Sarah Verney Caird and Susand Nares - play from their new CD Unfolding Journey
Belinda Braggins - composer/pianist
Richard Wentk - dulcimer
Irmela Wiemman - contemporary dancer
Melanie Harrold and Jenni Roditi - songs
Kerry, Ute and John - voice, cello and percussion

Sunday August 22 @ The Loft
Jenni and Sianed's Birthday Salon!
doors open 6.30pm - show starts 7.15pm
2 pounds entry.

Contemporary Songs of Sadness Madness and Gladness
Sianed Jones presents the acoustic launch her new album

SURRENDER.

".......a soaring near falsetto, a cavernous chest register, a terrifying wail." The Sunday Observer

Interval and Dinner

Jenni presents her new set of Long Songs for voice and piano:

Wild Geese
Yellow Butterflies
Therapy
Looking Back on Love
Memories of Inanna

" ....a huskily eloquent tale spinner..." The Times

Date: September 11 2004
Time: 7.15pm
Venue: The Loft

Jenni Roditi - Piano Reality no 2 (1977) first performance
The SD's - Steve Dagliesh and Shonu Das - Songs
Eugene Power - Poetry
Bret Kean - Outscape for Clarinet
Val Forsyth - poetry.

Interval

Group Improvisations, with guests from the floor- Kerry Fluer and Gill Holt.

Fire in the Heart

A Crucible of Poetry and Tales from
RUMI
and other Great Hearts
with Duncan Mackintosh

"I am burning with the love of God...
Does anyone need a light?" - Rumi

Welcome to a wonderful feast of poetry and tales of the sublime by Jelaludin Rumi, the 13th Century Gnostic and Sufi master, surely one of the greatest mystical poets of the world’s spiritual heritage. His realization and transmission of Truth transcends all forms and doctrines - springing from Essence, from a Source beyond time and place - and draws us toward that Source.

Duncan's renditions of Rumi have received enthusiastic responses in Britain, the USA, Ireland, Europe, Scandinavia, and South Africa .

"The combination of the skills of a master storyteller and the insight of a visionary poet is an all too rare event. An evening of Duncan Mackintosh’s exhilarating interpretation of Rumi’s poetry was such an occasion..."
"...I now understand that the voice coming through Rumi, and who he really is and became, is The Friend..Thankyou."
"...a master of expression...brings Rumi alive...a pure reed......such nourishment... like being washed in red wine...A gem, the bread we all need to eat...thank you- a life transforming evening!"

- Reviews and letters.

"Let yourself be drawn
By the stronger pull
of what you really love" - Rumi

Duncan Mackintosh is an actor, speech artist, storyteller, teacher and workshop leader, who has been performing Rumi’s work for over 15 years, and features on the CD of Rumi poems and tales: "This Being Human". He has performed Rumi with musicians from Iran at the Royal Festival Hall and the Purcell Room, and at St Marks Islington and St James Piccadilly. He has also been working with the mystery of 'Presence' for many years and facilitates transformative workshops on 'The Alchemy of Presence'.

"Why do you weep?
The source is within you
And this whole world is springing up from it.
Do not grieve
Drink your fill, this is the endless ocean" - Rumi

Highly recommended.
Refreshments and snacks provided.
Ten pound donation.

Annabel Boltsa - pencil/chalk still life drawing display
Steve Higgins - classical/spanish guitar - original composition
Robert Wynne Simmons - ancient English poetry recital: The Pearl
Melanie Harrold - Islamic prayer: round singing in four parts

Interval

Jenni Roditi - Good as Gold for voice and piano
Dinah Beamish and Steve Abu Nab - Indian Raga for cello and tabla
John Gruzelier - talk on Theta Training, a new form of healing being researched at Imperial College.

While the display was going on (7.30 - 8.30) people were invited to read a poem they love.
Musicians were invited to improvise along with the poetry.

Other suggestions that would go with the fireworks welcomed.

Dinner Interval

Open Salon from 9.15pm.
(Ten minutes per spot).

Come and BE
at the Loft
on Xmas Eve

7pm onwards.......

There were raga meditation improvisations, and some periods of silence, but mainly time to hang out, eat drink and be merry.

Midnight Mass at St. Joseph's RC Church, Highgate Hill:
We set off from the Loft around 11.15pm...

Narrative Salon
can you have narrative without words?

Francis Meynell - storyteller (from Rudolph Steiner School).
James D'Angelo - piano - classical and jazz.
Anna-Mae Silver - jazz composer at the piano.
David Jean Baptiste - jazz clarinets.
'Saida' girl-band with influence of middle east on classical instruments.
Ruth Cowan - belly dance with Saida.
Jenni Roditi - new song - 'Earth is my Witness' - voice and piano.

Jenni Roditi : new songs at the piano: 'This Very Day', 'Angel Tears'.
Dinah Beamish : Rag Darbari, alap jor and gat in jhaptal, 10 beats, with Steve Abunab on tabla.
Sarah Warwick : singer songwriter - with string of number one hits behind her!
Adrian Lee and Sylvia Hallet : improvisation on electric guitar and sarangi.
Winston Skerrit : 'Today I am Alive Again' and other songs for Chapman Stick, with Belinda Braggins percussion.
Alisha Sufit : singer songwriter - from Magic Carpet band - of 70's fame!

June 18th - "Crossover"
artists to include:

Benedict Clarke - percussion
Joan Michelson - poetry
Howard Haigh - guitar
Jacquelyn Hynes - flutes
Stella Dickenson - oboe
Claudia Kappenberg - film
James D'Angelo - piano
Jenni Roditi - voice

Pete and the IKPB came together on the afternoon of the gig and rehearsed over a dozen of his original songs which were performed in the evening.

Pete Morton – voice, guitar
Adrian Lee - electric guitar
Paul Moesell - piano
Dinah Beamish - ‘cello
Phil D’Archy - viola
Sylvia Hallet - violin and accordian
Ansuman Biswaz – percussion

The event was put together by Adrian Lee, with Jenni Roditi and John Pawson offering support.

Xmas Salon Friday 23rd December - 7pm
“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for” - a message from the Hopi Elders.

Jenni Roditi – two songs for guitar and voice,
plus reading a message from the Hopi Elders for 2006.
Tara Jaff – harp
Jason Rowe – crystal bowls
Sarah Warwick – songs
Steve Higgins – guitar
Kate Shortt – poetry and song
Ali Sherryl – piano
Jenni Roditi – songs
Nawroz Oramar – voice
Denise – poet
Nikki Slade – chants for peace – voice/harmonium/drum

This myth touches the lives of many of us. It is relevant to today’s world and the need to connect with a healing feminine energy, to offer a revolutionary balance of male and female energy. Join Diane for a retelling of this powerful myth, with some short extracts from Jenni Roditi’s opera Inanna (with libretto by Lyn Gambles) and (possibly, tbc) some traditional Iraqi singing too!

Find out more about Diane at her website.




Melanie Reinhart (who spoke at the salon about the Venus/Inanna connection), Diane Wolkstein and Jenni

Araxi

Virginia Firnberg, contemporary classical composer with -
Denise Alonzo, soprano
Denise Ammar – poet
Merit Stephanos, voice – medley of unaccompanied Arabic tunes with improvisation
Russell Stone, voice and Alexander Massey, voice - improvising on ‘Staying Open and Standing your Ground’

Interval

Alisha Sufit, singer songwriter – songs of love and politics
Faye Patton – funky piano and sharp songs
Louise Larchbourne – reading poetry of her mother Rosamund Stanhope
Jenni Roditi – her latest songs : ‘Good Tears’, ‘What’s No More’
Donation £3/£5 door.

Sunday 2nd April 7pm
Recital: Robin Michael, 'Cello, Dominic Saunders, piano – a programme of music by Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983). He is widely regarded as one of the most important and original South American composers of the 20th century. His attractive output for piano skilfully combines folk Argentine rhythms and colours with modern composing techniques. Exhilarating rhythmic energy, captivating lyricism and hallucinatory atmosphere are some of the characteristics of his musical style.
Door donation: £7.