Songs from the Bardo

Dealing with dying is a major aspect of both the sacred and secular. Songs from the Bardo is a small crack in a doorway to an esoteric yet essential aspect of Buddhism, death, reincarnation and/or enlightenment. Laurie Anderson's warm, familiar voice narrates texts normally recited during the Chonyid Bardo (a two-week period and one of three intermediate stages of the death-rebirth cycle) from The Great Liberation by Hearing in the Intermediate States (originally translated in English as the Tibetan Book of the Dead). Tibetan musician Tenzin Choegyal plays traditional instruments such as the dranyen (Tibetan lute) and lingbu (flute) and his unique voice on ‘Heart Sutra Song – Gone Beyond’. Cello, violin, singing bowls, gong and piano provide a melodic, meditative and experimental sonic palette to support the narration. The text is deep, with lots of room for exploration, and so requires repeated listening, refection and motivation to receive the full benefit, whether you are a Buddhist or not.

This ambitious and well-meaning project highlights the difficulties with introducing a complex religious ritual to the non-Buddhist listener. However, the liner notes suggest that the 77 minutes is an experience that can draw the mind into the present moment, providing a framework for inner exploration. Try it out yourself, you have nothing to lose.