Songs Of
Mother Europe
An 11-week workshop series
to explore the ancient songs and sounds of Europe!
OCTOBER 3, 2023 – DECEMBER 12, 2023
Tuesdays at 9:30am PT/12:30 ET/5:30pm London Time
In these modern times we are so privileged to receive cultural wisdom from all over the world, and yet, so many of us yearn to remember our own people's ways.
Teachers have been featured in
What’s Included
This Songs of Mother Europe series is intended to connect you more deeply with your ancestral remembrance – in visceral ways – through learning the old methods of singing.
We know that song has the power to awaken ancient memory.
My prayer is that this series will do just that.
- Opening and Closing Calls w/ Hanna Leigh
- 9 Singing & Storytelling Workshops with Guest Teachers
- 3 Bonus Sessions w/ Hanna Leigh & Guest Teachers
- A moderated community sharing forum (not on FB)
What You'll Learn
10 song carriers will point us back to our indigenous European roots through the teaching of old songs and ways of singing.
- 11+ simple, old/traditional songs from 8 regions throughout Europe
- Cultural context that these songs arise from
- Accompanying vocal technique of different traditions
Participant Reviews
How It Works
Step One
Confirm your interest by signing up on the registration page.
Step Two
Put the classes & bonus sessions on your calendar.
Step Three
Join us live for these rich, cultural singing workshops!
Why This Program?
Hi! My name is Hanna Leigh, (IG: @hannaleighsong) originally from California (Chumash territory) though currently on an extended ancestral pilgrimage in the British Isles. My people migrated to the U.S. several generations ago from England, Scotland, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands.
I created this program out of a clear calling to begin tracing the songlines of my European ancestry, and to provide a space for others who are also called to rediscover these old pathways of song.
As a Singer-Songwriter, Voice Doula, Ritualist, and Devotee of this precious, living Earth, I’ve had the gift of attending many beautiful ceremonies of indigenous peoples over the last 15 years. At some point I realized that I had gathered a bundle of medicine songs & chants from diverse world traditions – but none from the lands of my ancestors!
Here I have gathered knowledgeable song-carriers & culture-bearers from across Europe to teach us the old songs and ways of singing.
Who Is This For?
Those who wish to learn old songs and ways of singing from Europe
Lovers of song (even if you don’t consider yourself a “singer”)
Those who are inspired to connect with ancestral wisdom and remember the old ways
“Our songs travel the earth.
We sing to one another.
Not a single note is ever lost and no song is original.
They all come from the same place and go back to a time when only the stones howled.”
Louise Erdrich
Program Overview
Through the songs and sounds shared by our guest teachers, may the living reality of earth and ancestral belonging be rekindled within you.
Classes are on Tuesdays @ 9:30am PST/5:30pm GMT (90-Minute Calls)
Week 1
3rd October
Opening Call w/ Hanna Leigh
Week 2
10th October
An Irish Gaelic Song for Samhain w/ Mary McLaughlin
Week 3
17th October
The Norse Way of Magical Singing w/ Gudrun Victoria Gotved
Week 4
24th October
Yiddish & Ladino: Jewish Songs of Europe w/ Cantor Shayndel Adler
Week 5
31st October
The Sámi Yoik – A Way of Evoking Life w/ Elin Teilus
Week 6
7th November
Georgian Polyphonic Singing w/ Carl Linich
Week 7
14th November
Serbian Songs for the Rain w/ Svetlana Spajić
Week 8
21st November
Tarantelle and Healing Chants from Southern Italy w/ Alessandra Belloni
Week 9
28th November
Scottish Gaelic Work Songs w/ Maeve Mackinnon
Week 10
5th December
Finnish Songs for Inner Power w/ Eeva Maria Leino
Week 11
12th December
Closing Call w/ Hanna Leigh
Program Deep Dive
Many may have forgotten the old ways, though gratefully there are those still keeping the skills and songs alive, and others of us who are relearning them.
May our time together help us to remember our own motherland.
Week 1
Opening Call w/ Hanna Leigh
Join us for our Opening Call, which is a time to ground into our journey together, and hear from the community about what has inspired us to join this series at this time.
As well as sharing some basic vocal embodiment exercises, Hanna Leigh will lead us in a guided meditation to connect with a circle of our wise ancestors, so that we may listen and receive their songs and messages.
Week 2
An Irish Gaelic Song for Samhain w/ Mary McLaughlin
Mary Mclaughlin is a singer/songwriter/teacher who is steeped in the Ulster Gaelic song tradition of her native Ireland where she was born and raised. Mary records, performs, and teaches workshops in Irish singing, technique, and Gaelic song and culture. She has toured extensively throughout the UK, Ireland, and North America, teaching and performing at Celtic/Irish camps. She has recorded five CDs to international acclaim, written two songbooks, and completed a Ph.D. in Irish Otherworld Song. Her particular expertise is in the Keen, Gaelic Christmas songs, and Fairy Song.
Week 3
The Norse Way of Magical Singing w/ Gudrun Victoria Gotved
Gudrun Victoria Gotved was born in the south of Denmark and is the author of three books on Norse spirituality. She has worked at the Ribe Vikingecenter for more than 14 years, and there is considered the “Völva” (medicine woman) of the community. She is well-studied in Norse mythology, particularly in the knowledge of seiðr, galdr & rune guidance, and has considered herself an “Asatru” since early childhood. She has taught numerous workshops in the old Norse way of singing, as well as lecturing around the themes of being an Asatru and a Völva.
Week 4
Yiddish & Ladino: Jewish Songs of Europe w/ Cantor Shayndel Adler
Cantor Shayndel Adler (she/her) is a ritual officiant, healing practitioner and educator. She received her cantorial ordination from ALEPH (Alliance for Jewish Renewal) and is an ordained Kohenet Hebrew Priestess. Shayndel’s ancestral lineage is Ashkenazi Jewish and she has been singing and leading Hebrew prayers and Jewish music since childhood. In addition, Shayndel is a teacher of Uncovering the Voice, a certified Atma Buti Sound Healer and a Soul Memory Discovery Facilitator.
Week 5
The Sámi Yoik – A Way of Evoking Life w/ Elin Teilus
Elin Teilus is a Sámi singer, yoiker and artist with her roots far north in Sápmi, Sweden. She is a touring artist in music and theatre in Sweden and abroad, including for example performances for the Sámi parliament, and the Swedish parliament on National TV and radio. She is described as a force of nature, with a unique presence and a magical voice, a bringer of yoik, the beautiful traditional music of the Sámi people into new realms. At the heart of her artistry is the love of the Earth and all of the living. Elin invites you to remember the sacred connection with Life that dwells in every human, the inherent bond with nature and spirit.
Week 6
Georgian Polyphonic Singing w/ Carl Linich
Carl Linich has been studying, singing, and teaching traditional polyphonic folk and liturgical music from Caucasus Georgia since 1990. Originally from NY, Carl lived in Tbilisi, Georgia, for about a decade, traveling extensively, meeting singers, making field recordings, and amassing a tremendous repertoire of songs. In recognition of his work to promote and preserve traditional Georgian culture, Carl is a Silver Medal State Laureate of Georgia (1995) and has been awarded the Georgian President’s Order of Merit (2009). Since relocating back to the US, Carl has directed The Supruli Choir in New York City, the Bard College Georgian Choir, and his own family trio with his two sons. Carl holds an MFA (2004) in Music / Vocal Performance from Bennington College in Vermont.
Week 7
Serbian Songs for the Rain w/ Svetlana Spajić
Svetlana Spajić is recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities on the ancient, orally transmitted vocal traditions of Serbia and the Balkans, and has made her special expertise the study of microtonal a cappella singing and its unique vocal techniques and ornamentation. Her research in the subject has led her to travel the Balkans, studying firsthand with the best village singers of oldest generation. She has embodied her 25 years of knowledge and experience into the working process of the Svetlana Spajic Group, a Belgrade based female ensemble which actively includes the village singers who often publicly perform with the group. She holds lectures and workshops on Serbian traditional singing and culture in the country and abroad and regularly co-operates with art and music academies worldwide.
Week 8
Tarantelle and Healing Chants from Southern Italy w/ Alessandra Belloni
Alessandra Belloni is an award-winning tambourine virtuoso, singer, dancer and actress, born in Rome, Italy and committed to preserving the strong and rich traditions of her culture. She is the author of the book “Healing Journeys with the Black Madonna” published by Inner Traditions – Bear & Company, and also the Artistic Director, Founder and Lead Performer of “I GIULLARI DI PIAZZA”, an Italian Music, Theatre and Dance Ensemble who is Artists-in-Residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. She is also the designer of a line of signature series Italian tambourines made by Remo. She is the only woman in the U.S. and in Italy who specializes in traditional Southern Italian folk dances and percussion combined with singing that she learned in Southern Italy.
Week 9
Scottish Gaelic Work Songs w/ Maeve Mackinnon
Maeve Mackinnon is a Gaelic singer and experienced workshop leader from Scotland. Her voice has been described by Mark Radcliffe (BBC Radio 2) as “exquisite”, and Songlines magazine described her new release as, “an album of stunning Gaelic songs delivered by an equally stunning Gaelic voice”. Amidst award nominations and wins, Maeve has released three solo albums in 10 years to critical acclaim. Between albums, Mackinnon has toured internationally as well as at home with her own band, as well as with renowned groups such as The Stepcrew, Salsa Celtica and McFall’s Chamber. In 2015 she was the featured soloist in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo playing to capacity crowds of 3000 per night. 2018 saw the release of her third album, Strì, to four and five star reviews. She received a nomination at the MG Alba Trad Music Awards for Gaelic Singer of the Year in 2018.
Week 10
Finnish Songs for Inner Power w/ Eeva Maria Leino
Eeva Maria Leino grew up in the Finnish countryside and has dedicated herself to the study and teaching of Finnish mythology, folklore, herbalism and ancestral wisdom, having written two books in Finnish that weave these subjects with depth psychology. Her path of singing has taken many diverse shapes, including being a vocalist in a metal band, and later finding her voice more deeply through finno-ugric shamanistic traditions, utilizing drum and kantele. Her work is devoted to supporting people to connect with the inner power of the soul, called “haltija” in Finnish.
Week 11
Closing Call w/ Hanna Leigh
Join us for our Closing Call with Hanna Leigh – a time to gather for community sharing and integration. Bring a cup of tea, share your experience, and sing with us as we near the Solstice.
Simple Pricing
Pay In Full
Pay in full for:-
11 LIVE Workshops on Zoom
-
3 bonus sessions
-
Weave with a network of like-minded folks
-
Connect with ancestral songs
Payment Plan
Pay in installments-
11 LIVE Workshops on Zoom
-
3 bonus sessions
-
Weave with a network of like-minded folks
-
Connect with ancestral songs
Extended Plan
Pay in Installments-
11 LIVE Workshops on Zoom
-
3 bonus sessions
-
Weave with a network of like-minded folks
-
Connect with ancestral songs
Bonuses
Community Sharing & Integration
Bonus Session w/ Hanna Leigh - October 26th @ 9:30am PDT / 5:30pm BST
Autumn Sound Journey
Bonus Session w/ Lana Lanaia - November 9th @ 9:30am PST / 5:30pm GMT
Community Sharing & Integration
Bonus Session w/ Hanna Leigh - November 16th @ 9:30am PST / 5:30pm GMT
Autumn Sound Journey
w/ Lana Lanaia
Frequently Asked Questions
This offering is happening online through Zoom, with teachers joining us from several different countries.
Each workshop is 90-minutes in length.
Yes. They will be recorded and sent out soon after each class.
No. The nature of the content delivery is that you purchase the entire course.
You will have access to the recordings for up to one year, and possibly longer.
No, all levels are welcome.
No. There will be a Q&A time during each call, though no one will be “put on the spot”.
No. Due to the delivery of course content, all sales are final.