Frequently Asked Questions

Please bring a water bottle and wear loose-fitting, comfy clothing for our sessions. Having a layer on hand is important- we need to be warm enough in order to let our bodies be open and easeful with singing. Please avoid eating big meals ahead of time- we will be breathing into our diaphragms and doing this on a full stomach can feel uncomfortable! Also, please bring a sense of play! We can sometimes feel that spiritual spaces need to be somber- but this is a place where we can bring fun and humor alongside grace and reverence.

You are welcome to come as you are able, and it’s expected that choir members won’t be able to make every session (life happens!). However, as we get closer to the date of the Finale, we will spend more time focusing on performance during our sessions, and a few additional rehearsals will be scheduled as well.

Folks curious about joining WNC Pagan Choir are allowed as drop-ins for the first two sessions of the season, but after these sessions only committed choir members may attend. Email me at sarosingssongs@gmail.com if you are interested in attending as a drop-in.

All of us are meant to feel the joy that happens when we vibrate our bodies together- and all of us had ancestors who knew this to be true. For me, singing is first and foremost about community and expression of the divine: all voices are welcome here, even if you’ve been told in the past that you “can’t sing” or “don’t have a good voice.” In choir, we will start every session with vocal warmups that will limber and open our voices. And as we sing our songs, we will learn to listen more closely to those around us, to feel how tone and rhythm is expressed through vibration, helping us tune into pitch and melody.

We do use sheet music for some of the songs we sing, but the majority are learned by ear. More importantly, all lyrics and practice tracks to each song we learn will be accessible online!

We host a public, participatory Finale towards the end of the season so that friends and family can learn and enjoy some of our songs. Choir members do perform at this event, and often we incorporate simple dance into the performance, such as circle dances. You are not required to dance if this is out of your comfort zone- this is something we work out during our sessions. Our ritual, however, which takes during the season, is a private event that does not involve any performance for the public.

Children 10 years or older who can focus and participate are welcome in the space as paid, full participants. I ask that you not bring non-participating youth or children, unless they are quiet babies-in-arms.

You must talk to me (Saro) first to make sure the space will be appropriate for your child. Email me at sarosingssongs@gmail.com with any questions.

No. WNC Pagan Choir does not draw from a particular pagan discipline, nor is it a mystery school or coven. We do use the Wheel of the Year (a modern, syncretized pagan calendar) as an entry point to explore various pagan holidays, and many of our songs will have a general focus on the North Atlantic Islands (England, Ireland, Scotland). Our approach is respectful but eclectic, so expect anything from modern songs about nettles and waterways to Lithuanian folk song to Anglo-Saxon charms and Gaelic-inspired invocations.

I (Saro) am a diasporic person of many lineages, as are the majority of choir members. When we come from diaspora, we are faced with the challenge of learning how to respectfully reengage with cultural traditions that have been lost to us. The spiritual traditions from which our songs originate are open- they are meant for everyone. I take the time to learn from respected and authentic resources concerning the folkways from which our songs are sourced, and regularly consult with researchers and singers when learning and adapting repertoire.

Anyone in the midst of an active seasonal sickness (actively expressing symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, snotting etc) is asked to stay home and come back the next week. Anyone who is expressing only a small amount of residual symptoms well out of the contagious window may attend in-person masked with a Kn95 style mask. If you’re unsure if you should attend in person, just email Saro. Anyone who wishes to wear a mask out of their own preference is, of course, welcome to do so. Thank you for following these policies and helping to keep everyone in our community healthy!

You are welcome to come as you are able, and it’s expected that choir members won’t be able to make every session (life happens!). However, as we get closer to the date of the Finale, we will spend more time focusing on performance during our sessions, and a few additional rehearsals will be scheduled as well.

Our space is wheelchair accessible.

We will be physically active during our sessions, doing a mix of standing, walking, dancing and sitting- but you are invited to take care of your body in the ways that you need. If you need to limit your movement, chairs will always be available.

We typically incorporate circle dances or simple, coordinated movement into some of our songs. You are not required to dance if this is out of your comfort zone- for any song with a dance component we will also provide a participatory, non-dancing option.