Elemental Frame Drumming at the Winter Solstice
Saturday 20th December 2025, Salisbury Centre, Edinburgh
11-5pm. £75/£60 concessions
Come, come whoever you are….absolute beginners or long-time lovers of hand-played frame drums.
Drop into the spacious stillness of your heart as we gather together to learn and play traditional Sufi rhythms on these ancient drums...
Come and spend a day playing these simple, beautiful drums - shaped like a full moon - which have been played in all cultures since the earliest times.
Let the gentle sound of the Frame Drums support you to enter the deep elemental spaciousness of this Winter Solstice.
We will use the embodied method and material developed by inspirational drummer Layne Redmond (author of When the Drummers were Women).
Layne learned from one of her teachers, the Nubian musician Hamza El Din, that every drum stroke relates to one of the elements - Earth, Water, Fire and Air.
Our hands and fingers produce and combine the elemental drum strokes, our steps keep the rhythm and our voices speak the names.
As we drum in connection - with ourselves and the group - exploring rhythms from the Sufi tradition, we might find our busy minds quieten down as we return to balance and our hearts once more take centre stage.
I first experienced (hand played) frame drums accompanying chant at a Sufi retreat and was entranced by the sound. I raced home to find out more about these drums and fell into a new world! For the past fifteen years I’ve been exploring frame drums, first through Layne’s precious video courses and most recently with my lovely teacher Hooman Tootoonchian from Rhythmitica who has been teaching me the Iranian Daf. As you can see from this website I am also an Alexander Technique teacher and my drumming can’t help but be infused by my Alexander thinking..
No prior experience necessary - absolute beginners welcome - and also perfect as a reminder for those who have worked with Sarah (or any students of Layne Redmond’s heritage) in the past.
A voice inside the beat says, “I know you’re tired, but come. This is the way.” - Rumi (Coleman Barks)
Feedback from a participant at our Summer Solstice frame drumming weekend in the Highlands:
Sarah is a first class teacher and workshop leader. She is so welcoming and creates a warm, caring and supportive environment in which the learning, with skilful facilitation and encouragement, takes place effortlessly. And with so much fun!
Drums provided but please book - numbers limited to 12.
To book and for more info.
Email: sarahbonnermorgan@gmail.com
Mobile: 0777 3570395