Yesterday the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance celebrated its new building with a day-long celebration of ritual and music that included amazing musicians, presentations by the building architect, Daniel Cordier and Zen garden designer, Robert Ketchell, and Nepalese shaman, Yarjung Krumchai Tamu, who concluded the day with a ceremony of protection for the building and its occupants.
It was a very special day. Simon Dwyer, who is an authority on prehistoric Irish instruments, gave a wonderful talk and demonstration of a number of horns, replicated from the Stone and Bronze ages through medieval times. He also played these brass, wooden, and animal horns and was later joined in a concert by his wife and then was joined by a number of internationally known Irish percussion players and students, players of bodhran, a hand held drum native to and made here in Ireland. He was joined by acclaimed composer, performer, and academic Mel Mercier, who played the bones. Yes, you read that correctly, he plays the bones and it is facinating to hear the rhythms and sounds he creates by tapping one bone against another. Here are some YouTube links. The first is of Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin and Mel Mercier playing together. Mícheál is the director of the Irish World Academy, the department chair, and an amazing Irish musician and composer. This is an improvisation; Mícheál is on the piano and Mel on the bones. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibjds5PIyMk
And here is Tommy Hayes with a group playing traditional Irish music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq5V7gpGH5M&feature=related
And finally, here is Simon O'Dwyer talking about and demonstrating these amazing ancient instruments. It's worth a look! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4t8ap5KXqQ&feature=related
It is worth pasting these links into your browser if they don't automatically take you to Youtube.
And finally, Nepalese shaman, Yarjung Krumchai Tamu stayed today to teach our class so we all had a chance to interact with him. He was charming and engaging, a fully present human being. Yarjung comes from perhaps a hundred generations of Nepal Tamu Shamans. He started to learn his healing craft at the age of four and performs over 300 rituals and 120 chants. He shared himself so generously. We were all invited to play his drum, the making of which is very ritualistic in its own right. We were able to ask questions and to sing a morning chant with him. The chant we learned is , in call and response style. It is performed daily to release your troubles. It is apparently a powerful mantra. Here is a chant from Nepal. It is not Yarjung singing, but you will get a feel for the vocal quality and style. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJmMIMhD9Vk
I am having some very special experiences this. More sharing next time.
Love from Glocca Morra.
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