Though we usually celebrate the coming of each season with a festival spanning anywhere from a 2-7 days, this year we could only afford the Ball. Our sincerest apologies for not bringing the days filled with fun that you've grown accustomed too, but we are also very grateful in these hard times that we were able to bring you at least this one event! :)

This is a FORMAL event, so dress up in your spring finest and join us with Maximilion Kleene, DennyMac and Russell Eponym as we celebrate the coming of Spring as well as the coming of Alurel's 2nd anniversary!

The Bloom of the Year ~ Festival Beltaine

1pm slt - Maximillion Kleene

If music feeds the soul, Maximillion Kleene is the food of the gods. His dynamic musical range and smooth groove provide many a listener with a virtual buffet of auditory temptations. Max started his music career with formal study of piano at the Royal Conservatory but quickly realized that it was the guitar guys who got the chicks. By 19, he was seriously immersed to the very center of his musical soul in AC/DC and from there branched out to experiment with sounds that range from Pearl Jam to Foo Fighters  to Jason Mraz. Max brings high energy and a vast repertoire of quirky, classic, and current covers to Second Life. Oozing charisma and charm, he provides his fans with an hour of musical magic.

2 pm slt - DennyMac

DennyMac has been playing for so long that his callouses have callouses! After years in rock bands breaking windows and eardrums, he's back to his first love, acoustic finger style guitar. Heavily influenced by Bob Dylan, Peter Paul and Mary, Kingston Trio, James Taylor, the Beatles and of course Paul Simon, Larry Carleton, Richie Havens........if you remember these musicians, please for your own sake, don't admit it! But if you want to hear that great style of music, come and listen. I will make you smile :-). Maybe even LOL

3 pm slt - Russell Eponym

"The Music Whisperer", Russell Eponym is one of the first live musicians in Second Life and has performed in most of the major venues. Primarily influenced by the British and European folk tradition, His unique sound is characterized by meticulous finger picking guitar style, soft lulling voice and charming British stage presence.

Date: June 19th
Where: Alurel

(The full day's schedule of events is listed below the introduction)

    Welcome to Alurel's first Midsummer celebration! I know our seasonal festivals are usually at least two days in length but these are lean times for most everyone these days. We have only three events this season but that doesn't make the celebration any less joyful! We are very grateful for what we are able to bring you and will dance hearts out :)).
    The Sun is at it's strongest! The fae  and fauns are frolicking in the wood! Come and join them in their dance of life and love for this season of warmth! We have a story telling, a Ball with a singer like none you've ever heard, and a spectacular fire show that will leave you in awe! Come and join us!

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Alurel/122/177/24

The Light of the Year ~ Litha Festival of the Sun

(All Events are at the above landmark unless otherwise specified)

Schedule of Events:

Sunday, June 19, 2011:

10am - 12pm - Aianna Oh - A Return to the Old Ways

What do we mean by old ways? Well, a long time ago, story tellers would pluck a story out of the air and tell it to their listeners around the fire. This is how all of Aianna Oh's short stories have been written. This story telling is not done in voice but in local chat. While she can read a written tale aloud, making one up in voice is another matter. But typing one out is much easier...it's harder to stutter when typing :). Aianna may designate one or two trusted friends to copy and paste all she types to be cleaned up later and added to her collection of short stories in case she crashes before she's finished.


12pm - 2pm - Skye Galaxy - Alurel Midsummer Ball

There are no words to adequately describe Skye Galaxy, Sean Ryan in rl! When Sean sings, it's like watching art come to life...lines of poetry transformed to sound and marching through your soul, moving you in a way you've never been moved before. His is a voice and talent like no other in any world and I feel blessed to have the privilege of having him here in Alurel! You really do NOT want to miss Sean play!!!


2pm - 3pm - ChangHigh Trinity Sisters Fireshow of Light, Life and Love
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Alurel/187/168/24

"The spirit in us greets the spirit in You." The Trinity Sisters are truly a sight to see. They are one of the most unique acts I've seen in sl. Customized animations, props and particles that are beautifully synchronized to flow with their DJ's music. It's quite a show!
This show is held in Alurel Village as there is not enough space in the Ballroom:

Guess what is Coming to Alurel?


Midsummer Festival in Alurel with a performance from ChangHigh Trinity Sisters Fireshow and DJ Shyanne Winterwolf.

Sunday 19th of June at 2pm Slt.

Come by our Alurel Village to celebrate this wonderful Season with us! We would love to have you!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Alurel/182/165/23

Welcome to Alurel's Spring Celebration:
The Bloom of the Year ~ Festival Beltaine
Dates: April 30th - May 1st
Where: Alurel

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Alurel/122/177/24


(The full weekend's schedule of events is listed below the introduction.)

    Welcome to Alurel's first spring celebration! But it's far more than just welcoming of spring. This festival also marks the one year anniversary of this incarnation of Alurel!
    Come and dance with us! Frolic in the sunshine and warmth of our hearts as we share in the joy of music, life and love! Spring is the time of youth, fertility of the land, mind and body. It's a time to let go and be happy a wild! Run free in the forest. Dance with the Fae and share with us in our joy in life!
    Share in the many musical events, readings, hunts and other activities, culminating in the Alurel One Year Anniversary Spring Ball!
    It's Beltain, my friends! Anything can happen!
Welcome to our home!

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Alurel/122/177/24


The Bloom of the Year ~ Festival Beltain
(All events are at the above land mark unless otherwise specified)

Schedule of Events:

Saturday, April 30, 2011:
12pm - 1:30pm - Drum

DRUM's goal is to bring the world to you via the power of drumming. Our aim is to have fun and to create incredible, beautiful rhythms - live.

Right now our performances consists of 6 different drum cultures, Taiko (Japanese), Native American, African, Latin, Indian and a very special set of Rusty Drums. We are planning many new exciting sets for the near future!

Members of the DRUM group have collaborated to create the unique sounds, drums, and animations that enable us to perform. Our performances are live and are subtly different each time - they are not pre-recorded music. The sounds are created right within Second Life. We then send them out and back in via stream in order to provide you with a lag free experience! We hope you enjoy our performances as much as we enjoy providing them.

Brigitte Kungler - Director/Drummer
Kell Babenco - Drummer
Ladyslipper Constantine - Drummer
Lorin Tone - Drummer
DMom2K Darwin - Drummer/Equipment
aterebor Zenovka - Drummer/Sound Stream
Yagin Fallen - Sound Stream

1:30pm - 3pm - Albannach
Albannach is an exciting , wild, tribal type group of Street Performers in Scotland.  Virtual Albannach was established in June 2009

3pm - 2pm - Caoilte Savage
Caoilte Skytower (pronounced "Queel-chah") is Irish, Scottish, English and American Folk/Rock, all tied together with his incredible voice and skills on guitar!  He has been involved in music for 35 years, performing folk and rock music in RL pubs and cafe's since he was 21. Cao has been active in various reniassance and folk festivals over the years, as well as other events. His voice is relaxing, as described by his fans. This opinion makes him feel honored, as he stated, "The songs I sing mean a lot to me, and it comes across in my delivery."  Cao finds it important to truly connect with his audience, making them laugh at his humorous songs, clap along with the drinking songs, sing along with the classics, and even cry at the sad ones.

4pm - 5pm - Pete Mroz
Pete Mroz is a traveler, your new best friend, the charming ice breaker, and the proverbial “life of the party.” Always the fearless ring leader, he catches you off guard with his “don’t I know you” sly grin and playful sense of humor. He’s harmless and fun till he whips out his guitar and opens his mouth to sing- then you are captivated- Who is this guy? You really don’t see it coming- the guitar tone, the clarity, the sparse, melodic, hook laden riffs that incorporate heartfelt soul and blues. Then there’s that voice- angelic is a word that comes to mind- his voice soars through the air like a warm ribbon of light- effortless and spot on. Call it a command of his instruments, call it charisma, call it an anointing- it’s as if he’s flying and it sounds like freedom to me. It is that freedom that quietens a room and draws the audience into his world.

5pm - 6pm - Heath Elvehjem (Heath Vercher): musician, composer

Heath began his musical career prior to his teens where his experiments with music creation led him to the discovery of what would be a driving force in his life. It was not until he was around 16 that he gave his first public performance. These first steps were of course not pleasant but Heath kept working and in the not too many years since has turned these beginnings into a blossoming career.
During his formative years, Heath gained some influences from some great performers, notably Jim Brickman, Yanni, David Lanz, Billy Joel, Marc Cohen, and Bruce Hornsby. Though some of Heath's playing style could be attributed to these influences, his style is a combination of New Age and Contemporary musical genres that stands on its own.

6pm - 7pm - Christopher135 Quan
As a member of the West Coast Songwriters Association, Christopher has been involved with music and performing for nearly 30 years. 

Christopher's songwriting includes a range of genres from heart-felt originals to jammin' blues to praise & worship. And of course, Chris enjoys playing his favorite covers.  Either way, Chris reaches down deep into his soul to deliver a soulful perfomance, kissed with ambient keys .... that which emerges... captivates one's heart...

Sunday, May 1, 2011:
7am - 9am - A Return to the Old Ways - Stories by Aianna Oh
This event is held at The Story Pavilion on the Loxingly Estates: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Alurel/214/223/24

What do we mean by old ways? Well, a long time ago, story tellers would pluck a story out of the air and tell it to their listeners around the fire. This is how all of Aianna Oh's short stories have been written. This story telling is not done in voice but in local chat. While she can read a written tale aloud, making one up in voice is another matter. But typing one out is much easier...it's harder to stutter when typing :). Aianna may designate one or two trusted friends to copy and paste all she types to be cleaned up later and added to her collection of short stories in case she crashes before she's finished.
Aianna Oh has been telling stories since childhood. She began putting them down on paper by the age of 12, poetry by the age of 8. She wrote her first novel in conjunction with her father at age 15, which turned into a series of 6 books and a 7th offshoot. At the time it was said that "she had the imagination while the old man had the grammer she lacked." Now all grown up and able to express herself with her own words she writes her poetry and short stories as the whim strikes her and is currently starting a new series of novels on her own.

9am - 10am - Radegund Bracken, poet, singer, storyteller
This event is held at The Story Pavilion on the Loxingly Estates: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Alurel/214/223/24

Radegund is a writer, a singer, a storyteller, a runereader, and a mystic-in-training, with influences ranging from deep mythology and folklore, to high literature and zoology, to Looney Tunes and Muppets.  She has been writing since before she could write, often dictating to a handy grown-up to fill in the words on the pictures she'd drawn.  A graduate of Carleton University in Ottawa, she has published several small chapbooks through her small Whimsivore Press (after which her SL group is named), and has been a featured poetry reader on several stages in Toronto.  Her readings are filled with rhyme and song, with lots of laughs and a generous helping of out-and-out wonder.

10am - 12pm - Maypole Dance with DJ Lucien Brentano

This event is held in The Faerie's Garden: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Alurel/175/199/24

Join us for a two hour frolic around the Maypole as DJ Lucien spins a vibrant, joyful Mayday mix! Dance among the flowers and fae and just have fun as we celebrate Spring, the joy, the love, and the......fertility ;) of the season!
  One of Caledon's most popular DJs, Lucien's been bringing the BEWM to the airwaves since 2009. He's played some of the biggest shows in the Steamlands and helped found KBWM Radio - a combination Internet radio station and DJ coalition. His music library spans eras, genres, continents and cultures. While he specializes in the emerging steampunk genre, he's comfortable and well versed in many other styles.

The Alurel One Year Anniversary Spring Ball:
YES Alurel the sim is now one year old! Amazing as it seems we've been here that long. Though Alurel as a family has been around much longer than that, we've decided that this is still an event worth celebrating, and as it falls right next to Beltaine itself, we've combined the two celebrations! Join us for this two hour FORMAL celebration of Beltaine and the Birth of Alurel sim!

12pm - 1pm - Maximillion Kleene

If music feeds the soul, Maximillion Kleene is the food of the gods. His dynamic musical range and smooth groove provide many a listener with a virtual buffet of auditory temptations. Max started his music career with formal study of piano at the Royal Conservatory but quickly realized that it was the guitar guys who got the chicks. By 19, he was seriously immersed to the very center of his musical soul in AC/DC and from there branched out to experiment with sounds that range from Pearl Jam to Foo Fighters  to Jason Mraz. Max brings high energy and a vast repertoire of quirky, classic, and current covers to Second Life. Oozing charisma and charm, he provides his fans with an hour of musical magic.

1pm - 2pm - Allister Westland
Allister Westland is a well established and popular musician in SL who's performances get rave reviews. His shows consist of a mix of classic rock and modern popular rock cover tunes as well as a collection of original material that showcases his musical diversity and abilities. You will hear anything from soft acoustic ballads in their purest form with only his acoustic guitar and his rich soulful vocals, to hard driving heavy rock tunes with the full production sound  of his self performed and pre-recorded backing tracks.  Allister sings live and combines both acoustic guitar and electric guitar in his performances and with the advances in technology  available to him in the studio from which he performs from, will sometimes layer live keyboard and drum parts to his songs.  His unique musical style  is influenced by everyone from Van Halen and Joe Satriani to  Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and other classic rock favorites.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Alurel/122/177/24

The submissions are in and sorted and posted. It looks like a lot of hard work went into these pictures as all of them are wonderful. Please stop by the Performance Pavillion and vote for your favorate in each catigory.

To vote for a picture you simply need to click it so be careful not to click the wrong one.

as a reminder the catoigories are:

Landscape: This shows the land and houses of Alurel.

Life: This shows the goings on of Alurel, more journalistic in nature it is not a posed portrait shot.

Portrait: a picture of one or more people deliberatly set up to capture there image and a little something about them.

Its almost time! Our hunt and Festival start tomorrow! We are so excited, at least I am. Here is our third and final hunt item preview so you know some of what you may find in this hunt. So come by tomorrow from some great music and a costume party and keep an eye out for these pretty little pumpkins!

The start Date of the festival is getting ever closer and we still have much to do! Please remember that the final due date to submit your photos for the competion is the 24th of October, then Voting will begin and I can not wait to have all the great photos on display!

Rules Post

Aianna Oh Also here
 Aianna has been telling stories since childhood. All origanal work some old and some spontanious

Beth Odets
Caoilte Skytower Also here
 A pianist and songwriter, Heath gained some influences from some great performers, notably Jim Brickman, Yanni, David Lanz, Billy Joel, Marc Cohen, and Bruce Hornsby. Though some of Heath's playing style could be attributed to these influences, his style is a combination of New Age and Contemporary musical genres that stands on its own.
Maximillion Kleene