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Concert Preview
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The Miami Herald, Concert Preview >>
When Grammy-winning new age artist Paul Winter started his winter solstice celebration more than two decades ago, he was looking for something that all faiths could take part in during the holiday season.
"It inspired me to look at the big picture, and I wanted to find the most universal milestone in the year that we could celebrate," Winter told The Associated Press recently. "And it struck me that winter solstice has been for Northern people the turning point of the year for tens of thousands of years."
The saxophonist's winter solstice extravaganza marks the shortest day of the year with music, dance and other theatrics. It has been a fixture at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine for 26 years.
Winter says many holiday traditions can be traced to past celebrations of the solstice, which is on Dec. 21.
"This is where these traditions began to grow, of bringing green things into the house," Winter said. "Most of the symbols that we see from Christmas all came from solstice celebrations ... all of these holidays are about the return of the light, regeneration."
This year's celebration ends Saturday, but last year's event can be heard on various National Public Radio stations through the new year. Highlights also are available on the newly released three-disc box set "Solstice: The Paul Winter Consort & Friends."
-AP 12/16/05 >> go there
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