WAIL OF THE BANSHEE
Vocal liberation workshop
In Celtic tradition, 2 powerful vocal expressions marked the relationship with loss: the foretelling wail of the banshee (or bean sídhe) and the ritual lamentations of keening women (mná caointe) who helped communities process grief through sound.
We are delighted to invite you to join enchanting singer and voice liberation guide Katya Barton (of The Listening Voice) for this powerful hour-long workshop at the very beginning of our event as we explore what our ancestors knew - that grief must be voiced. Her work serves as a magical companion to our broader night, enabling us all to release, and commune and align in astonishing beauty.
We all carry unspoken sorrows: grief for the selves we've left behind, grief for lost connections, grief for the village life we're biologically wired for, yet no longer experience. In our modern world, these laments so often go unexpressed, trapped in our bodies and psyches.
By acknowledging what we carry, we create space for what's to come. This ritual of sound offers the perfect threshold - let go of what weighs you down before surrendering to the ecstatic celebration that follows. We’ll explore:
RESERVE YOUR PLACE
- The healing power of uninhibited vocal expression
- Traditional Celtic keening sounds
- How grief, when voiced, transforms into integration
- Reconnecting to your authentic, sovereign voice
No singing experience necessary - only the courage to listen deeply and allow your body's natural capacity for sound to emerge. This work isn't about performance but presence, not about perfection but permission.
Guests will need to arrive early to the venue to enter at 9:45 latest. All workshop attendees will have guaranteed speedy entry!
The workshop starts at 10pm sharp & to preserve the container, latecomers will not be admitted. This is an utterly unique opportunity that we are unbelievably excited to offer!
ABOUT YOUR GUIDE
Katya Barton is a singer, writer, and guide and runs The Listening Voice.
"This work is in service to guiding individuals to reclaiming their authentic voice and reminding the body of its natural capacity for release, healing and integration. The practices are an invitation back to your own sovereign listening so that you, your witnessing presence and the natural expression of your body can take agency." – Katya Barton
*Please note: This is a free experience for guests of our main event, CELTIC SPRING, but places are strictly limited, so please reserve your place. You must have a ticket to Celtic Spring in order to attend.
