Paul Winter’s Winter Solstice Celebration

Two shows:

Friday, December 4th at 7:30pm

Saturday, December 5th at 3pm

The Paul Winter Consort, with beloved vocalist Theresa Thomason, brings the timeless music of their legendary New York solstice events, in a joyous and profound celebration of the season of renewal and the greater family of life on Earth. The Consort of Paul on soprano sax, Theresa, cello, bass, piano, organ, and percussion presents two identical shows. See website or below for a retrospective video, Solstice Saga, interweaving iconic performances from the first forty years of solstice celebrations at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City.

In 1980, Paul Winter and the Consort were invited to be artists-in-residence at New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Paul Winter explains: “The dean had a personal mission to create a bridge between spirituality and ecology. He appreciated our music, but I think it was the ecological dimension of our repertoire that convinced him we could be part of the Cathedral. The premise of the invitation was entirely secular; it was not to have us play liturgical music. We could present any events we wanted, as long as we produced them ourselves.”

Since that time, Paul Winter's Winter Solstice Celebration has become a beloved annual tradition in New York City and for millions around the country through their annual live broadcasts on NPR. This year marks the third time that the Solstice Celebration has left its home at St. John the Divine. “While we will not have all the dancers and theatrical effects that were possible in the world’s largest Cathedral, we will have all the essence of our solstice music, and we will feature, as always, the beloved voice of Theresa Thomason, who has been the ‘star’ of our solstice celebrations for many years.”

The Winter Solstice Celebration is a contemporary take on ancient solstice rituals, when people felt a calling to come together on the longest night of the year, to welcome the return of the Sun and birth of the new year.

“Central to all the traditions of solstice is the renewal of spirit,” Paul notes, “symbolized by the rebirth of the sun. Winter solstice is a time for healing and hope; it is a time to celebrate community and relatedness; and a time to honor the diversity and the unity of the great cornucopia of life on Earth. Remembering the solstice, we resonate once again with the rhythm of the cosmos and allow our hearts to embrace the optimism of our ancient knowledge that the light will overcome the darkness.”

For more information, visit https://solsticeconcert.com/