Annual Drum Fest

Tristram, Grand Knight Commander, Noble Order of Tara

The Annual Drum Fest

Tristram, Grand Knight Commander

Princess Scota Priory, Stratford, Ontario, Canada

The Drum Fest was inaugurated to celebrate the Goddess; it is a concept rooted in history. The river has been the key source of promising the fertility of crops to nourish all of the Mother Goddess’s own world. Therefore the site chosen since 2000 was a grove of tall trees by the river's edge here in Stratford, Ontario in Canada. The idea was co-sponsored by myself, as a member of the Fellowship of Isis and Grand Knight Commander within the Noble Order of Tara, along with Rev. Rebekah Benner of Akron, Ohio, as a project for the Goddess 2000 Global Participation Program; and as a “Hands Across the Border” event.

Our initial Drum Fest was held on the third weekend of July in 2000, so most of our hand drum people could be there between annual holidays. We began with a happy collection of twenty people and a broad variety of drums. With leaders doing Isian and Pagan /Wiccan chanting to pay honour to our ever nourishing Mother Goddess as Her river icon flowed nearby. The event was well announced in local media and drew far more of an audience than we expected, creating a happy celebration. We received a request by the Tourism Office to please repeat Drum Fest as annual event.

The Avon River, Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Photo used by permission.

Officially; we began at 10 in the morning; after a merry pub night hosted by a Welsh Druid owner of a local tavern. Most Drum folk were at the grove by 9 am to practice and chat of things Isian and Wiccan from their own locale. All of our people brought picnic lunch for our noon break and visiting.

As we began the afternoon session the listening crowd had grown from a handful to over a hundred, merrily tapping their feet and humming along with our key chanters, while watching the few dancers sway to the drum beat.

While the Drum Fest was on-going our back-up people were preparing a supper by a large water garden at a nearby residence. Public response was truly great and several of local area parks asked our group to repeat the event for them. We did the Drum Fest each year for several years with many wonderful friends, and of these, quite a few became part of our Fellowship of Isis community and also a part of the Noble Order of Tara.

That growing and active awareness created and still fosters a natural warm international and global friendship. We send deep gratitude to our Lady Olivia, FOI co-founder and Noble Order of Tara Chancellor, for her incredible work, wisdom and dedication.

Blessings from our Isis family here in Stratford to all of you.

When asked if another Drum Fest might be in the works after a brief hiatus, Tristram wrote: “… plans are in the works for the 19th and 20th of July this summer …”

About the Author: Tristram is founder and Grand Knight Commander of the Priory of Princess Scota in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. You may contact him at: tristram@sentex.net He has been a member of the Fellowship of Isis and active in the FOI community for many years. He serves as Arch Druid Emeritus for Canada within the Hibernian Order Of Druids, Ireland.

Note: Stratford is a city on the Avon River in Perth County, southwestern Ontario, Canada. The name 'Avon' comes from the Brythonic abonā meaning "river". The name 'Avon' is also present in Welsh, as afon, and has the same meaning.

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