Welcome - Quattro Vita live music

Welcome - Quattro Vita live music

Some really good musicians that who live locally to me in Devon England; lovley!!

YouTube - Amazing Cello Duet with Four Hands, One Cello

the things people get up to!! I like the fun and sharing in this!!

message from Dartmoor

in September 2009 I saw 'Wild River, Cold Stone', a film about Dartmoor by Chris Chapman. Something moved deeply in me in response and I realised how deeply I am connected to and love Dartmoor and this land. - Grateful to Chris for making the film and to CCAN Centre for Contemporary Art and the Natural World, for showing it. [a recording, with music will follow at some point]



Is the moor in morning? Still, it stands
resting, in great grandeur.
Silent witness to all
Vibrant potent energy
contains all

Autumn rests more fully now
my music wraps around me
endless step progression
of this life

Held, in equal acceptance
The shunned suicide grave
The markets of sheep & pony
The man managed taking
and burning & using
violent extraction of
Ore tin & granite

The mystery soul of the moor
cannot be taken or diluted
Silent witness that holds all
in the passage of time

Rest now in the image
and a wide open energetic
arms of this precious place
Still yet so vibrant & alive

Rest now in the image
of sky and rocks, slow shifting
light rock juxtaposed against grass
held in sky danced through by wind

This ' still place' has beauty
energy & aliveness
rest now . . rest . . . now
in this

This land, this planet, this universe,
Stars, planets all of it
And these rocks, the land we
Stand on. . Tears pour down
my face at how little
we understand, are for
& love this Life

It's ALL alive .

can I see the life in it

This life everywhere
in everything .
It calls me , calls me
constantly . there
in everything everyone everyplace
come home to me, my land, my body, my life

Blessing Bells and Viola

When I was in Australia I came across some amazing sounding Hand Chimes. Sarah Hopkins, a wonderful musician and healer who I was staying with in Brisbane introduced them to me as Blessing Bells. They sound great and I love them. Anyone can play them and take part in creating a wonderful bed of sound; they sound really great with Viola.

Here's a recording of a sound blessing I did for a friends birthday
Click below to play:

or to download, right click and 'save as' (10.5mb)

Music for Meditation, Ashburton : Sat 19 Jan

On Saturday 19th January, there will be another beautiful evening of mediation to live music. They are organised by Surabhi, from the band 'One Hand Clapping', and are a lovely heartful space, and it's a really pleasure to play with her..

These 'Osho Satsang's' happen about once a month in Ashburton at the lovely 'Space Upstairs'. Starting at 6:45pm ( arrive a bit before because once we've started we can't let you in)

The evening is a mix of silent sitting meditation, listening to live music, (often improvised) some short audio recordings of Osho speaking.

If you'd like to stay for Supper, bring some food to share. ( It's usually quite a feast and lovely company - I'd recommend it!!)

Any questions, or if you need directions call Surabhi on 01364 654732

When we're gonna get it

Here's a kind of lament that I did a sketch of this afternoon. Seems in some way related to all these emails I've been getting about 'Fire the Grid'



use the player above or to download, right click here and 'save as' (2.93mb)




I had little interest in even taking a second glance at the scores of 'Fire the Grid' emails I was getting. Then a friend, who doesn't ever send stuff on sent it to me and before that I'd then tuned in some more and put the link to check out later.

As I read the story on the website I was moved to tears.; a real calling to listen more, MUCH more to guidance... and follow it. I get the core of this ( this life probably too) is about gratitude .... being connected and simply being... ( thanks for the reminder)

My sense is that this whole event/idea is lovely, heartful, amazing... inspiring many many people; I really REALLY get that. AND....I also get something else running thru it all:

The other day, several days after reading the story, I was walking back to my studio after meditating by the stream in the forest, I got how the trees are meditating 24/7 . . and *who* do we think we are ... 1 hour on 1 day !! So I get both the heartfulness of Tuesday and a tone of ego stuff running thru and in all this --- its' in the person with the vision, it's in the event how it's been set up, and ... it's in me ... AND .. It's ... well... what it is ... ALL of it... and it's a choice !! Following the heart and trusting... enough.

In these last couple of weeks, I've become much more interested in the signs (ANY signs that point towards what has to happen or what there is to know about this kind of unfoldment. ( much more interested than all the sorting out and processing of 'stuff')

Sound Blessings for Celebrations using Hand Chimes Viola, Guitar and Voice

One of the things that gives me a lot of joy is to to create an energetic in a place when people are gathered in a sharing circle. I tune into the exquisite energy of the blessing that is there and build on that by creating a Sound Blessing.

Sometimes, at a birthday or wedding, I invite people to sit or lie down in the center of the circle with their eyes closed. Then I have some lovely hand chimes which I pass out to people to join in playing. Then, with that gorgeous wash of sound started, I weave around and through that with Viola. Sometimes I add a singing bowl as a transition to playing guitar and making up a spontaneous song. - people sometimes join in the singing too.

Yesterday we did a lovely sound blessing at my friends wedding celebration, sitting outside at the end of a sharing circle. Marianne had tears steaming down her cheeks as we played. She said to me after I'll remember that for the rest of my life." As I'd asked them to come and sit in the center of the circle and close their eyes, they'd joked' "what are you going to do, levitate us". ( I'd hidden the instruments so they wouldn't know what we were going to do.) Afterwards Ian said, "It was like being in a 3D sonic bath, and yes you *did* levitate us, it was really beautiful."

I'd be introduced to these lovely Hand Chime blessing bells when I stayed in Brisbane with Sarah Hopkins a wonderful musician and Sound Healer. www.sarahhopkins.com She also created the Harmonic Whirlies which I also love to use at gatherings like this. Later that night many people in the group played Harmonic Whirlies around the fire.

Singing and Moving in Merlins Cave Tintagel

Tintagel is an extraordinary place on the north coast of Cornwall, in SW England. I went there yesterday and got to sing and move in Merlin's cave.




















I 've been to Tintagel several times but never before gone down to the cave. Tintagel it's self has a very powerful energy and I get a sense of seeing through into another world. Below the Castle on the island is a cave uncovered at low tide and which wind and sea rush through.

As I entered the cave form the beach I entered the cave and walked to the middle, waves crashing at the far end, wind blowing strongly through it was as if I grasped the heart of the energy of this powerful place.

I plan to return again to have longer time and sty nearby. Then I will drop deeper and to tune more into this wild and extraordinary place. I hope to and record some more, this time with a mic with wind shield ( not just just my stills camera).

Iona - clip from the recording

Here is a 6min clip from a recording I made in Iona Abbey made during a 10 day retreat on the Island. After having sunk deeply connection with the land, I spent the night in the Abbey meditating and praying, tuning into the atmosphere of the place. At about 3am, shortly before sunrise I put on the minidisc and started playing; I'm looking forward to releasing this as a CD


or to download, right click and 'save as' (8.4mb)

at the core of sadness ; a key to connection with spirit

For a while now I've been recording and listening back quite a number of times to 'sketches' of what I've been playing. As well a feedback loop that is devleoping and changing what I play, It's become an interesting enquiry process into what it is that arises from the listening.

You can hear a 13min recording of what I played, and then what I wrote, this morning.

or to download, right click and 'save as'(12mb). To read the words of what you hear, click on the 'Read More' link below.

listening to what I recorded on viola earlier. I feel a sadness and a tiredness. When have a I NOT felt this . .as a core state . . .is it a 'core state' or ..something else. . ? I feel it mostly on my face. . , eyes .. heavy arms .. want to close my eyes .. . energy disappearing form my hands . . -- the sun is lovely on my face.-- tight Jaw ... --- flick of thought " this is to do with my childhood" .. early .. 7yrs , 3yrs . . and in womb, implantation and conception and the field of fear . . of my family and in the world .. I long for the healing sound of running stream. the Joyous sound of birds . ..the golden sun. . --- what is it . . to LET GO of?

P O W E R F U L L energy in my body. strong and powerful . . it could crush and smash .. . what IS that , where does it come form -- like a fist punching, a hammer smashing. over and over. . repeating . .. -- what if I were to move with my body , this. what *really* wants to happen? right now, here , . . . nothing . .

I'd SO like to get to the bottom of this . .what IS this? what needs to happen so that I can be free(er?) of this? Is it ever possible to be free of such tones within the system of my body? What, of this, is also residue from patterns and interactions with others and 'disappointment ' in 'love'.

As I look at all the things to do, the project areas, my body tightness and 'solidifies' . .. what I really, really REALLY want is, RIGHT NOW, a sense of devotion and conscious connection with the spirit world, unseen ones, ancestors --- guides . .. -- tears come very close to the surface .. that actually somehow I have been blocking this. . THAT has been my SO lonely ness.

I remember the meditation in the stone cone in Crete .. SUCH a direct open channel 'calling home' .. and the calling of the unseen one, the voice of love that called my name that told me all is ok, all is working out perfectly. -- a single wet tear creeps out of my right eye and rolls down my cheek. I hardly cry the tear of loneliness .. it wets my cheek wiping it away, as if to wipe away all trace of this remembrance.

living in this life is like a dream. WAKE UP NOW into this. My heart is sore, I long for the strong confidence. and the breaking out of the family and ancestral ties . .the human bondage ties entering into this human existence with SUCH a sure knowing that. . spirit moves and guides me, that ALL THINGS and all appearances are the play of the divine.

I read back over this again and, again the tears come as I read of connection to guides . . that, actually I may not be alone, as I fear and feel . . Right now on the edge of my perception I sense SUCH beings of support, angels, and ancestors . . and the Christ --

Why such sadness, what ARE these tears. . ? tears of relief at the turning towards this knowing and awareness, ... pain .. sensing the pain of not making , of having not been making and being with and opening to that.

I 'could' ask for a name of the presence, the being, beings .. .. and , the amazing thing is, simply just being here *as I am* , doing nothing special .. I sense SO MUCH of THE SPIRIT WORLD . . .. again come these tears . . . guilt ? ... or ... ? again I hardly feel my hands . . and, under this .. the HAMMERING HANDS . .2 fists . . I go to clasp my hands , kind of like in prayer, yet still they are fists. . -- under all this is no no no no no . 5 . . THIS is the age it really got squashed out of me, the age of my great despair. . and a loss of hope . . still some innocence crept thru and gradually, or not so gradually I lost hope. I'd left the magical valley in Exmoor and the extended family and a small village school and my uncle, a seer and visionary ... and now alone with my 'family', without the animals so close, or the magic in that valley . . and the trees, , AHHH the trees . . and stream . . and all the nature spirits. . of the streams and the trees . . my heart b r o k e. . . with that now ---- and now I had to 'learn'. Over and over, in those early years, being stuffed with learning's, things to learn. And SO desperately wanting love, wanting to feel that connection again. , and .. I DID sense it , in the sun streaming in, in mid winter .. again and again connecting with that, disappearing into that .. - disassociation . . ? *association* with the spirit world. and, little by little, and sometimes very fast, I learnt to shut down to that, to hide it away AND IT IS ME & lt; IT IS MY BIRTHRIGHT . . --- this THIS **IS** ME.....

These energyless hands are a symptom of having given away more power .. my powerful awareness and connection with spirit world, in nature, the divine, connection with nature and all sprits and beings and the great magical connection with it all ....

Again the tears come as I read -

"what I really, really REALLY want is, RIGHT NOW, a sense of devotion and conscious connection with the spirit world, unseen ones, ancestors --- guides "

somewhere I feel SO scared I'll make it all up, and 'go off on one' .. is 'that' the ego talking . .( and what *is* that !!?!) and I KNOW how deeply I connect with the land simply just standing there .. I sense into this ,,, this world . ..

I feel SO on the edge of getting this ...

"they are there to help, they want to help you"

I KNOW what happened when I asked Bec if it was done, ( when I'd finished redecorating her room, that she'd hung herself in) if there was anything else in her room to do , and soon after ( having forgotten the asking) getting such a sense of fullness in my body, filled out to my skin, relaxed dropped down, open, protected, clear, strong. . . .. . this heartful direct, simple prayer ... without words even needing to be spoken .. yet asking... and then the answer arising SO clearly knowing that it is the answer.

SO:

I am on the edge of understanding and dropping into, opening to this being a full, fuller, fulsome way of living my life. I think I understand this, and have an inkling of what needs to happen .. . Simple acts of devotion and ritual and beauty and love .. in all life. I get that I do SO much of that already and am on the edge of it really flowing into my life .. .into the chaos of my life, the beauty of my life the brokenness of my life the divinity of my life. . . . ---- as I pray this prayer right now, I feel a peace, such peace, and a sense of being held and met and meeting with the ones in spirit. I have a sense of asking for help in this. . to get this and to live my life in a fuller, more peaceful, richer accepting joyous way .. are these the 'right' criteria? I think so, let me know if there is anything else or a shift in perception ... --- all colours flow in to me now get the magic and mystery of life


----

this is the life you live

12mins of music and words from morning enquiry
PLAY

or to download, right click and 'save as' (11.4mb)

Playing for 5 Rythms in Exeter with Fanny Behrens

On Wednesday night I played music for a movement class with Fanny Behrens. She holds an amazing space and I LOVE the ease and flow of working with her. She's a 5 Rhythms dance teacher, though her work is 'influenced by' rather than having a 5 Rhythms focus; It's a movement, meditation, enquiry ..

She journey's in a way I like to with sound. . . Its such a journey to uncover, discover 'presence' ... alive .. space . . sitting in 'nothing', entering in many places … waiting … watching, sensing what is arising and for me discovering what new sound wants to emerge.

When I arrived to set up I was welcomed so warmly and had some magical helping. .. a free flowing .. ease .. In a couple of places in the evening I joined in moving in the space where no music was needed, also SUCH a deep connection for me through movement.

So AMAZING to see and feel through the evening the responses in others, in myself and how easily I can step into that opening doorway - - last night and this morning I felt such pain, from sensing that opening so deeply, I sensed the SO lack of that kind of connection and openness in my family and thru school years .. such wounding washed by such deep tears . . . left with such gratitude



I SO love being in a space and with people who really 'get' what I do, where I'm trusted to be and am free to be me. I feel really alive doing this kind of spontaneous playing of what is arising, shifting moving energies responding to what is arising enhancing and supporting that; it calls me present in a very powerful way ...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Part of the journey of Wednesday night is at my Loving Thoughts blog http://degraal.blogspot.com/2006/09/celebrating-and-mourning.html

If you're curious about what Fanny does check her website www.being moved.com

Playing for Spring Dance Croatia April 2006

I was guest musician at this 5Rythms based Celebration, It felt like what we were doing was taking part in connecting and healing the land, the people, the planet; may the blessings from this continue and deepen.

It’s amazing this connection I’ve had for over 12years now with the dance, how it’s supported me, what I’ve learnt and what I’ve been able to contribute. Something really landed for me over these four days; nearly a year after Gabrielle told me to put what I was experiencing into playing my Viola, finally it feels I’ve started to do experience and value that; it moved me and others profoundly - I feel very grateful.

Now back amongst the English soft spring sun, veiled by light cloud of silver grey and primroses smiling, I reflect on the journey to and at the Spring Dance

I feel very grateful for having such deep connection with people and having so many people respond to and name 'the path with soul' that I am on with doing what I do with Music and, in this context, playing music and facilitating others to play for the dance.

During this time I was met and held and challenged powerfully by many people from that land - a very special rare and beautiful thing. Hearing again and again, as if for the first time, and new, how much people were touched by teh playing that I do, how I hold the space for others to play in such a way that they feel they can contribute ( several singing for the first time in years or in way they hadn't felt free to do before) Really getting responses of how fully they received the passion I have for what I do, and the depth that of what I do, not just for playing music but for A Path of Soul and as a healing and a blessing for the planet

I was met by many people, and particularly by some of the younger people in a way that was so profound, and innocent/natural, simple wisdom and response to life, living this life

Much magical work took place on many levels; healing, grieving and releasing, for me and for others. The pain in the land, the pain in the people .. still very raw. . . and, in that dancing and in the sounds that we made something shifted.
I also found myself more deeply, and got who I am reflected back to me strongly. Being with people and connecting in the dance, in the eating together and talking . also sitting on the old, old limestone amongst the trees and spring flowers cherry blossoms sprinkling the ground. it was all really important, and nourishing . .. that too was part of and had a healing.

Outside the dance floor, in the dance floor of life, before class in the morning at lunch time or late in the evening over a meal, I heard over and over form me and from others questions that really wanted answers and answers that really wanted questions . . some answers came and others .. . simply the question stayed and deepened.

One of the participants has asked me if I’ll go back and a workshop, Path with Soul, in a Castle in her town. It feels an honour to be asked to do some more sound and movement healing and enquiry; to go back and dive deeper into this experience that has opened so readily and magically in that wonderful country with such heartful people.

Playing for 'stillness' in London for Sue Rickards 5 Rhythms class - 4 June 2005

*Such* an amazing group and space and the bubbly Saturday night chaos sexual energy in London and a big heart welcome from Sue.

. . . my own journeying .. through the evening, through the dance ... with 100 people in such a fabulous large space.

Arriving into and moving through the swelling and resting of stillness.... I walk into the centre of the room playing viola, ripples of notes caressing the spaces and weaving in and out of the many bodies, blessing, healing, loving . . . a single note 'drone' creating a bed of sound for my voice to float on, to rest into and fill the space - creating an invitation for voices to join . . .. a few soft sounds start almost imperceptibly drifting through; tenderly, gently, powerfully... the room filling with spirals of sound, interweaving and a blessing of gratitude, love and compassion.

How amazing to then sit in a circle, heart sharing with so many people having been washed by the dance and the sound .... Sometimes, I wish (my ego wishes) for comments and appreciations. That popped into my head for moment, then dissolved ... tonight it was not needed at all. Then Sue said:

"I'd like to thank Christoffer for playing. He does sound and movement work all over the world, and when I heard he was coming through London I grabbed him".

These words, and a short conversation after the class, have continued to echo through my head as a reminder of the importance of what I do, and love to do. I have such gratitude for Sue's seeing of me, and helping remind me who I am and what I am here to do and the fullness of that work.

It's been such a challenge these last 2 months and somehow in and within all the chaos, a new and more powerful transpiration is just starting to seep through to the surface again. AND ... once more I have the inklings of the calling to do more of my sound and movement work. I'm open to and am putting out the call again to do that work more.


If you are ever in London on a Tuesday or Saturday night go along to Sues' class in North London - it's great (get there on time though, because it's so popular she's going to have to limit numbers) www.acalltodance.com

Vision, Taking part in 'Be The Change', inklings of the great transformation

I've been clearing out some old boxes of papers and found this quote:

" A person who has a vision is not able to use the power of it until after they have performed the vision for the people to see"

Black Elk


How SO very right he is - I really experienced that last week when did an Opening Ceremony(tm) at the Be the Change conference. www.bethechange.org.uk The energy and power of stepping up and doing that was, IS awesome! What I did felt very powerful, and exciting-scary . . . ALIVE!

It was nearly 2 years since the vision of doing this kind of thing arrived. It was during a weekend Personal Journey I was running with a small group here in my Studio Barn, I start to understand what he is talking about. I'd Playing the drum to open the conference, then the Balinese priest bell in a walking mediation to call people back after the breaks and and it.

(Many thanks to Gabriella http://www.claravia.com/ Ursula http://www.create-space.co.uk Kat http://www.authenticpr.co.uk Sue http://www.relaxingthemind.com and Hazel-Anne http://www.lifesparkle.co.uk/ for being part of this particular part of the birthing process!)

Currently if feels like my life is being radically reshaped, and what I *thought* were the goals and directions are not quite so sure!?! Moment by moment, day by day, I sense this reshaping and all is not what I thought . . I sense this being true for me, but but not only me .. It also seems it is so for many other people and this planet .. . . probably larger too . . . . glimpses of the inklings of the great transformation that is to come are now being felt ... a *very* powerful shift is currently taking place.


~
CdG


PS as I was writing this my sister Rebecca decided to take her life http://christofferdegraal.blogspot.com/2005/05/rebecca-took-her-life.html