RECENTLY . . .
By Valarie Schwartz
Cynthia Crossen of Chatham County had a glimpse of Athena’s new vision in January 1986, when she became inspired to expand her musicality beyond the singing groups she’d written for and performed with since her 20s.
“I wanted to write a choral piece,†she said this week from the home she and her husband, Ken Crossen, built on land they bought near Chicken Bridge after they moved to North Carolina in 1972. Collaboration with her community of musicians culminated in The Goddess Suite, performed by women in praise of women.
“I feel like I tapped into some inspiration flowing through me,†Crossen said. “It was a gift to me, but it came through collaboration.†The debut was in the Forest Theater, with other performances around the Triangle during 1986 and ’87.
“We shall work for change, we shall work for peace.â€
Her only child, a son named Jesse, was 4 when she conceived and first delivered the suite. She continued a life of serving her community through song and projects and through the Haw River Assembly, where she provides creekside environmental education programs. Then last October, a challenge was posed to Crossen – to revive The Goddess Suite.
“We shall find our wisdom in the dreams we weave.â€
The request came from perhaps the only person who could have helped Crossen find her way to agreement – Hope Wilder, her daughter-in-law. Crossen took the request with her as she spent her 60th birthday on a solo campout on the family land, where Jesse and Hope now also have a home. She remembered the “spirit of love, inclusion and connectedness with people and community†during the previous performances, while concentrating on staying centered within herself, her mission for this period of her life.
Wilder, 25, on a break from teaching as a result of Lyme disease, agreed to co-produce. “I had no idea what I was getting into,†she said. But the rewards – the reception by women willing to participate, the chance to witness the melding of talents and further consecration of the love of her mother-in-law – have overshadowed the work involved.
“Athena, help us weave a new dream.â€
“Hope is an amazing human being and she’s going to be standing on my shoulders,†Crossen said. “She’s been a wonderful partner in this.â€
Each of the four performances will be a fundraiser for local nonprofits representing traits or needs of the seven goddesses profiled in the work. The 30-plus women involved range in age from 11 to near 70. There are singers, a keyboardist, flautists, percussionists, a cellist and dance interpreters, all conducted by Sheila Fleming.
There have been pre-show parties, and groups of women have gathered their children and friends to attend.
“We opened the door to people we didn’t know,†Crossen said, “and our kind of people showed up. I’m very open to the ripple effect; I’ve no idea where it’s going to go.â€
Contact Valarie Schwartz at 923-3746 or valariekays@mac.com
Performances
All begin at 7 p.m.; recommended donation $7
June 19: Forest Theater, Chapel Hill
June 20: Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Durham
June 26: Northwood High School, Pittsboro
June 27: Forest Theater
