an experience of music and community
an experience of music and community
What do we do all year?
Musical activities abound amongst the people of The Woods during the rest of the year. Here's some information about some of things that go on.Song Circles
Evening song circles are a strong tradition at The Woods. After the evening dance, the camp gathers and "turns" move around the circle. Each person can lead a song, request a song, or simply pass. While some people choose to sing solo material, the emphasis is on songs with good choruses and refrains for harmony.At the end of the 1983 Woods several campers decided they didn't want to wait all year to make vocal harmony again and invited people to a song circle in Toronto. That first time, we probably sang for an hour and talked for two. But we decided to meet two Fridays each month in volunteered living rooms, to follow the song circle format, and to bring words and music to help the group build a common repertoire.
Over the years many things have changed. We now meet weekly and the use of "paper" has fallen into disrepute. Our numbers range from 12-40 on any given Friday. Some evenings are pure magic; others are just so-so. There is no official leader or co-ordinator, though someone keeps the list of locations as they are volunteered. But the spirit of making music based in vocal harmony persists. Everyone is welcome, whether they have been to The Woods or not.
After the 1995 Woods another group from Kitchener, Ontario decided to keep the music flowing and started The Old Chestnuts Song Circle. Paper is still very much a part of this circle, which has a rule that every song must have a way for the group to participate. The monthly gatherings draw between 20 and 40 people.
Workshops
When we first expanded the song circle schedule we tried to make one night each month something different. Sometimes we had open stages (still in a home setting); sometimes a topical evening (e.g. songs with place names, songs about mothers); sometimes we invited a performer/teacher to give a workshop for which we each paid a small fee. In recent years we have abandoned doing these on a monthly basis. However, special events are scheduled as interest and leaders are available. The organizer is anyone who gets the idea, has a contact, or wants to see it happen.Concerts
Performers from out of town who have been on the Woods staff like to visit and we are usually eager to see them again. So one or two people may organize a house concert, find a spot at a local folk club or set up a dance weekend for a caller. In the past we have had Magpie, Sally Rogers, and Jane Voss and Hoyle Osborne for house concerts and Kathy Anderson has been an annual visitor to the local dance series.Small Ensembles
From time to time small groups with shared interests meet, sometimes regularly, more often occasionally. We have had a group for fiddlers, a songwriters' group, and a regular country music gathering at various times. Sometimes a small group works on songs to perform at song circles, the Toronto Singers' Club, or the infamous Ian Robb Memorial Sentimental Song Contest that has been a Mariposa-sponsored feature at the Tranzac Club.In other words, many people catch the spirit of making music at the Woods and then take the initiative to keep it happening. Few of these activities have any official connection to The Woods; the "we" in most cases is not the organizing committee but anyone in the Woods community. However, these events keep Woods addicts adequately dosed until the next summer comes along.
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