Sing with Us!
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! CultureSpot article about the Community Sings published May 16, 2018
HISTORY AND BACKGROUND OF OUR COMMUNITY FAMILY SINGS
We hosted the first Carpe Diem Community Sing on June 21, 2012 at the Historic Silver Spring B&O Train Station, which was once the home of Class Acts Arts (now Artivate).
We later moved the Sings to the Silver Spring Civic Building, soon after it opened, since we were also holding our monthly Community Dances there in the Great Hall.
In July 2013, Carpe Diem Arts partnered with Washington Revels and began presenting the Community Family Sings at Revels.
As of January 2018, we moved the Carpe Diem-Revels Community Family Sings to our new location, Seekers Church (across from the Takoma Metro) -- for the sake of easier parking and access via public transportation.
The monthly Sings take place on the 21st of each month -- to coincide with the Solstices and Equinoxes, and to make the dates easy to remember! Also so as to have the day of the week rove around to accommodate everyone's busy schedule, at least from time to time.
We celebrate the cultural heritage months (i.e. February: Black History Month; March: Irish Heritage and Women's History; April: Arab-American Heritage; May: Asian Pacific Heritage, Jewish Heritage and Women's History; September/October: Hispanic Heritage; November: Native American Heritage -- plus special holidays (Martin Luther King Day, Valentine's Day and Mardi Gras, St. Patrick's Day, Earth Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the December holidays.
We almost always have a special guest artist and song leader by way of celebrating the cultural heritage month.
We also celebrate birthdays each month, complete with candles and cake.
The Sings are welcoming of all ages, and children and adults alike will come with songs to share.
We ask for a donation of $5 or more at the door to help offset the cost of renting the space, refreshments and paper goods, and to provide an honorarium for our guest artists and song leaders.
www.carpediemarts.org/sing-with-us
http://revelsdc.org/shows-events/community-sings/
CELEBRATE YOUR BIRTHDAY OR YOUR CHILD'S BIRTHDAY, AN ANNIVERSARY, GRADUATION, OR OTHER SPECIAL OCCASIONS AT THE SING!
We provide the entertainment and refreshments, and all you have to do is invite your friends and family to join you in a memorable shared experience!
Some families have caught on to the fact that the Carpe Diem-Revels Sing is a perfect platform for the celebration of special occasions -- like birthdays, anniversaries -- or just a great excuse to gather together a bunch of friends with whom we never find time enough to get together and enjoy a shared experience. Carpe Diem Arts (with some help from our regular attendees and occasional birthday celebrants) provides the entertainment and refreshments.
Carpe Diem Arts & Washington Revels
FAMILY COMMUNITY SING
21st of every month
Celebrating the Seasons, Heritage Months,
and Birthdays!
The Carpe Diem-Revels Family Community Sing is an opportunity for singers of all ages and backgrounds to participate in the experience of singing together in harmony, celebrating diverse cultures and traditions of song.
Time: Held the 21st of each month
- 6:30-8:00 pm – Songs, Rounds and Music-Making for All Ages
- 8:00-8:30pm – Refreshments, Social Time and Celebration of Birthdays
NEW LOCATION: Seekers Church, 276 Carroll St. NW D.C. (across from Takoma Metro)
NOTE EXCEPTIONS: June 21 & Sept 21 at Sligo-Bennington Park, 6:00-8:00pm, 599 Bennington Dr., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Rain location Revels, 531 Dale Drive (a few blocks away)
- Featuring numerous special guest song leaders
- All ages welcome, no experience necessary
- Bring refreshments and songs to share if you wish
- Suggested donation $5.
Sign up in advance to lead a song by contacting Busy Graham: BusyGraham@CarpeDiemArts.org (301-466-0183) or Jo Rasi: jrasi@revelsdc.org (301-587-3835). Or just come to sing.
January 21
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
with songs of Peace, Liberty and Justice
February 21
Celebrating Black History Month with Songs of Hope and Freedom
in the Blues, Gospel and Spiritual tradition
Songs of Love from across the globe for Valentine’s Day
March 21
Welcoming the Spring / Songs for Gatherings (spring equinox);
Irish Heritage Month: Celebrating Celts & Ceilidhs; Women’s History Month;
National Reading Month
April 21
One Planet / One Future: Songs for the Earth (eve of Earth Day)
Arab American Heritage Month
May 21
Traveling and Reveling -- and May Revels Songs
Asian Pacific Heritage and Jewish American Heritage Month
June 21: Annual Potluck Picnic & Sing in Celebration of the Summer Solstice
Celebration of Song and Summer Solstice ~ Sligo-Bennington Park (599 Bennington Dr., Silver Spring 20910; rain location @ Revels)
Caribbean American Heritage Month and National Accordion Month!
July 21
Songs and Rounds from the American tradition in celebration of Independence Day (incl. shape-note, Appalachian folk, blues and bluegrass)
National Ice Cream Month!
August 21
Rhythms, Rhymes & Routines (Back to School)
September 21 (6-8pm): Annual Fall Potluck Picnic & Sing in the Park
(Sligo-Bennington Park, 599 Bennington Dr. Silver Spring, MD 20910 -------------------------------------------Rain Date at Revels, 531 Dale Drive, a few blocks away)
Celebrating the Fall Equinox. Hispanic Heritage, African Heritage Month
Harvest and Labor Songs
October 21
Seasons of Life: Time and Change
Celebrating songs from around the world -- including favorites from the LPC-Ecole Songbook
November 21
Songs of Grace and Gratitude for Thanksgiving
American Indian Heritage Month
December 21: Annual Winter Solstice Celebration & Caroling -- in the Seekers neighborhood (Dec 2018)
Celebration of the Season and Solstice
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CONTACT:
BusyGraham@carpediemarts.org / 301-466-0183
JRasi@RevelsDC.org / 301-587-3835
MORE INFO:
www.CarpeDiemArts.org
www.RevelsDC.org
The Carpe Diem! Women’s Song Circle is the sometimes monthly, other time occasional gathering for the pleasure of singing and sharing diverse cultures and traditions of song. We usually meet in Silver Spring or Takoma Park on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday in private homes with large living rooms.
We have enjoyed working with many wonderful song leaders including Alison Crockett, Christina Muir, Corinne Ducey and Molly Hickman, Lea Morris, Mairi Rothman, Mary Amato, Monique Griffiths, Riki Schneyer, and Wendy Lanxner.
Our wish list for the future includes: Andrea Jones Blackford, Cate Frazier-Neely, Cathy Fink and/or Marcy Marxer, Chris Noyes, Dawn Avery, Diana Saez, Elise Bryant, Elise Witt, Emma Rothman, Jennifer Armstrong, Joy Ike, Lea Gilmore, Linda Price, Mary Ann Ryan, Maureen Andary and Sara Curtin (Sweater Set), Michele Valeri, Moira Smiley, Peter & Mary Alice Amidon, Rachel Cross, Robin McGalliard Nelson, Suzanna Armstrong Park, the Partridge-Ravitz family, and more. If you would like to receive information about future Women’s Song Circles, please email BusyGraham@carpediemarts.org -- or if you could consider volunteering to help schedule monthly gatherings again, we would love to hear from you!
