Tibet Monastère de Gyütö

Description

This ceremony, recorded in 1975, with the first generation of monks exiled in India with the current Dalai Lama, reproduces as closely as possible the impressive technique, fervor, and mystery of this very low Buddhist chant, enriched with harmonics, accompanied by horns, drums, and large cymbals. The whole is served by a recording that places the listener at the very heart of this sonic phenomenon.
As in all monasteries of the different schools, an important place is reserved for the memorization and recitation of a large quantity of ritual texts. The liturgical practice of Gyütö is characterized by the use of a specific mode of chanting, “the voice of the tantra; this process consists of emitting simultaneously a very low sound and, by modifying the volume of the oral cavity, making one of the harmonics of this sound stand out distinctly.
At Gyütö, the highlighted harmonic is harmonic 10, which is located 3 octaves + 1 third above the fundamental. Many occurrences of it can be distinguished on the different selected tracks in these CDs, notably when the chant master gives the cue for a passage.