Brian Mc Farlane Humanity, Circle of Life The Aftermath

Last night Brian Mc Farlane launched his Carnival 2011 presentation, "Humanity, Circle of Life" at the newly renovated Mobs 2. The event was also part of Eventology 2011. On arrival at the venue it was nice to see Mobs 2 being used as an entertainment venue once again and to view the changes to the layout and space. I liked the upgrades to what was formerly the "VIP" area and this was where the main portion of the launch was held.

The decor was all black and white with candles, lighting and fabric panels used for effect. All inclusive meant a  premium bar, including a wine bar, and an array of local favourites such as bake and shark, roti, pulorie, accra, stuffed curry crab and dumpling ,corn soup, doubles and a range of "Trini" snacks like sugar cake and tamarind balls, the food was tasty I must add and service swift with no long lines.

Start time to the show was delayed by about 30 minutes for President Maxwell Richards arrival, however it began promptly after that. The Alternative Quartet opened the show with a nice rendition of David Rudders Oil and Music on acoustic violins.

Following their performance the presentation began with characters dressed in black slithering on stage to reveal a large silver fist. A flurry of winged white costume characters twirled as the closed fist slowly opened to reveal an eye in the middle of the palm as Mc Farlane  appeared from within and addressed the audience with a quotation from "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran..

Now, unto the costumes! Each section and their description 

BIRTH

YOUR BIRTH IS THE EXTENSION OF LIFE’S CONTINUED CREATION.  IN BIRTH, YOU BECOME CHILDREN OF THE CREATOR THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF LIFE’S LONGING FOR ITSELF.  FOR LIFE GOES NOT BACKWARD NOT TARRIES WITH YESTERDAY.

BAPTISM

ANOINTED YOU ARE BY THE SPIRIT OF YOUR CREATOR.  YOUR DAILY LIFE IS YOUR TEMPLE AND YOUR RELIGION.  WHENEVER YOU ENTER INTO IT TAKE WITH YOU YOUR ALL.  TAKE THE PLOUGH AND THE FORGE AND THE MALLET AND THE LUTE, THE THINGS YOU HAVE FASHIONED IN NECESSITY OR FOR DELIGHT.  FOR IN REVERY YOU CANNOT RISE  ABOVE YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS NOR FALL LOWER THAN YOUR FAILURES.  AND IF YOU WOULD KNOW GOD BE NOT THEREFORE A SOLVER OF RIDDLES. RATHER LOOK ABOUT YOU AND YOU SHALL SEE HIM PLAYING WITH YOUR CHILDREN.  AND LOOK INTO SPACE YOU SHALL SEE HIM WALKING IN THE CLOUD, OUTSTRETCHING HIS ARMS IN THE LIGHTNING AND DESCENDING IN RAIN. YOU SHALL SEE HIM SMILING IN FLOWERS, THEN RISING AND WAVING HIS HANDS IN TREES.

LOVE

WHEN LOVE BECKONS TO YOU, FOLLOW HIM, THOUGH HIS WAYS ARE HARD AND STEEP.  AND WHEN HIS WINGS ENFOLD YOU YIELD TO HIM.WHEN YOU LOVE YOU SHOULD NOT SAY, “GOD IS IN MY HEART,” BUT RATHER, “I AM IN THE HEART OF GOD.”  AND THINK NOT YOU CAN DIRECT THE COURSE OF LOVE, FOR LOVE, IF IT FINDS YOU WORTHY, DIRECTS YOUR COURSE.

TIME

YOU WOULD MEASURE TIME THE MEASURELESS AND THE IMMEASURABLE. YOU WOULD ADJUST YOUR CONDUCT AND EVEN DIRECT THE COURSE OF YOUR SPIRIT ACCORDING TO HOURS AND SEASONS.  OF THE TIME YOU WOULD MAKE A STREAM UPON WHOSE BANK YOU WOULD SIT AND WATCH IT’S FLOWING.YET THE TIMELESS IN YOU IS AWARE OF LIFE’S TIMELESSNESS, AND KNOWS THAT YESTERDAY IS BUT TODAY’S MEMORY AND TOMORROW IS TODAY’S DREAM.  SO LET TODAY EMBRACE THE PAST WITH REMEMBERANCE AND THE FUTURE WITH LONGING.

PRAYER

YOU PRAY IN YOUR DISTRESS AND IN YOUR NEED; WOULD THAT YOU MIGHT PRAY ALSO IN THE FULLNESS OF YOUR JOY AND IN YOUR DAYS OF ABUNDANCE.  FOR WHAT IS PRAYER BUT THE EXPANSION OF YOURSELF INTO THE LIVING ETHER? AND IF IT IS FOR YOUR COMFORT TO POUR YOUR DARKNESS INTO SPACE, IT IS ALSO FOR YOUR DELIGHT TO POUR FORTH THE DAWNING OF YOUR HEART.  WHEN YOU PRAY YOU RISE TO MEET IN THE AIR THOSE WHO ARE PRAYING AT THAT VERY HOUR, AND WHOM,  SAVE IN PRAYER, YOU MAY NOT MEET.GOD LISTENS NOT TO YOUR WORDS SAVE WHEN HE HIMSELF UTTERS THEM THROUGH YOUR LIPS IN PRAYER.

KNOWLEDGE

KNOWLEDGE AND HE ANSWERED, SAYING: YOUR HEARTS KNOW IN SILENCE THE SECRETS OF THE DAYS AND THE NIGHTS. BUT YOUR EARS THIRST FOR THE SOUND OF YOUR HEART’S KNOWLEDGE.  YOU WOULD KNOW IN WORDS THAT WHICH YOU HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN IN THOUGHT.SAY NOT, “I HAVE FOUND THE TRUTH,” BUT RATHER, “I HAVE FOUND A TRUTH.”  SAY NOT, “I HAVE FOUND THE PATH OF THE SOUL.” SAY RATHER, “I HAVE MET THE SOUL WALKING UPON MY PATH.” FOR THE SOUL WALKS UPON ALL PATHS.

JOY & SORROW

YOUR JOY IS YOUR SORROW UNMASKED AND THE SELFSAME WELL FROM WHICH YOUR LAUGHTER RISES WAS OFTEN TIMES FILLED WITH YOUR TEARS.  WHEN YOU ARE JOYOUS, LOOK DEEP INTO YOUR HEART AND YOU SHALL FIND IT IS ONLY THAT WHICH HAS GIVEN YOU SORROW THAT IS GIVING YOU JOY.WHEN YOU ARE SORROWFUL LOOK AGAIN IN YOUR HEART, AND YOU SHALL SEE THAT IN TRUTH YOU ARE WEEPING FOR THAT WHICH HAS BEEN YOUR DELIGHT.  BUT I SAY UNTO YOU, THEY ARE INSEPARABLE. TOGETHER THEY COME, AND WHEN ONE SITS ALONE WITH YOU AT YOUR BOARD, REMEMBER THAT THE OTHER IS ASLEEP UPON YOUR BED.

MARRIAGE 

LOVE ONE ANOTHER, BUT MAKE NOT A BOND OF LOVE:  SING AND DANCE TOGETHER AND BE JOYOUS, BUT LET EACH ONE OF YOU BE ALONE, GIVE YOUR HEARTS, BUT NOT INTO EACH OTHER’S KEEPING.  FOR ONLY THE HAND OF LIFE CAN CONTAIN YOUR HEARTS.  AND STAND TOGETHER YET NOT TOO NEAR TOGETHER FOR THE PILLARS OF THE TEMPLE STAND APART

PASSION

PASSION, UNATTENDED, IS A FLAME THAT BURNS TO ITS OWN DESTRUCTION. AND WHEN THE STORM COMES, AND THE MIGHTY WIND SHAKES THE FOREST, AND THUNDER AND LIGHTNING PROCLAIM THE MAJESTY OF THE SKY, THEN LET YOUR HEART SAY IN AWE, “GOD MOVES IN PASSION.”  AND SINCE YOU ARE A BREATH IN GOD’S SPHERE, AND A LEAF IN GOD’S FOREST, YOU TOO SHOULD REST IN REASON AND MOVE IN PASSION.

WORK 

YOU WORK THAT YOU MAY KEEP PACE WITH THE EARTH AND THE SOUL OF THE EARTH.  FOR TO BE IDLE IS TO BECOME A STRANGER UNTO THE SEASONS, AND TO STEP OUT OF LIFE’S PROCESSION, THAT MARCHES IN MAJESTY AND PROUD SUBMISSION TOWARDS THE INFINITE.AND WHEN YOU WORK WITH LOVE YOU BIND YOURSELF TO YOURSELF, AND TO ONE ANOTHER AND TO GOD.  WORK IS LOVE MADE VISIBLE.  AND IF YOU CANNOT WORK WITH LOVE BUT ONLY WITH DISTASTE, IT IS BETTER THAT YOU SHOULD LEAVE YOUR WORK AND SIT AT THE GATE OF THE TEMPLE AND GIVE HELP OF THOSE WHO WORK WITH JOY.

GOOD & EVIL

OF THE GOOD IN YOU I CAN SPEAK, BUT NOT OF THE EVIL.  FOR WHAT IS EVIL BUT GOOD TORTURED BY ITS OWN HUNGER AND THIRST?  VERILY WHEN GOOD IS HUNGRY IT SEEKS FOOD EVEN IN DARK CAVES, AND WHEN IT THIRSTS IT DRINKS EVEN OF DEAD WATERS.YOU ARE GOOD WHEN YOU ARE ONE WITH YOURSELF, YOU ARE GOOD WHEN YOU STRIVE TO GIVE OF YOURSELF.

GIVING & RECEIVING 

GIVERS: YOU GIVE BUT LITTLE WHEN YOU GIVE OF YOUR POSSESSIONS.  IT IS WHEN YOU GIVE OF YOURSELF THAT YOU TRULY GIVE. YOU OFTEN SAY, “I WOULD GIVE, BUT ONLY TO THE DESERVING.”  THE TREES IN YOUR ORCHARD SAY NOT SO, NOR THE FLOCKS IN YOUR PASTURE.AND YOU RECEIVERS: YOU ARE ALL RECEIVERS ASSUME NO WEIGHT OF GRATITUDE, LEST YOU LAY A YOKE UPON YOURSELF AND UPON HIM WHO GIVES.  RATHER RISE TOGETHER WITH THE GIVER ON HIS GIFTS AS ON WINGS. FOR TO BE OVERMINDFUL OF YOUR DEBT, IS TO DOUBT HIS GENEROSITY WHO HAS THE FREE-HEARTED EARTH FOR MOTHER, AND GOD FOR FATHER.

FREEDOM

YOU SHALL BE FREE INDEED WHEN YOUR DAYS ARE NOT WITHOUT A CARE NOR YOUR NIGHTS WITHOUT A WANT AND A GRIEF, BUT RATHER WHEN THESE THINGS GURDLE YOUR LIFE AND LET YOU RISE ABOVE THEM NAKED AND UNBOUND.

THE FAREWELL

HOW SHALL YOU FIND DEATH UNLESS YOU SEEK IT IN THE HEART OF LIFE?  FOR LIFE AND DEATH ARE ONE, EVEN AS THE RIVER AND THE SEA ARE ONE.  FOR WHAT IS IT TO DIE BUT TO STAND NAKED IN THE WIND AND TO MELT INTO THE SUN? AND WHAT IS IT TO CEASE BREATHING, BUT TO FREE THE BREATH FROM ITS RESTLESS TIDES, THAT IT MAY RISE AND EXPAND AND SEEK GOD UNENCUMBERED?ONLY WHEN YOU DRINK FROM THE RIVER OF SILENCE SHALL YOU INDEED SING.  AND WHEN YOU HAVE REACHED THE MOUNTAIN TOP, THEN YOU SHALL BEGIN TO CLIMB.  AND WHEN THE EARTH SHALL CLAIM YOUR LIMBS, THEM SHALL YOU TRULY DANCE.