Interfaith Works presents:

The 2005
World Sacred Music Festival
OLYMPIA

a celebration of the sacred
through the uplifting music of the world

was held May 21 & 22 at St. John's Episcopal Church

for current festival info, click here

Ancient Sounds Ensemble
‘Ancient Sounds’ is a World Ethnic music group ... still in the process of forming ... currently with Middle Eastern / East Indian / American Indian / African themes predominating. We work in Ensemble Format with a Core Center Group that specifically designs our music program for the desired program impact. We often host Special Guests to broaden our range of music and add dance or art elements. We create inspiring, heart-felt music, typically with ethnic world and meditative new age themes. Native American & World flutes, didgeridoos, other ancient woodwinds, and ethnic percussion are combined with vocals, piano, synth, guitar, animals calls and other creative instruments to create the effects we wish. Our music is created for rejuvenation n’ enjoyment … and behind it is a focused intention … to support our inner knowing, the unfoldment of innate creative talents, and to help discover and engage … our mission here on Earth!
ancientsounds.org

Doug Bridges
Douglas Bridges is a Pacific Northwest artist, teacher and performer on the Didjeridu and various other percussion instruments. The range of his musical style spans a diverse variety of genres. Informed by a wide world of traditions, his musical expressions explore experimental as well as some of the folk and classical artistry of many cultures.

His handcrafted Didjeridus have received enthusiastic responses from a variety of musicians and artists from the United States, Canada, Britain, Western Europe, Iceland, and Australia. The Australian Aboriginal musician David Hudson has procured two of Doug's pieces in admiration of their tonal qualities and aesthetics. Doug creates his instruments using a blend of synthetic and natural materials. Through a series of careful steps, he is able to produce a faux wood appearance that remarkably resembles an exotic hardwood.

For over 12 years, Doug has conducted Didjeridu workshops at colleges, universities, festivals and private salons throughout the Northwest and S.E. Alaska. These workshops focus not only on techniques of playing but also on exploring the art of sound -- acoustic adventure is celebrated. The consistent plaudits of the participants have emphasized enjoyment of a workshop atmosphere that is personable, didactic and filled with interactive fun for all.

Joining Doug will be multi-instrumentalist Ted Hunter on Didjeridu and vocal, and Mike Norwood on fiddle. Practice "Didjeri-tubes" will be available at their interactive performance/workshop.
(253) 752-8536 or doubri@harbornet.com

Kane Mathis
Mandinka Music of West Africa on the Kora (21-string Mandinka harp).
Making Annual trips to The Gambia, Kane was taught the tradition of Kora by the family of Malimini Jobarteh. In 2000 Kane received recognition by the Gambian Minister of Culture for his cassette "Bantam Ba Kouayte." In 2001 Kane performed at the first annual Gambian heritage festival before the President of the Gambia. In 2004 the American Embassy in Gambia featured Kane's Gambian group Tiramakan Ensemble in a two-hour concert for the Ambassador and Gambian community, which earned him a spot with the same group on Gambian national television. The Kora is one of Africa's most complex chordophones carrying bass and melody simultaneously. Kora was invented about 700 years ago in sub-Saharan West Africa and is in the care of hereditary musicians and storyteller/historians. Kane will perform solo versions of Mandinka classics from The Gambia, Senegal, Mali and Guinea at the festival.
www.kairarecords.com/kane

Pacific Northwest Sacred Harp Singers
Sacred Harp singing is a community musical and social event, emphasizing participation, not performance, where people sing songs from a tunebook called "The Sacred Harp". There has been Sacred Harp singing in the Pacific Northwest since the early 1970s, and an annual All-Day Singing here since 1992. "The Sacred Harp" is an oblong tunebook first published in 1844 for two Georgia musicians. The book contains 4-part harmony songs set with religious hymntexts. The only thing unusual about the look of the music is that each notehead takes on one of four shapes, hence the alternate name for this kind of singing: shapenote singing.
pnwshs.org

Peregrine Medieval Vocal Ensemble
Established in 1997, Peregrine Medieval Vocal Ensemble is dedicated to offering vocal sound, accompanied by harp, as a way to open up a space for prayer and meditation. Peregrine is a resident ensemble at St. Mark's Cathedral in Seattle. In addition to providing music for liturgies and contemplative events at St. Mark's, Peregrine's performance credits include concerts and liturgies at many local churches, interfaith events, and other venues.
centerforsacredart.org

Scott Saunders
Scott Saunders, is a Certified Ta Ke Ti Na Rhythm Instructor and holds an M.A. in Human Development with an emphasis in Leadership from Pacific Oaks College. He has studied drumming and percussion with master teachers from Cuba, Brazil, West Africa, Europe and the USA. He has completed an intensive 3 year training with the creator of TaKe TiNa, Reinhard Flatischler, and is currently completing the 1st US Advanced TaKe TiNa Rhythm Teacher Training. He co-created Ritmo Y Lengua, a program to introduce participants of all ages to Spanish language and Latin rhythm through the use of song and movement. Scott has been teaching Afro-Latin drumming for the past 15 years and performs with bands La Onda, Los Calaveras and Samba OlyWa.

TaKeTiNa: Rhythm for Evolution is a musical group process that uses precise stepping, clapping, and rhythmic voicing patterns to free movement. Using the body as the main instrument, TaKeTiNa develops essential and fundamental musical skills in a joyful and relaxed way. Learning rhythm and music with the TaKeTiNa process always means learning for life, too. The mind becomes silent and the core being is allowed to surface in a relaxed way.
powerofrhythm.com

Geshe Jamyang Tsultrim
Geshe Jamyang Tsultrim holds an advanced traditional degree in Buddhist studies and meditation awarded after ten consecutive years of study at Sakya Monastic College in India. Lama Jamyang was a Buddhist monk for twenty years and has studied with many senior Tibetan teachers in India and Nepal. He also taught at the Sakya Institute for two years in India. After coming to the USA, Jamyang obtained a Masters degree in Western psychology. He has been working as a mental health therapist and giving philosophical based Buddhist teachings for the last 15 years in the Olympia area. He is also a visiting instructor on Buddhist logic and epistemology at the International Buddhist Academy in Kathmandu, Nepal. He is currently engaged with a major translation project on the classic Buddhist Logic and Valid Cognition.

Paul Wagner
Paul Wagner of the Saanich (Northwest Coast Salish) tribe comes from a lineage of Shneh'em, medicine people who have dedicated their lives to healing work using many tools, including music.  Paul continues this work through traditional sound healing and ritual performance. Paul's Native American flute songs have come to him with visions of healing and prayer for all relations (tree people, animal people, human people).  Paul believes music comes to us directly from Spirit; leaving yourself open to Spirit is the way; asking for the gifts to come so we can gift the music to those who need such blessings.
sacredbreath.cc

Sean Williams
Sean-nós singing is one of the finest of the traditional Irish arts. It is often characterized by unaccompanied performance in Irish or in English; free rhythm, relative lack of vibrato or dynamic change, and especially by the use of rapid, melismatic ornamentation. Sean first studied sean-nós singing in the early 1980s when she was a graduate student at the University of Washington in ethnomusicology. Her teacher was Joe Heaney, one of the greatest singers of his time. They worked together for several years until his untimely death from emphysema in 1984, and Sean was fortunate to receive many of his songs. Sean has continued to learn new songs and study sean-nós singing in the ensuing 25 years, and now teaches at The Evergreen State College.
academic.evergreen.edu/w/williams

Rag Dharma: Stephanie Donchey (sitar), Celia Chantal (flute), Eric Saraj (slide guitar), & John Abrams (tabla)
Stephanie Donchey has been studying the sitar and Indian classical music for nearly 28 years. She lived for several years in Benares, India, where she was a disciple of sitarist Shree Amarnath Misra. Stephanie has performed extensively in Montreal, Canada, and here in Olympia. In addition to live concerts, Stephanie has also gone into many public school classes of all grade levels to introduce students to the world of Indian music.

Celia Chantal was born into a family of musicians and was encouraged and supported in music from an early age. This background was further complimented by an unconventional upbringing of traveling around the country while attending Waldorf schools. Celia’s gypsy life lead to diverse musical interests, and she has studied and performed in Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Greece and all over the USA. She has played for many years with the Columbia Street Irish Session band. Celia’s artist mission is to help create and inspire positive growth in consciousness and to open hearts and spirits to the Divine within. Celia has begun a solo career as a singer-songwriter, and writes songs inspired by sacred chants. She interweaves Irish, Middle Eastern and Classical Indian influences with voice, harp, guitar and silver flute. She is thrilled to be performing classical Indian music with her teacher Stephanie Donchey.

Temple Beth Hatfiloh Choir
The Temple Beth Hatfiloh Choir formed in 1998 to sing for High Holy Day Services, and has expanded to now sing at Shabbat services, other Jewish holidays, life cycle events, and community interfaith concerts. Singing both traditional and contemporary liturgical music in Hebrew and English, the Temple Beth Hatfiloh Choir enhances the congregational spiritual experience through music.