from our first Winter Solstice performance, and I feel like I’m on a ship that’s moving faster each day. Tomorrow, the truck will pull up to the loading dock behind the barn and our crew will begin loading out all the solstice gear that’s been waiting in the loft since last December – the Sun Gong, the Solstice Tree, the Earth Ball, the Balinese gongs and percussion – rolling all the cases down the gangway that I got years ago from the Italian Line. I'm heading into the city this afternoon to greet Danny Rivera and his colleagues who are arriving from Puerto Rico to begin rehearsals.  BOMBA MEETS FORCES OF NATURE  Abdel Salaam, director and choreographer of the Forces of Nature Dance Theatre, and bomba master Nicky Laboy, are creating a new adventure for the 2014 Winter Solstice Celebration, reflecting the evolution of the bomba tradition from Africa to Puerto Rico, interweaving our guest Puerto Rican bomba dancers and drummers with the 19 dancers and six drummers of the Forces of Nature. Abdel says, “In the spirit of bomba, we are paying homage, through rhythm and dance, to the survival of the African heritage in the traditional culture of Puerto Rico.” About the Winter Solstice Celebration  Our 35th annual Winter Solstice Celebration [ tickets ], at New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine, December 18, 19, and 20, will feature renowned Puerto Rican singer Danny Rivera, along with an ensemble of Puerto Rican musicians, who will collaborate with our 10-member Paul Winter Consort, gospel singer Theresa Thomason, and the 25 dancers and drummers of the Forces of Nature Dance Theatre. Revered as "the national voice of Puerto Rico," Danny Rivera is beloved throughout the Spanish-speaking world, and he is the only Puerto Rican to star at Carnegie Hall in four different decades (1979, 1989, 1999, 2010). Danny has also been an international voice for peace and social justice, and has been made an honorary citizen of the Dominican Republic. PUERTO RICAN PLAYERS - Danny Rivera / voice
- Ricki Martinez (Danny’s musical director) / piano, accordion, flute, trombone
- Pachito Vega /guitar, 10-string Puerto Rican mandolin (cuatro)
- Nicky Laboy / bomba drummer
- Rye Rodriguez/bomba drummer
- Hector “Papote” Jimenez
- Nina Rodriguez/ bomba dancer and singer
PAUL WINTER CONSORT - Paul Winter / soprano sax
- Theresa Thomason / voice
- Paul McCandless / oboe, English horn, bass clarinet
- Eugene Friesen / cello
- Paul Sullivan / keyboards
- Eliot Wadopian / bass
- Jamey Haddad / drums
- Tim Brumfield / pipe organ
- Scott Sloan / sun gong
SONG OF THE PHOENIX This is the last chance we’ll have to consort with Chinese sculptor Xu Bing’s great “Phoenixes,” which are now suspended from the vault of the cathedral. They fly away in March, and we’ll be sad to see them go. WINTER SOLSTICE COLLECTION If you haven't heard or downloaded our free 2014 Winter Solstice Collection, it's still available. 10 tracks, 38 minutes, lots of fun! Included Tracks
1. Piensa - Danny Rivera
2. Harvest Faire - Paul Winter Consort
3. Villancico Yaucano - Danny Rivera
4. Sound Over All Waters - Theresa Thomason
5. Tu Vives En Mi Pensamiento - Danny Rivera
6. Winter's Dream - Paul Winter Consort
7. Villancico - Danny Rivera
8. Icarus - Paul Winter Consort
9. Abrele La Puerta - Danny Rivera
10. Song for the World - Paul Winter Consort Solstice photo, above right, by Clifford A. Sobel >> SOLSTICE T-SHIRTS FOR SALE  If you're looking for a hip holiday gift, or you aren't able to attend Solstice this year but still want to be part of the show, consider buying this year's Winter Solstice T-Shirt, available in long- or short-sleeve. A limited edition of 100 T-Shirts are available online, although more will be for sale at the four shows next week. The design was inspired by the Puerto Rican tradition of Bomba music, which has both African and Spanish influences. The music is often regarded as a dialogue between drummer and dancer. So in the image on the t-shirt, a dancer in the traditional white dress and head wrap is twirling her skirt in response to the man who tipped his hat to her. It’s a change from our usual sun imagery, but it reflects our excitement about the musical theme of this year’s show. And of course the number 35 is prominent, since this is our 35th annual Winter Solstice Celebration. Details
Unisex black 100% cotton heavyweight material. Available in long-sleeve or short-sleeve sizes S, M, L or XL. $20 + shipping. As an added bonus, your purchse includes a free download of the album Wintersong, normally $6, which was recorded at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in 1979. Get your T-shirt >> BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO ADOLPHE SAX  We had a typo in our last newsletter, referring to the special piece I want to play to honor the birthday of the man who invented my instrument. This is his 200th birthday. (We were off by 100 years.) Saxophone has been in my family heritage for most of those 200 years, long before I was allured to this gleaming, gold instrument as a kid. As a boy in Altoona, I grew up hearing the lore about my father’s cousins, “The Musical Nosses,” who were a family ensemble on the vaudeville circuit in the late 19th Century, and supposedly played the first saxophones in America, in the 1880s. I have a photo of them playing a whole “consort” of saxophones, from the soprano down to bass. I inherited the soprano, but these early horns are quite difficult to play in tune. I’m profoundly grateful to the Selmer Company of France for making the modern version I’m privileged to have. Ferd Noss’ original saxophone still holds a place of honor in my studio, however, as my Mom made it into a lamp. With gratitude,
For living music,
Paul Be grateful for luck.
Pay the thunder no mind.
Listen to the birds and
Don’t hate nobody.
– Eubie Blake | 
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