Resounding ritual
Assigned viewings, listenings
(some we will do in class)
Video: Altar of Fire Music Library BL 1226.82 A33 G37 1976
Audio: Ga ritual music
Assigned readings
The Sounds of Silence- Cross-World Communication and the Auditory Arts in African Societies
Music and Ritual Symbolism in the Ga Funeral
Liturgy, Ambiguity and Silence- The Ritual Management of Real Absence
Your selected readings
Book: Spencer, J.M. Protest & Praise: Sacred Music of Black Religion. Chapter 6, The Drum Deferred: Rhythm in Black Religion of the African Diaspora. Spencer argues that while the drum is a principal instrument of ritual in many African societies, it is not essential to the religious experience of spiritual possession. For the African slave diaspora, where the drum was forbidden there emerged the cathartic and aesthetically creative practise of the ring-shout, which maintained the two essential elements of ritual: body-percussion and dance. --Kelly Thomas
Sound and Ritual by Anthony Jackson This is my link to an article in response to the 'Resounding ritual' articles we have already read. The article provides a rather general overview of how sound (or lack thereof) influences the interpretation of ritualistic performances. The article is sourced through popular religious theorists Levi-Strauss and Eliade. Primary examples include musical influences from Christianity and African tribal rituals. This relates primarily to the first two of the three articles.
--Khaver 20:39, 14 January 2006 (MST)
Kamayura flute music: a study of music as metacommunication
Here is my article link for the "Resounding Ritual" readings. This article is on the dance and music (specifically flute music) as a form of communication among the Kamayura of Brazil, their rituals, and relationships between the "mythical and social organization through music." -StellaM
This article deals with the role of music in the worship services of the Karaite communit, as both a religious institution and a means of preserving the community's culture.--Meghanbowen 12:00, 16 January 2006 (MST)
Healing Rituals Involving Music in Cotabato, Philippines, by Jose Maceda
This article is written by leading Filipino native ethnographer Jose Maceda (recently deceased), and reports on variations of a healing ritual practiced by indigenous Filipino mediums in non-enmical co-existence with the Muslim religion, which predominates the island province of Mindanao. Details of the ritual(s) including offerings, dress, trance, dance and musical instruments are provided. Words, translation and musical transcription are included in the final pages. --Kreisha Oro
The Symbolization Process of the Shamanic Drums Used by the Manchus and Other Peoples in North Asia
This article looks at the shamanic drum from an ethnomusicological point of view. It describes the physical aspects of the drum and its use, but also discusses how it operates as a symbol. In the article Lisha Li uses this focus and perspective to create a framework describing the process of symbolization of ritual musical instruments. An important part of this symbolization process seems to take place in rituals where the shaman and drum mediate between our world and the other world. --Cari 21:23, 17 January 2006 (MST)
Origins of the Musical and Spiritual Syncretism of Nomai in Northern Japan
This article takes an indepth look at the origins and religious influences which are predominant in the performance art of Nomai. The article is based on field work done by Susan Asai (an ethnomusicologist) in the city of Hirosaki. It provides historical and religious background,pictoral references, and explanations of the instrumentation, costuming, vocal techniques, and song styles used in the ritual. --KellyM 11:21, 18 January 2006 (MST)
This article, though old (1967 I think), attempts to explain some of the significance of sound in ritual, especially in terms of psychological stimulation and involvement in a society. It also touches on the psychological effects of rhythm on people both in ritual and non-ritual circumstances. --Megfow 15:00, 18 January 2006 (MST)
Ritual and Music in South India: Syrian Christian Liturgical Music in Kerala
This article provides a study of the ritual and music of the Syrian Christian church of Kerala. It dates from 1979 and as such the article is dated. It gives some background on Kerala of 1979, briefly discusses its history and investigates the ritual and music of the Syrian Church in some detail. Though old this is one of very few studies focused on the group's music and, for that matter, on the group itself. Very recently J. Palackel has done significant work on the subject. Some of his research can be found in the Garland. --CBiel 15:20, 18 January 2006 (MST)
Religious Chant: A Pan-asiatic conception of music
This short article relates to a subject involved in our discussion of the video and in last week Thursday's class. The author posits that the religious chants of ethnic groups all over Asia have much more in common (especially in their simplicity) than the other "folk" music of the same groups. This has implications for studying the origin of religion and of religious music, and also how or whether religious groups consider their chants to be "music" or not. Certainly open to discussion is this article as "reference" and "source", as we discussed with the video of Tuesday's class. Note that it's from 1961. --Jordanv 15:49, 18 January 2006 (MST)
The Duality of the Sacred and the Secular in Chinese Buddhist Music: An Introduction
This article defines Chinese sacred (yue) and secular (suyue) music and the roles that they play within the Buddhist context. It shows how music is supposed to be integrated into everyday life but also shows how the roles are changing in the modern world. --Bkey 19:19, 18 January 2006 (MST)
Community Ritual and Social Structure in Korea by Ch'oe Kil-Song
Kil-Song examines two village festivals from Korea--the tongje and pyolshin kut (or tang kut)--to investigate their relation to "social function, or dysfunction, of religion in the life of village people" (39). These two rituals are examined in a household setting as well as a community setting. Kil-Song concludes that the villagers use ritual to maintain their solidarity with each other. It's a neat article, but doesn't really make any fascinating conclusions.--Lpauls 22:14, 18 January 2006 (MST)
[http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0016-7428%28196807%2958%3A3%3C392%3APCIG%3E2.0.CO%3B2-3 =Pilgrim Circulation in Gujarat]
This article studies the Gujarati ritual of pilgrimage through spatial traffic (particularly through analysis of the geographical regions and the human populations that are involved), which provides unique insights on the nature of the ritual(s), its importance to the people who participate in it, and how this ritual is attempting to maintain tradition while adapting to modernity. --Niyati 02:01, 19 January 2006 (MST)
