Kirtan

This evening I had the good fortune of, upon following intuition into a bookstore near my house (a lovely bookstore called Gateways, which is of a spiritual bent), being told of a concert there later in the evening. I came back at the appropriate hour, not having any idea what I was getting myself into. I then spent the next 1.5 hours participating whole-heartedly in my first Kirtan experience. Kirtan, which apparently is Sanskirt for "to repeat", is a form of call and response singing that involves singing mantras and hymns.

What a wonderful introduction to more Hindi! I think this must be the best way to learn! - to sing in call and response.

The musician who led the evening was a White man named Gishi (www.gishimusic.com). He had an incredible voice. He did a wonderful job of introducing each piece, explaining the meaning of some of the Sanskirt words. There are many things I loved about the evening. Notice that I'm not saying concert. This is because this music was so all inclusive that there was really little distinction between him and the audience. The audience did not applaud, which was a new experience for me, and one that I quite enjoyed. I found that this silence after each song really allowed its weight to sink in and for the energy created by the music to continue to percolate. I had never really before considered that applause can abruptly cut the mystical experience of music. I was also amazed by the power of the silence at the end of each mantra, especially that precious moment when the singing stopped but the instrumentation continued to linger just a bit longer.

Another thing I loved about Gishi is that he used an eccelctic repetoire of styles to bring the mantras to life. As he said, "the mantras are fine by themselves." They will not loose their power. If putting them to a hip hip beat brings them to life for us, why not? Or if it's jazz, or rock, or a simple flute or harmonium... the power lies in the words and in our ability to embrace them and make them our own.

Fortunately, Gishi lives in Santa Cruz now so there should be ample opportunities to see him. There's one, in fact, tomorrow evening at Downtown Yoga Shala in San Jose at 8pm. 450 S First St., www.downtownyogashala.com

At Length There Dawns a Glorious Day

Hanneke Cassel's latest album, Calm the Raging Sea, introduced me to the following hymn, which beautifully and vividly paints a picture of a glorious day of unity. Does anyone know how to sing this?


At Length There Dawns a Glorious Day

At length there dawns the glorious day
By prophets long foretold,
At length the chorus clearer grows
That shepherds heard of old.
The day of dawning brotherhood
Breaks on our eager eyes,
And human hatreds flee before
The radiant eastern skies.

For what are sund'ring stains of blood,
Or ancient caste and creed?
One claim unites all men in God
To serve each human need.
Then here together, brother men,
We pledge the Lord anew
Our loyal love, our stalwart faith,
Our service strong and true.

One common faith unites us all,
We seek one common goal;
One tender comfort broods upon
The struggling human soul.
To this clear call of brotherhood
Our hearts responsive ring
We join the glorious new crusade
Of our great Lord and King.

Song of the Soul

I just discovered this poem by Kahlil Gibran, and it seems an appropriate and useful addition to my earlier posts today about love.

Song of the Soul
-Kahlil Gibran

In the depth of my soul there is
A wordless song - a song that lives
In the seed of my heart.
It refuses to melt with ink on
Parchment; it engulfs my affection
In a transparent cloak and flows,
But not upon my lips.

How can I sigh it? I fear it may
Mingle with earthly ether;
To whom shall I sing it? It dwells
In the house of my soul, in fear of
Harsh ears.

When I look into my inner eyes
I see the shadow of its shadow;
When I touch my fingertips
I feel its vibrations.

The deeds of my hands heed its
Presence as a lake must reflect
The glittering stars; my tears
Reveal it, as bright drops of dew
Reveal the secret of a withering rose.

It is a song composed by contemplation,
And published by silence,
And shunned by clamor,
And folded by truth,
And repeated by dreams,
And understood by love,
And hidden by awakening,
And sung by the soul.

It is the song of love;
What Cain or Esau could sing it?

It is more fragrant than jasmine;
What voice could enslave it?

It is heartbound, as a virgin's secret;
What string could quiver it?
Who dares unite the roar of the sea
And the singing of the nightingale?
Who dares compare the shrieking tempest
To the sigh of an infant?
Who dares speak aloud the words
Intended for the heart to speak?
What human dares sing in voice
The song of God?