Chanting devotions

Discussion about this topic

RE: Frishkopf article/audio samples and liner notes

A helpful selection of distinct styles and sources of chanting devotions from Islamic religious performance traditions. My favourite is Track (11)--the Sufi Dhikr with inshad--as it is very lively, is fully participatory, utilizes 'vocal/breath percussion' (which remind me of some Angolan/Capoeirista traditions I know of), and the arrangement does not sound so much rehearsed, as it sounds like these men have been prayer-singing together for a long time (notice the changes in tempo cued only by a single hand clapper--who is likely also a singer).

The unity of the diverse voices (even during the tempo changes), the exchanges and interchanges, the call-answer and overlap, and the vocal percussion are very interesting to me, as I feel this is a musical demonstration of prayerful collective-music-making where 'the leader' is only subtly remarkable--more like a 'guide' or 'facilitatr' than a 'leader' (compare for example to track 4's call and answer--Q:How easily can you tell which voice is the leader in these two tracks?).

I also really like this Track (11) because it resonates with the musical circles and collectives I have worked with in the past, both in form (music/chant)and in content (prayer-full, traditional or imagined). This style seems to emphasize the importance of participation and of mutual support (rather than any kind of grandstanding), which I feel contributes to the cohesiveness of the group, both in music and in spirit. One way to by-pass the proverbial performer-audience dichotomy is to get your audience to fully participate--the performer, then, just facilitates! (Funny though how the more you get the audience involved, the more the performance is perceived as 'entertainment' which suggests some loss in artistic authenticity and dignity. Some people attach good connotations to 'entertainment', though, such as 'accessible' maybe.) ~~namaste, Kreisha

I like Tuck's article on Rabindrath Tagore. One paragraph struck me in particular (pg. 102 -- "The union of the worshipper ..."). Religious experience is beyond the communicaticve ability of language or any other tangible expression. That which occurs in one's interior, or in the spiritual sphere is so vividly real and intense that it eclipses the material exterior. From the very little I read in Tuck's article, I think that Tagore is successful to the extent that he can be in capturing the spiritual encounter.

The notion of a vivid interior spiritual reality eclipsing the exterior can be found in a good deal of Biblical writing as well. Reading especially the prophets, one at times gets the sense that the authors were so overwhelmed at the reality and transcedence of the experience that they too are at a loss for words. The prophet Isaiah sees the LORD (Isa. 6) and is almost completely undone. He is terrified and in complete awe, describing God as a being surrounded by cherubim. He mourns his and Israel's inadequacy in the face of his God; in the suddeness of the mystical encounter his beloved nation and even his own person seem as but pale shadows.

Ezekiel gives a rather odd description of God. In it he describes strange creatures (angelic beings), that possess human, animal, metallic, and luminescent qualities. He then describes "the Spirit" as a cloud filled with burning coal and lightening. He then gives a convoluted description of magnificent wheels rolling about on the Earth, a crystal sky and above it, God. God is a radiant human-like being on a shining throne.

This passage (Ez. 1), especially in its description of the angelic beings and the "wheels" seems confused. I am not saying that the author isn't intelligent. I am merely suggesting that he is so overwhelmed by the experience that words completely fail him. In my opinion, this passage has always sounded awkward to me, and I think that its awkwardness is perhaps part of its importance. Through its "failure" the text teaches the reader something important about the supernatural, that it transcends our limited understanding and is higher than us. A number of other examples exist in the Bible of intense divine encounters and many of them contain language similar to that of Isaiah and Ezekiel, of writers grasping with limited finite symbolism to communicate the limitless infinite. ~~Chris Biel

I thought I might add this thought to last week's reading but it seems a bit more applicable here. Thus far we seem to have concerned ourselves with recitation and chant. Both are rooted in written or oral transmission. Glossolalia (speaking in tongues), as understood in some Christian circles, is not rooted in oral or written source materials. It is thought to originate with the Holy Spirit. Essentially, the Christian speaking in tongues is believed to be giving voice to the spirit's words and prayers not his/her own. Often the language is not known (to the "speaker" or other Christians) and is generally meant to be a form of sub conscious/spiritual instruction, or strengthening the Christian participates in on a personal basis (though some denominations strongly emphasize public use of glossolalia). Speaking in tongues is believed to represent a strengthening of the inner person. It is almost like a subversive form of divine(self?)-instruction that bypasses the mind (by virtue of the fact that the language is not understood) and reaches the Christian's spirit.

In a way if the purpose of speaking in tongues IS for the Holy Spirit to communicate directly to people through verbal utterance, then it could definitely be considered a form of "recitation of the sacred," but if it is an intirely faith-based activity that Christians make up, it could be seen as a means by which one can overcome language's failure to truly express the divine encounter.

~~ Chris Biel

It's interesting that you mention this passage from Ezekiel, because it has been theorized among conspiracy nuts that the burning wheels he describes are actually UFO's, and that the voice he hears in his head is in fact telepathic communication from said aliens. In case you were interested!--Andre 08:55, 31 January 2006 (MST)

I wanted to submit an article on the meditative songs and singing style that came from the Taize community in France, but can't seem to find anything on the web that has been published. So I thought I'd introduce it here. The Taize community is a sort or Catholic, only more ecummenical Christian group based out of a little town in France. I thought it fit with our topic because of their meditative singing style. The songs are often based on the parts of the Catholic liturgy (the gloria, alleluia, etc if you are familiar) which have some connections to Biblical texts, only aren't exactly Biblical texts. Other songs are writen about Biblical events or aspects of the Christian life. Usually the songs are short and repetative/contemplative. They may be just a chorus sung after sections of a prayer or interspersed with scripture readings. Other times the chorus/congregation sings an ostinato (little repetative section) while a soloist sings the verses overtop. Meditative singing gives you a link to the Taize website that explains it a little bit, again from an emic point of view, and if you want to you can listen to the mp3sof the music. These recordings have instruments, but they aren't always used. You may also notice the different languages...Latin seems to be the base language, but they are translated/written in many different languages. The first clip is in German, but I know the song in English...its talking about Jesus asking his disciples to stay with him and wait in the garden before he was crucified. The second last clip is Portugese, and give a bit of an example of the ostinato chorus with solo overtop. Kreisha's comments also bring to mind the way that this singing style is performed. From my understanding, everyone sits facing the same direction, and the leader is not seperate from the group. Due to the repetition people can join in when they are comfortable, and the soloist may come later. ~--Cari 18:32, 31 January 2006 (MST)

Assigned readings, listenings, viewings

Islamic. Please read my survey of inshad dini (Islamic hymnody in Egypt). Then read listening notes for corresponding audio examples. You may also listen to a typical mawlid and read the associated album notes. The mawlid is a celebration of the Prophet Muhammad's birth, including devotional singing; it is frequently recited in the mystical orders of Islam, the turuq Sufiyya - in this case the Hamidiyya Shadhiliyya order of Egypt.

Hindu. Please read Slawek's Popular Kirtan in Benares For audio examples of various kinds of Hindu devotional singing (including kirtans and bhajans) see [1].

Baul. The Bauls ('madcaps') are a little-known group of itinerant musicians from Bengal, whose religious tradition draws upon Buddhism, Tantra, and Vaishnavism, and is close to mystical Islam as well. Please read Capwell's Popular Expression of Religious Syncretism. Listen to two Baul songs performed by Subal Das Baul and his ensemble:

• Gyan Anjana Nayane Dao. Text by Radhashyam Gonsai, 1960. Instrumental accompaniment: Khal (two-headed drum), Dhotari (lute typical of west Bengal), Ektara (a single-stringed instrument most emblematic of the Bauls; made of a gourd, it is said to be descended from the gopiyantra, the instrument used by the gopis, Krishna's cowhered maidens), Duggi (small round drum).

• Joga Bole Sonre Madha Bhai. Same instrumentation, plus harmonium.

Optional supplementary readings:

• You may like to read about another Hindu devotional genre, the bhajan.
• For further background on the Bauls, see another article by Capwell.
• For an overview of the religious songs of Nobel-laureate Rabindranath Tagore (whose spirituality was powerfully influenced by both Hinduism and the Bauls) see The Religious Motif in the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore

Optional supplementary viewings: See JVC Video Anthology of World Music and Dance, especially volumes 12-14 (Hindu, Sikh, Baul, Qawwali), along with corresponding notes.

Your selected readings

Include here articles about devotional chant - intoned religious texts apart from the recitation of Divinely-given ones. Try to cover (collectively) as many religious traditions as possible. Follow your citation with a capsule summary.

Jose Maceda, Chants from Sagada Mountain Province, Philippines Maceda speaks on the daily musical life in the mountain province in the Philippines. "Musical life is in connection with daily activities—dance, play, political, etc. There are various chants for different occasions, identifiable by tune/melody." This particular article analyzes the text and melodies (musical analysis) of seven specific chants recorded by Mr. Alfredo Pacyaya from this province, but played in the United States in 1956, and are currently housed at the University of Chicago. --Stella 21:39, 29 January 2006 (MST)

Precontact Music in Hawai'i by Elizabeth Tatar Tatar's article examines records of Hawaiian chants collected by Helen Roberts (1923) and Dr. Kenneth Emory (1933), along with spectographic, manually transcribed and linguistic analyses to explain why 19th Century performances sound so drastically different from contemporary performances. Her analysis indicates that "a chant phonology existed alongside a speech phonology, phonemically the same, but phonetically different", with noted variances in type, style and quality of 'mele' (chant). Tatar concludes that "if a Hawaiian musical trait found in chant appears in similar form over a sufficiently wide area of Eastern Polynesia, it is probable that it existed in precontact times."~~Kreisha

• Attempt at audio sample/web-site [2]--Kreisha (signature button still not working for me!)

Embodiment and Ambivalence: Emotion in South Asian Muharram Drumming Wolf's article deals with the issue of music and emotion through different types of drumming from South Asia. This article is a case study of Shii's festival celebrates every year in the month of Muharram (according to Islamic calender). Wolf's extensive field research in South Asia particularly in Lahore, Pakistan and Lucknow India resulted this excellent grass root study of Shia Muslim. The author examines the historcial and theoretical background of Shia Muslim and tried to follow the anthropological tools to study the music and religious emotions of Shia Muslim and culutre. --User: Karim

What's in a Dhal? Evidence of Raga-like Approaches in a Gujarati Musical Tradition Gordon contributed this article to the journal for Ethonomusicology in 1995. The author critically examines the folk tradition of Gujarat India and compare with the Indian classical music. Gordon reveals many unresolved issues of religious folk music and give higher importance to the "dhal" musical tradition of Gujarat, which seems very similar to the Indian classical ragas but has its own historical background and tradition. Gordon also criticizes the western scholarship of only highlighting the Indian classical music as a music of high culture in "India" however there are many local-folk traditions perform throughout India and celebrates the richness of "high culture" and "standard" ==Karim

Plain Chant, the Handmaid of the Liturgy: A Challenge and a Prophecy I was wanting to find an article on a slightly different subject (that of Taize, which I'll mention in the general discussion instead) but decided in the end to include this one. It is a very emic article about the unique characteristics of Plain Chant (also called Gregorian Chant) compared with more "modern" music, and why its return to Catholic liturgy is/was such a positive trend. The article is from 1921 and you can definitely tell from the author's style and beliefs. I wonder what would be the current thoughts? ~--Cari 18:10, 31 January 2006 (MST)