This past weekend we presented our second concert in our Ananda Concert Series, entitled An Evening with St. Francis, presenting the life of the great saint with narration and music written by Swami Kriyananda.
The dome of the Crystal Hermitage was filled to capacity with close to 70 in the audience as we began our program. First, Bhagavati and Ramesha Nani and I played a set of pieces from Mediterranean Magic to set the Italian mood. Bhagavati, a wonderfully talented flutist, and Ramesha, her husband, equally talented in guitar and violin, are dear friends who have been here at the village for over the past year, assisting in all our musical endeavors. (What a joy it is to have kindred professional musicians that can also deeply appreciate Swami’s music!)
Following the instrumental set, we began the 55 minute program of the life of St. Francis, narrated by Ishaq Johnson, with instrumental interludes and a ten voice choir led by Jeannie Tschantz. With Ishaq’s beautifully attuned narration and Jeannie’s sensitive direction, we were able to invoke the spirit of the great saint. One could easily feel the purity of heart, the sweetness of love, and the unconditional spirit of living for God alone. Many in the audience were deeply moved.
Performing in the Crystal Hermitage is, in a way, like performing in a spiritual Carnegie Hall – the vibrations, the spiritual ambiance of the dome make it much easier to create and tap into the inspirition of the program, just as the acoustics of Carnegie Hall make it so enjoyable to listen.
Our concert series consists of seven programs throughout the year. Our first, I Came From Joy, was on September 22nd, and featured the children’s music of Swami Kriyananda. Our next concert is on Saturday, November 10th, and is entitled Heart Songs, Soul Songs. If you’d like more information, please contact our music office at 530-478-7687.
