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Music for the Millennium “The Symphony of the Seasons” is a collage of sounds designed for healing meditation. The Kristi Lee Sound Collective weaves other-worldly sounds into a background that drones and hums, capturing the senses in an awareness of the power of change. The work begins with the balinese gongs invoking the dark mood of ”Winter’s Song”. Layered textures played on the Wuhan gong draw the listener within. The hand percussion of Alex Jenkins drives the forward motion of Earth’s renewal from winter into spring in “Winter Interlude”. The beating of the skin of the drum is like the sun pulsing the spring light, warming the Earth’s crust, the habitat of her life. The rainsticks nourish like the rain, watering the warmed soil, germinating the new growth of the season. In “Spring’s Morning,” the day opens upon the full blossoming of springtime with the Himalayan bowl duet of Appert and Lee. The next piece, “Summer Harvest of Light,” captures the height of the summer season. The ocean drums evoke the vision of the soothing sounds of the sea and the sun. The Hawaiian trumpets overlay the sea and sun calling the ships of the mind to shore with their mellow bamboo tones. The collective unites in “3 Bells Light the Way,” fusing the harmonies of the Himalayan bells into the radiating multi-hued patterns of autumn's sound. The deep resonant tones of the large Himalayan bowls as they are struck draw the listener to the underworld nether lands of rest, renewal, and decay in “All Fall Down.” “Textures & Tabla II,“ the musical duet of tabla drums and percussive textures draws one down into the Earth, cocooning as autumn comes to a close. The symphony culminates in the rebirth of light in “All Rise Up,” the final movement. Sacred tone rows of the Himalayan bowls, then bells render the clarity of winter’s still song. The blend of traditional and modern elements in “The Symphony of the Seasons” was conceived as a vehicle for embracing major life change. The value of this music can be realized as a support during the cracks of daily life, the moments of reflection during domestic work or at the end of a day. It can be transformative whether used directly as a part of meditation practice or as ambient sound. May it help ease the changes of a growing culture, bringing compassion in the silence of its wake. |
