My passion for connections on all levels through music found a beautiful expression in helping to organise an annual reunion of kindred souls, weaving together music lovers from all over the world with our Findhorn Taizé online community in a joyful week of celebration of music with Barbara Swetina and Joachim Goerke. And so, for almost four years, Homecoming in Song & Stillness has become more than just an invitation.

This community first took shape over six years ago, during the pandemic, and has grown ever stronger through continuing Taizé online gatherings, now meeting three times a week from around the world in song, prayer, and heartfelt sharing.

Back in 2022 Barbara Swetina, our long-term director of music of the Park Ecovillage Findhorn and Joachim Goerke, a German pianist and spiritual teacher, met for the first time at the Findhorn Sacred Dance Festival which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2026.

Their shared language of song and prayer instantly created a resonance between them and led naturally to a collaboration. It came into being with an in-person retreat in August 2023 entitled Homecoming in Song & Stillness. At a time when the world itself was beginning to open up again, this retreat created a space for many like-minded souls to gather, some of whom met in person for the first time after building connections by singing only online during the covid years.

The first retreat took place in the Sunshine Room, with the added challenge of needing to navigate complex logistical arrangements, as the Findhorn Foundation was no longer fulfilling this role. It was my task to juggle all the organisational details – from plates to meeting rooms and sleeping arrangements, every detail required a collective and creative approach.

In 2024, we decided to move to the Universal Hall to allow for more people to join – the retreat has grown larger each year. But it is not just a gathering for participants, it is also a gift to the wider community. There are open events, such as Joachim’s piano concert with audience participation [1], and a grand Taizé celebration on the Sunday which connects guests, the Ecovillage Findhorn community in person, and the online Taizé community via livestream.

Our core principle of working with Nature and pioneering a cooperation between the angelic, human and nature kingdoms is also close to our hearts. In recent years, this new theme has become an important building block of the retreat; connection with the subtle worlds through music. Barbara has long been collecting stories from clairvoyant participants, who initially shared their perceptions of the interplay of music and elemental worlds with her. She now dedicates at least one open evening to exploring these unseen dimensions in song, dance, stories and images. These sessions intertwine beautifully with honouring the sacred connection between earth and sky, creating spaces for listening to both the seen and unseen.

Another beautiful harvest of this collaboration came from last summer’s recording of Barbara’s latest CD, ‘LOVE ONE ANOTHER’, capturing songs cherished by both the in-person and online Taizé community. Joachim contributed his voice and exquisite piano playing to the harmonies of the ‘Findhorn Singers’. What a joy it is that the CD’s beautiful cover portrays a photo with last year’s participants in a large circle in the warm sunshine at Findhorn beach!

As we step forward into what is yet to unfold, we do so with open hearts and joyful anticipation. We always like to say that G-O-D, the great Game-Overall-Director, is in charge. So we are open to receiving directions as to how to nurture our souls, raise our spirits and embody the ‘Spirit of Findhorn’, connecting through music with nature and the subtle worlds. As we move forward, let us see what else this synergy of collaboration will bring, listening to the songs of beauty, community and stillness emerging from many hearts ready to gather again in the Universal Hall.

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[1] Click here to listen to one of Joachim Goerke’s piano concerts (Pianochurch Lüneburg, Germany 2026)

If you would like to join the online Taizé singing group, please click here.

You can find more information on Barbara’s latest CD and for upcoming events, on her website.