Let It Begin Now

Track Listings

1. Spirits

2. Lyke-Wake Dirge

3. The Guardian Song

4. No End to the Circle (Goddess Invocation)

5. Honor to the Untamed God

6. The God Song

7. Set Sail

8. The Gates

9. Let It Begin Now

10. No End to the Circle (Devocation)

11. Demeter's Song

Editorial Reviews
Craig McLaughlin, Reclaiming Newsletter, Samhain 1992
In a culture suffering from a serious dearth of high-quality recorded Pagan music, this recording is cause for celebration.

Product Description
These 11 beautiful, evocative songs and chants from Reclaiming's Spiral Dance ritual are played in both a capella and full choral styles, with dance-inducing instrumentals. The songs take the listener through the stages of the ritual--the invocation of the directions, the Goddess and God, the journey to the island of the dead and unborn, the spiral dance itself, the affirmation of positive change, and closing the circle. Includes vocals by Suzanne Sterling, Deborah Hamouris, Susan Falkenrath, Anne Hill, and Max Ventura. A ritual in itself, this tape captures the magic of Samhain.

Let It Begin Now

Let It Begin Now,Reclaiming & Friends Starhawk,Reclaiming Records,New Age / Meditation,Pop,Rock/Pop

Let It Begin Now

Tracks:

Spirits
Lyke-Wake Dirge
The Guardian Song
No End to the Circle (Goddess Invocation)
Honor to the Untamed God
The God Song
Set Sail
The Gates
Let It Begin Now
No End to the Circle (Devocation)
Demeters Song

Product Description

In 1979, Reclaiming held the first public Spiral Dance ritual, to celebrate Samhain (Halloween), and the publication of Starhawk's book, "The Spiral Dance." Since then, the Spiral Dance ritual has steadily evolved, most profoundly by the inclusion of beautiful original music. The music marks the key points of the ritual and this 1992 recording conveys the flow of the ritual. These songs and chants from Reclaiming's Spiral Dance ritual are played in a variety of musical styles, from a capella to full choral arrangements with complex instrumentals.

Customer Reviews:

I Would Have Been Better Off Using The Money For This CD To Wipe My Behind.......2006-02-10

After reading all of the other reviews, I was convinced that this was one of the greatest CDs for ritual that could be found. One person even referred to this CD as a "ritual in a box." Well, I guess that person has never been to a ritual that was anywhere near being worthy of anyones time. The songs lacked sound structure, there was no lyrics sheet (because, of course, there was no structure), and the music was absolutely horrible. The voices of the singers was so beyond being abrasive, that I couldn't bear to listen for very long.

Beautiful Witches' Samhain Recording.......2005-10-11

This CD follows the cycle of a Samhain (Halloween) ritual, with purification, invocations, and magical working. You may have to fill in a few gaps with your imagination, but this CD has a nice magical flow.

The music is acoustic, and is mostly rhythmic. Various hand-drums are the most prominent instruments, along with guitars, keybords, and occasional horns or strings. The singing varies in quality. But overall it holds up well after repeated listenings. The lyrics, by Starhawk and others, are very rich, and give a strong ecological twist to "Earth-Based Spirituality."

For Pagans of any stripe, this is a five-star CD. For the curious, it is a good starting place (or perhaps try "Chants: Ritual Music," by the same people). For ecologically-aware listeners, this music places ecology in a broader spiritual framework without diluting it.

Music from every Witches' favorite holiday..........2005-06-01

The music presented in 'Let It Begin Now' is rich and real, relying less on theatrics and production and more on *feeling*, theology, creativity, and spirit. It's subtitle, 'Music from the Spiral Dance' lets us know a little bit about what we might expect; the Spiral Dance being the name of the annual Samhain (Halloween) celebration that is offered every year by Starhawk and the Reclaiming community that honors the processes of death and renewal. Included are mournful dirges, and well as uplifting pieces that remind us of the continuing cycle of life. ("The old years' fruit comes to your hand... it's the seed of the year that's to begin...")

Great pagan music.......2004-02-27

I had an old warn out cassette of this music and I'm glad to see that it's now available in CD format. The sound quality is much better than the old cassette. The style is what one might call "pagan folk." Some of the singers have great voices, and the arrangements are well done. I'm always disappointed when it comes to the end of the songs.

Like "Godspell" for Pagans.......2001-11-16

This album makes me think of Godspell, but for Pagans. Do you know that play? Godspell is a musical that's sort of a celebration of Christianity and Christian values.

Well, this album is like the Godspell for pagans. It's like a musical play, in which each singer takes on a different "role" and together, they present a loose story based on pagan beliefs and values.

Some of the singers are absolutely fabulous. The a capella opening chant praying to the four elements in a time of trial is a beautiful intro to the album. It's followed by a group chant about generosity toward friends in Wiccan terms. That's a very haunting piece that really sticks in your head when it's over. Then a beautiful male vocalist sings praise to a couple of male gods. And then the highlight of the album, no doubt is the theme "Let it Begin Now" which is an extra long-playing song in which all the characters take part and sing a verse. There's some improv, there's some contageous chanting. The song just goes and on, freely and wildly. And it is wonderful!

I would definitely recommend this album if you collect music related to one of the older European religions (pre-Christian). I would also recommend it if you enjoy musical plays, because it sounds like the soundtrack to a play, with all the characters singing different parts.

Customer Reviews:

great, great!!!.......2006-12-05

This is the way ,I think, Purcell should sound. No pomp and surcomstance but only great music.

ALL THE MUSIC YOU EVER NEED!!.......2003-05-23

This boxed set is by far one of the best purchases I have ever made. As a Purcell freak, this hits every button I have. The cast of characters include the inequitable Robert King, New College Choir, Bowman, and a host of other venerable persons. Likewise the attention to period performance of these works makes it an essential addition to the library of any serious anglophile/Musicologist etc. Now if only the Britten Realizations of all Purcell's songs could be recorded alongside the originals! You will Love this set!