Sound in Spirit
Introduction by Silvia Nakkach
Producer's Note by Steve Barnett
This is the first Chanticleer recording totally conceived for recording and remixing in a studio environment. It is the first Chanticleer recording to be conceived as a total experience—ideally it should be listened to from beginning to end without pause—thus there is no silence or space between tracks. It is the first to add outdoor ambient sounds. It is the first Chanticleer recording to incorporate “overtone singing”; both intentional (“Past Life Melodies”) and accidental, the result of their immaculate intonation (“Sound in Spirit”). The music contained herein extends from ancient sacred chants to music composed at the recording sessions themselves; all as seen through the creative ”lenses” of Joseph Jennings and his “Orchestra of Voices”: the men of Chanticleer.
By Silvia Nakkach
Through words of power, seed syllables, deity invocations, magic sounds, prayerful chants, and divine utterances, all spiritual traditions of enlightenment have used sound and the voice as a gateway to transcendence. In ancient Tibetan mythology, sound is considered to be the original source of all existence. Sound transforms energy patterns, reveals measurable effects in the physical body, and facilitates connection with the spirit world.
As an organic impulse to translate the emotion of being alive, sound develops into music. Plato shared this profound belief: "Music gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything. It is the essence of order, and leads to all that is good, just, and beautiful, of which it is the invisible, passionate and eternal form."
As a fabric of breath, vibration and emotion, the singing voice can affect the body and mind more efficiently than any other form of sound. Vocal sounds are a primary source of energy, balancing and stimulating the brain and the heart.
Chanting releases harmonic energy, triggering a spontaneous identification with the sacred, a dimension of consciousness characterized by a healing release of boundless radiance, openness and love. In sacred chant, the expressive force of the voice in elaborated multi-voiced polyphony becomes a journey for the listener, creating an atmosphere strongly permeated with magic and spirit.
Sacred chant nourishes us in ways we don't even realize. It inspires, relaxes, and energizes us. By remembering the devotional nature of music we open our hearts to the deep longing of the chant and becoming familiar with “the enchanters,” those who journey through the magic of the song to attract the spirit power.
Silvia Nakkach is a pioneer in the field of sound and transformation of consciousness, an award-winning composer, teacher, author, psychologist, and internationally acclaimed singer and voice-culturist. She is the founder-director of the Vox Mundi Project (www.voxmundiproject.com).