I am thrilled to have the score to this chant included in The Druids Book of Ceremonies Prayers & Songs Volume II, published by the Ancient Order of Druids in America. This chant was conceived on my drive home from the first Sun Spiral Grove Gathering in the summer of 2018. At the start of Druid ceremonies, we often center ourselves in the earth, sky, and waters around us. This chant is a song-version of this practice. When you sing this chant, pay close attention to your breath. Each phrase is meant to extend through a full exhale. Breathe deeply in, connecting with the earth beneath you, and then sing on your exhale the first phrase: breathing, we are one. Then take a second deep breath, this time connecting to the waters around you, whether they be a lake, a river, an ocean, or simply the respiration of plant life. Again, sing on your exhale the second phrase: breathing, we are one. The third breath will span two phrases. Connect to the sky above, and see the three realms – the earth, sea and sky – held in union by your own breath as you sing the final phrase, breathing, we are one, with the earth sea and sun. When sung multiple times, this chant with its intentional breath work, is meant to calm, connect, and center you in your practice and the living world around you. If you want to sing this chant individually, the alto part of this chant is the melody. This chant can also be used in group ceremonies, with additional harmonies for soprano and tenor voices. While there are three parts to this chant, the rhythm is the same for all three parts to entrain a group to become “one” at the start of a ceremony. Research has shown that a music tempo around 50–80 BPMs can induce a meditative state. The slower andante tempo in this chant – 90 beats per minute – is used to encourage both relaxation and a calm alertness, to transition the practitioner from the often hectic pace of mundane life to a slower, more intentional ritual consciousness.
Stay tuned for an audio version of this chant!
Loam Ananda 