Wisdom and Insight

Any listeners’ fears that Tibetan ritual music may be too challenging or austere are readily dispelled by this latest release by the Tashi Lhunpo monks – one of the most accomplished and well-established performing groupsemanating from Tibet’s monasteries in exile. The CD, and UK concert tour this summer, commemorates the 40th anniversary of the monastery’s foundation in India following the Chinese occupation of Tibet, where Tashi Lhunpo had been among the most prestigious institutions.

Like the monks’ previous two releases with 30 IPS (Dawn Till Dusk, reviewed in #52 and Time of the Skeleton Lords, reviewed in #72), this collection of 12 Buddhist chants combines a well-informed focus with a carefully balanced presentation. As explained in theinformative accompanying booklet, it features prayers in praise of the monastery’s founders and teachers, and the entirely choral style reflects this emphasis on collective worship and the performance of memorised texts.

In a sense the chants are hymn-like, but the great variety of texture, tempo and rhythm is remarkable. For example ‘Nam-dak Kang-ri Ma’ is a beautifully simple, slow-measured melody sung in a low register, whilst ‘Rikchen Sang-Shey’, to which the monks are said to dance, is folk-like, with lively rhythms and active tune. On several tracks, such as ‘ShaptenSoldep’, on which the full choir swells to over 150 voices with the inclusion of boy novices, thelayering of sounds is powerfully resonant, producing almost magical ringing sonorities withsub¬bass undertones. Overall the vigorous deliveryand well-blended ensemble is mesmerising, andimpressively captured in the recording. The CD isa delightful addition to a magnificent series, and itwould be well worth catching one of their liveperformances this summer.