Thank you so much for organizing this! I had a great time.
Things I enjoyed:
The theme of the evening came through really well. The transitions from WWI to the Cold War felt smooth and seamless.
I’m glad the song lyrics were online as a backup when the projector was having problems
I thought the seating and candles worked very well, it was cozy and intimate without being overly crowded.
I loved all the readings. The Goddess of Everything Else is an old favorite, and the story of Christmas in France feels incredibly appropriate for Secular Solstice — both tragic and hopeful.
Julia’s solo was beautiful and very moving.
From my perspective as someone sitting toward the back of the room, I wish there had been one song leader with a mic. I could hear the instruments well, but it felt like the people around me were singing to three different tunes, which made it difficult to sing along, especially as I’d never heard several of the songs. I think having no leader works for commonly known songs (like X Days of X-Risk, or Here Comes the Sun), but for uncommon songs, maybe:
Have someone on a mic,
Have someone sing the first verse solo first to give everyone the tune, or
Make the more difficult songs solos.
Overall, though, it was moving and great, and I’m looking forward to the next one!
Thank you so much for organizing this! I had a great time.
Things I enjoyed:
The theme of the evening came through really well. The transitions from WWI to the Cold War felt smooth and seamless.
I’m glad the song lyrics were online as a backup when the projector was having problems
I thought the seating and candles worked very well, it was cozy and intimate without being overly crowded.
I loved all the readings. The Goddess of Everything Else is an old favorite, and the story of Christmas in France feels incredibly appropriate for Secular Solstice — both tragic and hopeful.
Julia’s solo was beautiful and very moving.
From my perspective as someone sitting toward the back of the room, I wish there had been one song leader with a mic. I could hear the instruments well, but it felt like the people around me were singing to three different tunes, which made it difficult to sing along, especially as I’d never heard several of the songs. I think having no leader works for commonly known songs (like X Days of X-Risk, or Here Comes the Sun), but for uncommon songs, maybe:
Have someone on a mic,
Have someone sing the first verse solo first to give everyone the tune, or
Make the more difficult songs solos.
Overall, though, it was moving and great, and I’m looking forward to the next one!