thanksgiving 2011 - how can i keep from singing?

Thanksgiving 2011
this year has held incredible highs and far reaching lows.
It has been a year of living each day .....being fully awake 
for what that day held
both intense joy
and significant pain
but through it all
I have known again the gift of song
Singing connects me with my soul
through all of life's experiences
songs express - and help me to express
my soul, our soul
stories
so I want to give thanks
thanks for the songs
that have come like gifts
floating from heaven
rising from the earth
these songs that I now am able to share with many others
and these songs heal me
heal us
restore us
and remind us of a deeper truth
of the 'song from beyond'


I also want to give thanks for the 
beautiful community that surrounds me
in love
mirroring back to me
truth
love
friendship 
and 
hope
thank you
thank you
thank you


the words of this classic song express my heart this thanksgiving day:


My life goes on in endless song
above earth's lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
that hails a new creation.

Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear it's music ringing,
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?

Oh though the tempest loudly roars,
I hear the truth, it liveth.
Oh though the darkness 'round me close,
Songs in the night it giveth.

No storm can shake my inmost calm,
While to that rock I'm clinging.
Since love is lord of heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing?

When tyrants tremble in their fear
And hear their death knell ringing,
When friends rejoice both far and near
How can I keep from singing?

No storm can shake my inmost calm,
While to that rock I'm clinging.
Since love is lord of heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing?

My life goes on in endless song
Above earth's lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
How can I keep from singing?

Lord, how can I keep from singing?
Oh, how can I keep from singing?


I will be performing two Love Shines concerts
with Boris Sichon, Kevin Boese & Jonathan VanDyke


Saturday Oct 15, St. John's Anglican Church  Chilliwack
7:30pm  $15 at door
Saturday Oct 22  House of James Abbotsford(with Rebecca Sichon)
7:30pm $15 at door


would love to see you there


Thursday Oct 27/Friday Oct 28 - at Gospel Music Awards of Canada in Calgary

Cathy & her band of men

photo by revival art studio www.rastudio.ca

  This photo was taken just before the Love Shines concert on April 16th - you may not be able to tell - but there were still a few butterflies in my stomach at this moment!  These guys really were fantastic that night and I want to tell you a bit about each of them ...
On the far right - Philip Janz.  Philip is the guy that produced the whole CD and engineered and mixed it as well.  He is incredibly talented as a musician and as a producer.  He has an amazing ear and understood the direction of many of my songs as I shared them with him in a simple form at the beginning of the project.  Philip believed in me and pushed me to be the best.  He was an amazing support for this release concert and played drums and sang with me.  I love this guy!
Beside Philip - Peter Davyduck.  Peter is a new friend of mine and I love his positive energy.  He was so supportive in the studio and gave his all at our rehearsal and performance on the 16th.  Peter - I want you to join me again!
Between me and Peter is Kevin Boese. Kevin I have known the longest of this gang....for around 16 years.  He has been a faithful friend and a huge supporter of my dreams.  He has served me in a zillion practical ways with setting up sound equipment, performing with me and encouraging me in my dreams. He is a great friend and was an awesome support at this concert.
On the other side of me is Brian Thiessen.  Brian did an incredible job of playing various guitar-like instruments on the recording.  His musical touch adds a lot to the Love Shines CD.  Brian put his back out on the week of the concert and was in tremendous pain that night.  But he served me in the midst of his pain and played incredibly.  Thank you Brian.
Beside Brian Thiessen is Jonathan VanDyke.  Jon and I have been friends for around 5 years now and he has an incredible voice.  It was awesome to have him there at the concert to add some harmonies and textures vocally.  thanks Jon.

On the far left is Boris Sichon.  Many people after the concert came to me and told me how much they loved the concert - and then they would add......and that Boris!!  Wow!  Boris has travelled all over the world performing on many world stages with his talent.  To have him support me in my musical dreams has been a deep honour.  I have learned so much from working with him and have enjoyed every minute of it.  Lots of laughs and good times we have had sharing music together.
what a great group of guys to surround me as I sang my heart out!!

photo by Jason Brown of Revival Art Studio  rastudio.ca

Looking Up

photography by revival art studio rastudio.ca

Yesterday we looked up 

It was the one year anniversary of the 

passing of Christian Friesen, my nephew 

and a few of us gathered at the cemetery to 

place his ashes in a beautiful wall, called Dogwood.

Instead of hanging our heads in sorrow, 

we released balloons and 

looked up.

It was a sign of hope

A choice

to keep going-

to have faith in tomorrow

to keep dreaming-

to LIVE.

Yesterday was also a celebration of a birth

....I picked up 2000 copies of Love Shines !!

My goal was to have it ready by March 25 

so I could give the first copy to 

my brother and his wife...

and that happened.

Love Shines in the middle of our darkness

Love Shines is a CD filled with hope. 

I'm so excited to share this with everyone.......

soon.....

April 16th - come to the 

CD Release Concert- 

and celebrate LIFE with me.

photo by revival art studios  www.rastudio.ca

Love Shines CD Release Concert

April 16, 2011

7:30pm

Matsqui Auditorium Abbotsford

I want to sing.

This is the message that came up from my core that day 

12 years ago

when I stood on the street corner of North Decatur Road and Clairmont in Atlanta, Georgia.

I had been asked 'what do I want'? two weeks earlier by a professional trying to help me deal with my deep depression.  I was dumbfounded by the question.

I had no answer.

all I could think of was what other people would say.

I had lost my voice.  I didn't know who I was or what I wanted.

I didn't know my own heart any more.  I was asleep.

I held this question throughout my days and nights and to my great surprise, this childhood longing emerged that day as I waited for a cross-walk sign.

I paid attention....and auditioned for a community choir.  it was the beginning of finding myself again.  My voice was soft and weak....frail.  But I sang with this choir for 3 years and gradually grew stronger.

It has been a journey - to find my voice...a long, long healing journey.

This concert is a celebration of that journey.

I invite you to join me as I sing.

I want to share these songs with you and with as many people as I can.

APRIL 16th - YOU ARE INVITED
LOVE SHINES RELEASE CONCERT

Well.....a major step has been taken and the Matsqui Auditorium has been booked for a LOVE SHINES CD release event on Saturday, April 16th at 7:30 pm.
Tickets and posters will start going out next week - but I wanted to announce the date today to let people start to know.
More info to follow next week!