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Writer's picturecherylmurfin

45. Stella Splendens as Teacher

Updated: Feb 12, 2019

As part of a year of finding my voice, I am learning to sing. Not just belting out tunes in the shower or whisper-singing my kids to sleep as I did for many years. I'm learning the singing that is a whole body experience from a masterful, caring teacher. It's a slow process and she is so patient. I'm still kinda nasally and easily breathless. But each day is a little better. What an amazing gift to free the instrument I've always had within my body and grow more confident in the sound of myself. Stella Splendens, excerpted below, is an ancient pilgrim song that I sang daily on my walk and is the focus on my learning now.

Stella Splendens is an ancient pilgrim song I began to learn on the Camino.

Learning to Sing at 52


Posture

Sew your feet the Earth

Ground yourself in that space an inch below the navel

Arms relaxed, head loose

Back strong, but not tight or arched

Ready

Ready like walking in the woods

Listening for the bear around the corner

Who isn’t really there

But might be


Breathe

In through the mouth with surprise and an inner smile

Get out of the way of the diaphragm’s drop

Say yes to the belly ballooning

Then release — release — the out breath, like a river, unforced

Lifted

Feel, don’t hear, pure sound rising

On the tide of a perfect instrument

Tones soaring to the top of each breath

Now inhale again


Imagine

The bellows of sound

Moving in and down, up and out of your sacred space

Savor the notes on your tongue as you release them

Rushing to meet the intention of Lyricist

Words

Celebrate the dream of the song poet

The clarity of vowels in Latin

The beat of the drum and pilgrims feet

Singing themselves home


Sing

Stella splendens in monte ut solis radium

Miraculis serrato exaudi populum.

Concurrent universi gaudentes populi.

Divites et egeni, grandes et parvuli.

Ipsum ingrediuntur ut cernunt oculi,

Et inde revertuntur graciis repleti.


Live

The Resplendent star of the mountain like a sunbeam

Miraculously growing, hear your people.

They all flock together, glad people;

Rich and poor, high and low.

They climb the mountain as soon as they see it

And return from it full of Grace.


~ Cheryl Murfin with lyrics & translation of Llibre Vermell de Montserrat (14c)



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