Sounding the River Festival

Sounding the River celebrates diversity with performers Nanapowe, the Drummers of the Mohican nation;the Youth Alive Step Dancers form Pitsfield, MA and many others representing multicultural players in the community. The performance itself is a vibrant celebration of the river that includes pageantry, bang-on-the-can style music and audience participation. After following the Taconic stream - drumming and chanting, stopping by the dramatic cascading waterfall,  Sounding the River's celebration will end at Pumpkin Hollow's peace prayer pole,  high above stream amidst the hemolock- lined gorge.

Day Long Event: This year's event is a day-long celebration
that include  drum circles with Nanapowe, who are coming from Bowler
Wisconsin (also participating in Kripalu's Sacred Pulse week);Youth
Alive and tabla players; and a Mohican slide show by Mohican scholar
Lion Miles.  Eco-friendly vendors will share information on water
conservation and uses for solar energy.

Visit their site: http://soundingtheriver.blogspot.com/.  

Lesley Beck, the editor of the Berkshire Week who took part in the
first RiverMASS wrote a glowing review: http:/joanspies.com/page5.php

Written and directed by
JoAnne Spies,
this celebration was first created in 2004 as part of a countywide celebration of the Housatonic River.  RiverMASS in its third incarnation as Sounding the River
will cross state lines into Columbia County when it takes place at
Pumpkin Hollow Retreat Center, Craryville, NY.

Jody Rael of Solaquar in Chatham, NY will use her solar-powered sound system. The
Mohican lecture will highlight the Shaker- Mohican connection. Lion
Miles and Joanne Spies are seeking to recreate the Big House Ceremony
of the Lenape where different songs and ceremonies can be experienced
and new songs created by participants.