Satisfied song writer - Phoenix rises again

I used to sing with a group of women called the Voices of Gaia.

We were a varied group both musically and individually, but united in our love for the earth and inspired by our journey of discovery of our feminine nature. The group went through a variety of metamorphoses but while I was a member there were usually eight of us. We met twice a week to rehearse for a number of years and inevitably we were much more to one another than just a group of women that sang together.

The Voices of Gaia were my first women's group. It was with these women that I began to appreciate the immense nourishment and support that women can provide for one another. We laughed, cried, bitched, partied, worked, shared, hated and loved one another. Our career culminated in an epic journey half way across the globe to perform at the Woman and Earth conference in St. Petersburg in the middle of winter. Eight women, three children under five and one husband/father/onemanband. It was quite an adventure! More on that adventure.... But afterwards there didn't seem to be anywhere left for us to go and the energy of the group as a singing collective gradually dissipated.

Whilst I was with the group I wrote a number of the songs that we performed. One in particular is called Phoenix and in true Phoenix style this song has recently risen again!

Phoenix is about the jewels that can be found by facing up to challenge. It is quite a challenging song to sing. Our recording of it was pretty good (you can hear the song here) but it lacked the grunt that I felt the song deserved.

So I was delighted when vocalist Andrew Cox (whose band contains the same, now ex-husband/father etc. that backed us on our Russian tour) asked me recently whether they could perform it. Andrew Cox is an excellent vocalist with a great range and heaps of grunt.

'If anyone can sing Phoenix,' I thought to myself 'Andy can'.

And he sure can. I have just listened to the recording that the band have posted on their website and my whole body is grinning. I feel as though my child has come of age and found it's true calling. A song has found it's singer. It is a very delicious and satisfying feeling.

Thank heaven's I didn't have to hold on to doing it myself!

You can listen to the latest incarnation of Phoenix (now called 'Burn Me') at the Andrew Cox band's website. Turn up the volume and see what you think!