Sacred Music and Dance Festival McGregor 2023
Fri Oct 27, 19:30 - Sun Oct 29, 16:00
Temenos Retreat Centre and Wisdom School
ABOUT
“It is in the sacred essence of sound and silence that true happiness is found”
Welcome to this great celebration of peace and unity. Last year's Sacred Music and
Dance Festival in McGregor was much loved and a big success. We are excited to
be hosting this year's upcoming festival with several new performers and group
facilitators, together with much loved ones from the previous festival. The
festival, which was born out of a deep love for music, spirituality, humanity,
and a reverence for all of life, will be held on the weekend of 27-29 October,
2023. As we come together to sing and dance in this way, through sound,
movement, meditation and consciousness we touch something deeply within our
beings. In such moments it is the soul which is dancing. In those rare moments
of recognising that it is that great Love which is present behind all that
exists, one experiences a kind of ecstasy. So it is with the experience of
sacred music and dance in the unity of community, the unity of being.
A FEAST FOR THE BODY, HEART and SOUL
This festival is a celebration of all spiritual paths. The time we find ourselves in
at present reveals that there is a greater need than ever before to find common
ground, to unite and bring peace to the world. By coming together we can learn
about, open to, and sing and dance the unity of creation, while respecting and
honouring each unique spiritual path toward the One. This is a journey of
creativity and joy through sharing heart songs, simple chants, and peace dances
accompanied by live music. Various facilitators, local as well as
international, will lead us in dances and songs from various traditions. You
are welcome to participate as much or as little as you wish. There will also be
performances which encompass everything from indigenous African music to contemporary dance and conscious world music. We have endeavoured to involve the local community and will include
performances from McGregor. For a more detailed list of events please see below.
Coming together in community for the weekend in celebration of life doesn’t mean there
aren’t opportunities or spaces for quiet contemplation. On the contrary, our
venues have unique spaces for being alone in meditation. There is a meditation room adjacent to the Wisdom Hall which is open to everyone. And the “Garden of the Beloved” at Temenos is renowned for its beauty, its shrines, and hidden
treasures.
BREATHE - SING - CHANT - DANCE - PRAY - MEDITATE - LAUGH - RELAX - HEAL
Our very special venues for this event are Temenos Retreat Centre and the Wisdom
School in the village of McGregor, Western Cape, South Africa. McGregor is
approximately 2 and 1/4 hours drive from Cape Town. So please do join us in this coming
together for an amazing weekend of sacred music and dance, a place to meet
like-hearted souls.
The festival is a not-for-profit event. Ticket prices have
been kept to a minimum to allow people with all size pockets to attend.
TICKETS:
Please note that ticket prices include all events and a shared vegetarian/vegan lunch on Sunday,
but exclude accommodation.
Space is limited so it is advisable to book early.
If you are able to sponsor an extra ticket for someone without the financial
means to attend but would love to be there, our deep gratitude to you!
ACCOMMODATION
Temenos Retreat has self catering cottages set in a beautiful garden. 023 6251 871
The Old School has large renovated self-contained rooms, with common spaces including a garden area. 072 224 7674
You can also book online for both of the above.
Contact McGregor Tourism at [email protected] tel. 27 23 625 1954 or Robertson Tourism at [email protected] tel. 27 23 626 4437. All sorts of accommodation options are available, including on farms or basic camping just next to the village.
If you can’t find what you are looking for please don’t hesitate to contact us.
CONTACT:
Harold: 072 836 5142
Eliseo:
This event is about community, healing, sharing, honouring, loving, co-creation, spirit,
beauty, and most of all the positively transformative energy of sacred music
and dance. Wonderful that you are part of this beautiful journey we are
creating together.
LINE UP
Performances
CRALLAN, Conscious World Music.
Expansive, gentle, powerful. A sonic bridge between the seen and unseen. Crallan has shared the stage and collaborated with a number of top South African Musicians, including Tananas, Landscape Prayers, Louis Mhlangu, Zolani Mahola, and was a founding member of the band, Naked, which enjoyed very much success as well as a SAMA award nomination.
ANCIENT VOICES, Indigenous African music with Nomapostile and Siya.
Ancient Voices performed at our festival last year with Nomapostile and Lungiswa and was much loved. This year Siya will be joining Nomapostile which will bring in a new dimension in Ancient Voices music.
THE TREE OF LIFE - Poetry in Motion
A collaboration of First Step Ballet and Hip-Hip Hooray Circus Project presenting a tapestry of circus skills, dance and poetry. This performance is loosely based on Baba Credo Mutwa's Poem of Creation. Each year we endeavour to include locals from the area of McGregor who are involved in creative projects somewhat related to sacred music and dance. This year we are proud to include the above performance in our programme. The show is produced and directed by Nqaba Mafilika (dance teacher working with Dancescape), Conny Mater (founder of Hip-Hip Hooray Circus Project), and Mary Silver (founder and director of First Step Ballet).
Participitation
Opening Fire Ceremony
African Dance, with Mthetheleli
Taize Chants; Christian Zulu Songs,with Christel
Songs of Light, with Ashleigh
Biodanza, with Zephne
Kabbalah Tree of Life: Holy Name chants, with Christel
Cacao ceremony & Sanskrit chants, with Maya Joy
Dances of the World, with Fleur and Phil
Kundalini yoga and meditation, with Ginette
Songs That Reconnect, with Rachael and Joanna
Dances of Universal Peace, with Anja, Rukmini and Harold
Healing Sound Journeys, with Anna
Shakti Flow, with Maya Joy
Monochord Morning Attunement, Introduction to Sufi Practices, with Hamida Anja
Jewish and Sufi Chants, with Patricia and Harold
Men's and Women's sharing circles