2026 WINTER SOLSTICE CEREMONY

HARMONIC CONCRESCENCE: Monday, December 21st, Salt Lake City

This is your invitation this fall, to loosen your grip on the person you have needed to be, in order to make space for who you are becoming.

Harmonic Concrescence is a collaborative spirit magic ritual that harnesses collective music, dynamic harmony, and movement to channel group flow into personal and shared transformation.

Calling all singers, dancers, and instrumentalists! Join us in co-creating this year’s program as we breathe life into this season's "Soul Set." Between the equinox and the winter solstice (The Soul Season), you will collaborate together with the ceremony’s “Keeper of the Harmony” to shape parts that fit your unique abilities.

Step into the process and help us bring the spirit of this season to life.

JOIN AS A PERFORMER OR CREATOR / CHOREOGRAPHER

1) LISTEN FOR WHAT SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO YOUR HEART, MIND, OR BODY
Listen to the Soul Set recordings using the links below. Identify the pieces that reflect a truth you wish to express or an energy you want to call in. Choose the pieces that move you—whether that’s a single song or the entire program.

A genuine personal connection to the material is essential for this magical practice. If none of these pieces call to you, this particular ritual may not be your space this year. If they do, let that resonance guide you to start your practice and preparation by filling out the Collaboration Interest Form.

2026 WINTER SOLSTICE “SOUL SET” 

Minister Michael Bingham ~ Keeper of the Harmony

1 - A BRAVE AND STARTLING TRUTH: Maya Angelou

2 - CRAZY: Daniela Andrade

3 - I HEAL I GROW: Collective Mind

4 - NEMESIS: Benjamin Clementine

5 - LITTLE GIRL GONE: Chinchilla

6 - EAR TO THE COCOON: Willow

7 - I’M SO BLESSED: Cain

8 - EARTH’S NEW HEAVEN: Beautiful Chorus

CLOSING - HEAR MY PRAYER: Cali Day 

2) DEVELOP AND CONTRIBUTE YOUR UNIQUE PART
Performers holding dedicated roles in each piece’s harmony circles will coordinate directly with the Keeper of the Harmony to shape their contribution before ceremony day.

WAYS TO PRACTICE & COORDINATE

  • Weekly Tuesday Practices: Join us in person every Tuesday from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM at Live and Evolve (1399 S 700 E Ste #19, Salt Lake City, near Liberty Park) to build skills, refine your part, and align with the group.

  • Remote Collaboration: Submit your progress or draft recordings digitally by texting an audio or video clip to Minister Michael Bingham at (801) 362-7487.

  • Private Sessions: Reach out directly to schedule a private session with the Keeper of the Harmony if you need personalized guidance or cannot make the group rehearsals.

WAYS TO EXPRESS & PERFORM

  • Vocal: Lead melodies, hold counter-melodies, or weave dynamic harmonies into the collective arrangement. See Heart Song Methods.

  • Instrumental: Contribute acoustic, rhythmic, or live melodic instrumentation to support the energetic foundation of each piece.

  • Digital & Sampling Layers: Submit pre-recorded audio stems, ambient textures, or sound samples ahead of time to be integrated as background or featured layers in a piece's backing arrangement.

  • Non-Vocal / Movement: Singing is not required to perform. We welcome somatic movement and upper-body choreography (using arms, hands, and head) to physically channel and ground the spirit of the piece.

Ceremony Day Note: Attendance at weekly rehearsals is not at all required to attend or join the general chorus on ceremony day. However, prior coordination with the Keeper via one of the pathways above is required if you wish to contribute an instrumental part, submit digital layers, or hold a designated inner/outer circle role.

3) SECURE YOUR PLACE IN THE OUTER OR INNER CIRCLES

On the day of Concrescence, each piece features both an Outer Circle and an Inner Circle:

  • The Outer Circle welcomes all instrumentalists, as well as anyone who wishes to sing the main melody and chorus.

  • The Inner Circle is a dedicated space reserved for those who have intentionally prepared vocal harmonies and/or tailored choreography in collaboration with the Keeper of the Harmony.

INNER CIRCLE STRUCTURE & CURATION

  • 8 Slots Per Piece: Each Inner Circle is capped at eight positions. The first slot is held by the Keeper of the Harmony, with the remaining seven curated from participants who have previously shared and refined their part.

  • Relational Selection: Spots are not awarded strictly on raw talent or technical skill. Instead, each circle is curated to balance artistic expression, sonic variety, and group resonance. Early involvement and steady collaboration during the season significantly increase your likelihood of securing a spot.

  • Slot Limits: To keep the ceremony dynamic, inclusive, and accessible, performers may hold up to four Inner Circle slots across the entire Soul Set.

  • Capacity & Redundancy: Preparing more than eight people per song builds depth into the ensemble and allows flexibility if someone cannot perform on ceremony day. Full Inner Circle coverage accommodates between 15 and 57 unique performers across the program.

  • Blind Practice: Performers in the Inner Circle are asked to perform with their eyes closed to deepen internal grounding, sensory trust and their ability to flow.

4) CONCRESCE

The Winter Solstice ceremony is the singular apex of the Soul Season—the first and only time everyone gathers in one space to execute the ritual as a unified whole.

Because each participant has intentionally prepared and aligned their part beforehand, the gathering unfolds into effortless, flash-mob-style harmony. There is extraordinary magic in concrescing with people you may have never physically rehearsed with, stepping directly into a shared, radiant alignment.

When an ensemble moves together with this level of presence, that harmony carries the power to transcend. It dissolves boundaries of belief, age, culture, and background, reaching beyond artificial divisions to unlock profound human connection. This singular gathering seals the energy of the season, enriching participants and witnesses alike as we cross into the new year.

More details regarding event structure, location, and timeline will be released as the solstice draws near.

WHAT IS A CONCRESCENCE?

To understand what we are creating on the Winter Solstice, we must distinguish between three distinct forms of coming together: Converge, Convene, Concress.

Convergence: A natural, organic meeting point where separate forces, waves, or entities passively come into alignment without intentionality. Things simply converge on their own through spontaneous coincidence. While many convergences are fleeting, they are often the seeds from which powerful experiences are born.

Convenement: A structured agreement to gather at a specific place and time. It carries a baseline of intentionality for the gathering itself, establishing a loose framework while leaving the actual experience open and unpredictable until we are in it.

Concrescence: A state of deep collective flow must be cultivated. Through intentional preparation leading up to the solstice, each participant builds the strength to stand ground and channel their part.Concrescence is the moment our shared intentions erupt into unified movement and sound. It is a rare alignment—a expression of collective power created only when prepared individuals come together as one.

Note From the Minster: All of my most profound spiritual experiences have been through engagement with musical concrescence. These group flow states are the ultimate drug, the apex of human experience, a portal to directly communing with each other and the Divine in a way that must be felt first hand to be believed or understood.

FAQ

  • Description text goes hereParticipation in the harmony practice and attendance at the Winter Solstice ceremony are offered as a free and open service to the community. All are welcome regardless of financial contribution, though donations to support the ministry space and resource materials are deeply appreciated.

  • Witnesses are a vital part of the ceremony. Those holding space form the outermost energetic ring of the room, grounding the magic generated by the performers. You do not need to perform or attend rehearsals to attend as a witness.

  • Your creative contribution is deeply valued regardless of whether you step onto the floor on ceremony day. Co-creation is at the heart of this ministry, and you are welcome to collaborate with the Keeper of the Harmony to draft vocal harmonies, build arrangement ideas, or design upper body choreography during our Tuesday practices, via digital submissions or in a one of one session. Another performer can then embody and carry the part you helped bring to life during the ritual, allowing your unique creative energy to resonate through the space.

  • No. Tuesday sessions at Live and Evolve are open co-creation spaces designed for connection, learning, and alignment. You are welcome to attend as many or as few as your schedule allows. If you cannot attend in person, you can prepare independently and complete your alignment check digitally or during a private session.

  • You can send any recording to michael@mindmedicineministry.org or you can reach out directly to Minister Michael Bingham by texting (801) 362 7487 to schedule a one-on-one session.

  • Demonstrating your part, also called a unison check, is an informal five minute check-in. It can happen in person on a Tuesday evening, during a private session, or through a simple video or audio recording sent directly to Michael. It is simply a way to confirm rhythm, key, and movement alignment before ceremony day.

  • You are encouraged to participate at whatever level feels right to you. You can prepare for a single piece or engage with multiple songs across the soul set, up to the four inner circle slot maximum.

  • This is primarily a sober, family friendly event. For performers contributing to the ceremony, light microdosing may be permitted for responsible church members who coordonate with the presiding minister ahead of time.

Contact Minister Michael Bingham for more details

801-362-7487 , Michael@mindmedicineminsitry.org