Vancouver Chants

David Embry Solest

Option A — “When You and I Vanish” — David Embry Solest and Alana Lea guide you into a deeply comtemplative chant experience.

Location: Sanctuary (enter through side door from the alley behind the Canadian Memorial Centre for Peace)

Longtime chant master David Embry Solest brings his unique style of chanting and voice work together with Alana Lea. His experience in music is extensive and his understanding of the conscious use of voice, sound and listening is prodigious. He offers workshops, vocal instruction, chant performance work and is currently the director of the expanding "I AM Choir" offering chanting in a choir setting. He is also involved in bringing sound awareness and listening workshops to public and private organisations through his organisation Blue Lotus Music.
web: www.bluelotusmusic.com

Alana Lea has led sacred song and dance representing a spectrum of both international folk and sacred traditions in a multitude of international settings since 1985. She is the founder of www.PeaceThroughArt.us, creating global sacred arts exhibits and events under the auspices of the Shalem Center.

Option B — “Many Nations – One Heartbeat” — Phil L'Hirondelle and Nancy Watters lead a workshop that incorporates drumming and movment with chants from First Nations and the Baha'i.

Location: Great Hall (main floor of the Canadian Memorial Centre for Peace)

Cree Elder Mechuskosees (Phil L'Hirondelle), sacred pipe carrier and sweat lodge leader will be leading chants from First nations traditions.

Nancy Watters is founder of Sacred World Song, a project that brings people together through world chants that are easy to learn and beautiful to sing. She teaches ancient sonic wisdom that creates vibrant health, spiritual transformation and interfaith understanding.
web: www.sacredworldsong.com

Option C — “Unity through Chant” — Joelle Lazar and Matthew Smith & Deborah Bramm share original comtemporary chants intersperced with traditional pieces exploring the theme of union.

Location: Fireside Room on the 2nd Floor of the Canadian Memorial Centre for Peace

Joelle Lazar specializes in teaching Hatha and prenatal yoga, chanting and meditation. She accompanies her lovely voice on the guitar.

Matthew Smith has a passion for writing chant music and has been composing original chants for a number of years. Deborah Bramm brings a soft, beautiful voice to their duo.

Option A — “Devotion to the Divine Within” — In Jewish and Sikh traditions, chanting as a vehicle for gratitude and praise.

Location: Sanctuary (enter through side door from the alley behind the Canadian Memorial Centre for Peace)

Lorne Mallin

Myrna Rabinowitz

Lorne Mallin joins with Myrna Rabinowitz in presenting chants in Hebrew. Lorne is a graduate of Rabbi Shefa Gold's Jewish Chant Leadership Training and leads monthly evenings of Jewish chant. Myrna is a singer-songwriter whose sixth album, Hashiveinu, will be featured in a double CD-release concert April 29 at the Norman Rothstein Theatre.
web: www.lornemallin.com

Bachan Kaur teaches Kundalini yoga and leads Sikh devotional chanting and song along with Rajkanwal Kaur.
web: www.yogawest.ca

Option B — “Chanting the Name” — Maalaa and devotees of Krishna lead us in remembering that Spirit is One no matter what name you choose to use. There will be drumming and the opportunity to dance in celebration.

Location: Great Hall (main floor of the Canadian Memorial Centre for Peace)

Maalaa, a lifelong yogi and devotee of chant for over 30 years, says “Unite the singer, the song, the singing and the Source”. Maalaa leads chants in Hindu, Sanskrit and English.

Members of the Krishna Consciousness Community led by Kripandhi Das and other devotees invite particpants to join them in chanting “Hare Krishna”.

Option C — “Supporting the Heart into Meditation” — Christian and Buddhist traditions of chanting followed by a period of silent meditation. A beautiful peaceful connection to the divine within.

Location: Fireside Room on the 2nd Floor of the Canadian Memorial Centre for Peace

Longtime chant leader David Embry Solest connects his unique style of chanting to the Christian tradition. David offers workshops, vocal instruction, chant performance work and is currently the director of the expanding "I AM Choir" offering chanting in a choir setting. He is also involved in bringing sound awareness and listening workshops to public and private organisations through his organisation Blue Lotus Music.
web: www.bluelotusmusic.com

Members of a vipassana-focussed (insight) meditation group will lead this chanting into meditiation session. The chants were learned from the monks at the Birken Forest Monastery, a Therevaden Buddhist Monastery for westerners, in the Thai Forest tradition. Many of the chants are very old, some are newer, some will be in Pali, and some will be in English. The purpose is help focus the mind, relax the body, and calm the heart into a state conducive to meditation. 25 mnutes of chanting will be followed by 20 minutes of silent meditation.

For more information on Birken Forest, Buddhism and meditation retreats, please visit the Birken Forest website www.birken.ca

You can also find more information on meditation groups and non-residential retreats in the Lower Mainland at www.westcoastdharma.org/resources/classes.htm

Sandra Leigh

Option A — “Peace through Music” — Join Sandra Leigh and Lyle Povah for Indian style bhajans, English songs for peace and sacred mantra — let your voice soar on the wings of inspiration.

Location: Sanctuary (enter through side door from the alley behind the Canadian Memorial Centre for Peace)

Sandra Leigh is the Artistic Director of 'Give Peace a Chant!' kirtan, a community gathering that meets in Kitsilano every Friday evening for celebration and chanting from all different traditions. As a yoga teacher, kirtan and mantra plays a large part of Sandra's practice. She plays harmonium, mrdangam (indian drum), guitar, leading and accompanying call and response and unison chants in Sanskrit and English.
web: givepeaceachant.org

Lyle Povah

Lyle Povah is a singer / percussionist / guitarist, writer, recording artist, teacher and entertainer with a special interest in African drumming. He has studied and performed worldwide and is a pioneering educator in musical areas related to health and creativity, community building and intergenerational learning. He works throughout North America and Europe, in hospitals, jails, retreat centres, eating disorder programs, schools, and at conferences, corporate teambuilding and community events. He is on the faculty at the Haven Institute for Professional Training and regularly works for the Sauder School of Business. Lyle believes that sharing rhythm and music is a powerful way to work and play together in peace.
web: lylepovah.com

Option B — “Gaia Blessing: Earth Chants from African and Goddess Traditions” — Navaro Franco and Oliver Clarke will lead ceremonial dance and chanting in celebration of our connection to the Earth. The chanting will be accompanied by dynamic African drums and percussion played by Pepe Danza.

Location: Great Hall (main floor of the Canadian Memorial Centre for Peace)

Navaro Franco has been drumming and dancing for over 20 years. She performs and teaches drumming, African Dance, Trance Dance & Ecstatic Dance (Tribal Bliss Dance & Drumming). She has a passion for creating community spaces for healing and joy through rhythm and dance. Navaro has studied with master teachers in Africa, the U.S. & Canada. She co-directs Drum Prayers with Pepe Danza & is a founding member of the Diva Drum Collective.
email: navaro@tribal-bliss.com

Oliver Clarke began chanting in the mid 90s as part of his Qi Gong meditation practice. It quickly grew to become his life passion. His quest for deeper experieince guided him to his spiritual teacher, Gangaji, for whom he led chanting at her retreats around the United States from 2000 to 2003. Oliver leads an ensemble in Courtney, BC and has released his first CD “Circle of Souls” which will be available for sale at ChantFest.
web: www.shanti-o.com

Amy Stephen and Amir Haghighi

Option C — "East and West in Close Embrace” — Celtic harpist Amy Stephen and traditional Persian vocalist Amir Haghighi lead Baha'i chants in Arabic and Farsi.

Location: Fireside Room on the 2nd Floor of the Canadian Memorial Centre for Peace

Amy Stephen is a versatile performer, composer, arranger and producer. She has toured internationally from Europe to Japan at festivals and concert series playing traditional celtic and original material since 1995.
web: www.myspace.com/amystephenmusic

Amir Haghighi is well known for his powerful renderings of traditional Persian songs and his exquisite chanting of persian Bahá'í prayers. The raw passion in his singing is entrancing. Most of his own songs are based around the mystical love poetry of the great Persian poets such as Rumi, Hafez and Bahá'u'lláh. Amir has been studying and singing Persian traditional music since his childhood in Tehran, Iran. Singing and playing the daf, Amir has performed for audiences in the US, Canada and Europe. He is currently a member of the Vancouver World Music Collective and has appeared and recorded with world class touring ensembles such as Jou Tou, Randy Raine Reusch, and the Orchid Ensemble.
web: www.myspace.com/amirhaghighi