How beautiful and universal!

Hello All,

I hope the following ecstatic and enlightening exclamation of the
sages of the vedic age will inspire you, as it did to me -- that is
why I thought it proper to post this:

"Let the drum sound forth and let the lute resound, let the strings
vibrate the exalted prayer to God."

Rig Veda Samhita 8.69.9.

Regards,
Haresh.

Yes! Thank you, Haresh! Just because my choral ensemble specializes
in the sacred music of the great composers, which automatically
implies that we sing music from the European and therefore Christian
tradition, does not mean that we are as narrow in our outlook as the
Christian tradition has only too often proved itself to be.

I find the Indian ragas deeply and powerfully inspiring. To me the
deepest purpose of music is that of inducing a profoundly intimate
communion with the ultimate intelligence of the universe, which
emanates from within the center of our own being if we allow
ourselves to perceive it. Even the Christian scriptures quote God as
saying, "My spirit shall bear witness within you," and "Be still and
know that I am God."

I believe truly great music brings us into communion with the
universality within all of us and that this is the true power music
has to unify and generate outer peace, inner peace manifest on a
social scale. This is something much more profound than simply a
bunch of people enjoying the same thing together.

I sometimes feel this latter, superficial meaning when some musicians
talk about the power of music to unite, as if it were simply a way to
get people together and enjoy some kind of entertainment all at the
same time, and that this kind of cool little musical party gives
music its power. No! I'm convinced it's the power of great music to
model the deepest, most abstract but concretely beautiful levels of
life's innermost structure, and not the uniting of people to enjoy
just any old music together, that grants this power to music. This
latter has it all backwards in my humble opinion.

--- In tuning@y..., "hbakshi1" <hareshbakshi@h...> wrote:
> Hello All,
>
> I hope the following ecstatic and enlightening exclamation of the
> sages of the vedic age will inspire you, as it did to me -- that is
> why I thought it proper to post this:
>
> "Let the drum sound forth and let the lute resound, let the strings
> vibrate the exalted prayer to God."
>
> Rig Veda Samhita 8.69.9.
>
> Regards,
> Haresh.

hbakshi1 wrote:

> Hello All,
>
> I hope the following ecstatic and enlightening exclamation of the
> sages of the vedic age will inspire you, as it did to me -- that is
> why I thought it proper to post this:
>
> "Let the drum sound forth and let the lute resound, let the strings
> vibrate the exalted prayer to God."
>
> Rig Veda Samhita 8.69.9.
>
> Regards,
> Haresh.

Not forgetting Psalm 150

Praise him
with the sound of the trumpet : praise him with the psaltery and harp
Praise him with the timbrel and dance : praise him with stringed instruments and organs
Praise him upon the loud cymbals : praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.....

Kind Regards