Kitka Wintersongs Supra! A Seasonal Feast of Songs from Georgia
114 Montecito ave, Oakland
December 21, 2024
The Kitka Women's Vocal Ensemble graced the acoustically sound halls of St. Paul's Episcopal Church for an unforgettable night of song on the longest night of the year, the winter solstice. Their voices rising in haunting harmonies, the ensemble carried the audience through a liminal space where time and light stood still—offering the promise that, despite the darkness, light would return. Their performance, Supra! A Seasonal Feast of Songs from Georgia, was a mesmerizing journey, weaving together songs of harvests, divine femininity, and ancient rituals.
The women of Kitka, many of whom are seasoned vocalists and arrangers, possess an uncanny ability to transform the air around them. Tilting their heads and calling to one another as if caught in secret bird-like songs, they conjured something both ethereal and fierce. It was as if the earth was speaking through them—songs that felt both primordial and immediate. For two hours, the audience was completely enchanted, each note reverberating through the sacred space with astonishing clarity and depth.
The choir’s recent trip to Georgia—where they immersed themselves in performances, scholarly presentations, and study with traditional song masters—left a profound mark on the ensemble. Drawing from this experience, they returned with fresh skills and a newly refined emotional depth, imbuing great power into the performance. The singers’ faces glowed with joy, their smiles illuminating the room as they poured themselves into the songs, as if they were tasting the very essence of life, and finding it sweet.
But this was no ordinary choir. Kitka’s music is a force that rattles the core and leaves its listeners breathless. It is not just about listening to a vocal performance—this music demands to be felt, experienced, and absorbed. It seeps into your body, settling deep into your chest and leaving an indelible emotional imprint.
Shira Cion, Kitka’s executive and artistic director, explains the ensemble’s commitment to creating original work: “Many of our members are talented composers and arrangers who create new settings of folk songs for the ensemble. We also love to collaborate with a wide variety of composers who create new music inspired by Kitka's unique and wide-ranging sonic palette. Some of the more notable composers we've worked with include Meredith Monk, David Lang, Pauline Oliveros, Karmina Šilec, Chen Yi, and dozens of others.”
When I ask Cion what drew her to this particular type of music, she reflects, “For me, it is a combination of the close, lush, and often dissonant harmonies, the unusual odd-metered rhythms, the intricate ornamentation, and the vast range of vocal techniques that utilize a much more 'natural' vocal technique than what we are accustomed to in Western classical choral music." She’s right—Kitka's work feels fundamentally different from the choirs we know from churches or traditional choral settings. There is a raw, organic quality to their sound, something more primal and alive.
The repertoire they presented on this night included songs dating back to pre-Christian times—songs of healing, of gods and goddesses who might not be as forgotten as we imagine. The weight of harvests large enough to feed families through winters hang heavy on the vine and just our of reach. The songs speak of survival and a world of spirits intertwining with the mortal. These melodies connect the listener to something ancient and transcendent.
One piece, addressing the Bat'onebi (Spirit Lords of Disease), soothed the spirits with song, urging them to leave the sick children’s house. Though I don’t speak the language, the meaning and the emotion behind the songs were crystal clear. Every note and word was imbued with purpose and intent.
Kitka was founded in 1979 as an outgrowth of the San Francisco-based Westwind International Folk Ensemble and quickly grew into its own unique entity. "Kitka became incorporated as a California nonprofit organization in 1982. Currently, we have a 10-member professional core touring ensemble and several active amateur community choirs functioning under Kitka, Inc.," Cion tells me.
If you missed their winter concert series, don’t despair—Kitka will return for their Summer Solstice performance at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland. A must-see for anyone who values vocal artistry and community spirit.
Support Kitka’s ongoing work in cultivating community through harmonic practice with a special, tax-deductible year-end gift.
