Apr 19: Songs in Your Body On This Land (BIPOC-Mixed Races Song Circle)

We'd like to welcome People of the Global Majority (Black, Brown, Indigenous, People of Color, and Mixed Race) to these monthly song circles.

When:  Friday, April 19, 2024, 6-8 p.m.

Where:  Hidden Falls Park, North Gate (down by the boat launch!)

Led by GOOD TROUBLE, aka Conie Borchardt and Liz Digitale Anderson. We teach songs for joy, courage, grief, hope, and justice in the oral tradition, call and echo. You don't need to "be a singer" or "know what you're doing", you just gotta be willing to breathe and open your mouth and echo back. Maybe even move your hips and grab a shaker if you're feeling it...

We will be down by the river at Hidden Falls Regional Park-- take the main drive past the picnic area all the way down to the parking lot and we will be on the sand probably close to the boat loading dock (look for the SING HERE flag). We plan to have a bonfire and be outdoors even if it's cold, so layer up!
Feel free to bring snacks to share

>>>If it's raining, please check this event page for updates!
RAIN PLAN IF NEEDED:

We'll meet at The Beautiful Studio #214, 2242 University Ave West, St. Paul
(There is parking in the lot behind the building; you'll need to text us to get inside.)
**We will be requesting that folx mask up for the sake of collective community health if indoors. Thank you for understanding**

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Photo by Mankwe Ndosi: Preparing the Unburdening Ground, Say Their Names Cemetery at George Floyd Square, Minneapolis

Apr 7: Voices for Climate

Doe Hoyer from the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery and I will be leading this sing circle for Mni'sota Interfaith Power and Light (MNIPL) this weekend.  Please join us in the west metro Sunday and for the upcoming sings around the state.

Voices for Climate Song Circle 

Sunday, April 7, 11 a.m.-12 noon

Valley Community Presbyterian Church

3100 Lilac Dr N, Golden Valley, MN

(map)

Register here to get updates!

Resources from Mar 29 Good Friday Public Grief Ritual

Friends,

If you're reading this, you might have attended the Good Friday Public Grief Ritual, a Christian-led, all welcome action to call for a ceasefire in Gaza on Friday, March 29 in St. Paul. It started at Christ Lutheran Church on Capitol Hill and then moved over to the State Capitol steps.  

We invited folks to sing and mourn in public together and engage in Good Friday themes of grief and repentance. The action was open to anyone, with a particular invitation to secular and practicing Christians to attend and face the role that Christians have played in supporting the violence we are witnessing in Palestine/Israel. We practiced public repentance for our complicity in Christian Zionism, Islamophobia, and for the history of Christian-led antisemitic violence during Holy Week. We grieved together and turned toward ongoing liberatory action. 

The script of the liturgy is here for those who want to read and continue to be moved by it.

Here is a list of the songs we sang with links to online recordings:

• One Body (Ahlay Blakely)
• Ceasefire (andrienne maree brown) and Rise Choir Collective's version
• Ceasefire Now (Sol Weiss)
• Kyrie Eleison, Bridget setting (John Bell of Iona Community) 
• Grief and Love (Sarina Partridge)
• Wailing Song* (Liz Digitale Anderson)
• Summons (text based on poem of same name by Aurora Levins Morale; music by Ahlay Blakely)
• Over/Under (Lyndsey Scott)

* This is not yet available online.  If you captured it at the ritual please let us know.  Send it to goodtrouble@pointsoflightmusic.net or tag @goodtroublesings on Instagram.

We introduced the Shruti Box, literally "sound" or "singing" in ancient Sankrit, which replicates the sound of the Tambura, an East Asian Indian drone instrument. Part of the family of drone instruments that show up in many cultures, related to bagpipes and harmoniums. Conie's instrument is from Shrutibox.com run by Ron Kravitz of https://www.musicinthemoment.com/ in Philadelphia, PA.

Thank you for coming out to repent for the sins of Chrisitanity and to grieve, bearing witness to the senseless deaths in Gaza right now.  Let's stay connected and continue to work together for liberation for all.  We are especially grateful for our collaborators in the Twin Cities Ceasefire Chorus, Mennonite Action MN, and other Christian leaders in pulling this ritual together.  

With you in love, grief, and justice, 

Conie and Liz, Good Trouble

Mar 29: Good Friday Public Grief Ritual

On Good Friday - 3/29 @ 5pm - join us for a public grief ritual calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

We will begin our ritual outside of Christ on Capitol Hill Lutheran Church at 105 University Ave W, St Paul. We will then walk 0.2 miles to the State Capitol.

This is a Christian-led action organized by the Twin Cities Ceasefire Choir, GOOD TROUBLE songleaders Liz Digitale Anderson and Conie Borchardt, Mennonite Action MN, and other Christian leaders. We will sing and mourn in public together and engage in Good Friday themes of grief and repentance.

This action is open to anyone, and we especially invite secular and practicing Christians to attend and to engage with the role that Christians have played in supporting Zionism and the violence we are witnessing in Palestine/Israel. We will engage in public repentance for our complicity in Christian Zionism, Islamophobia, and for the history of Christian-led antisemitic violence during Holy Week. We will grieve together and turn toward ongoing liberatory action. We hope to see you there!

RSVP via this form: bit.ly/GoodFridayRitual