Yoga of song – Gregorian Chant

The teachings of Ramakrishna and Vivekanada are a call to creativity: one of their goals is to realise all of humanity’s potential. Science, art, skills, as well as everyday tasks—all must be awakened by the spark of our inner spirit, to enable us to develop the excellence of our personality, for our benefit and for the benefit of humanity. The Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre abides by these teachings and therefore offers a series of courses that constitute what Swami Vivekanada and, thereafter, the previous Swamis of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre sought: a complete University of Man.

YOGA OF SONG - GREGORIAN CHANT

In line with the Vedanta Centre’s inter-religious tradition, we will practice this art dating back many thousands of years, under the guidance of a specialist. We will then be able to live through song the relative effects of various mantras and Gregorian chants.

Invited instructors:

Member of the Benedectine community of Etiolles. In addition to his activities in the monastery, Brother Billot also works for the Maison de Tobie. He is a co-founder of the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue (MID) and the author of numerous articles and books on spirituality, including most recently: Voyage spirituel dans le bouddhisme zen, Ed. Actes Sud, 2009 ; Comment peut-on être chrétien ? Ed. Le Relié, 2009 ; and Grandir avec la Bible, Ed. Flammarion, 2011.

Jérémie Couleau is a singer, choirmaster, and musicologist. He leads the ensembles “Scandicus” and “La Quintina”, which specialize in music from the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Renaissance, and with whom he has recorded several definitive albums. He is an Associate Professor in musicology.

Participants will receive two Gregorian chants in advance of the course, along with a link to an audio recording, in order to familiarize themselves ahead of the weekend.

Workshop open to all, no musical background required.
Maximum number of participants: 20

The seminars “Yoga of Song” and the Choir of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre were both established more than three years ago, and include both regular and occasional participants. Both are driven by the pure satisfaction that comes from singing, and are irrigated by a spiritual openness.
Welcome to all!
Singing takes place according to a specific lesson and according to musical techniques that have proven themselves to be original, creative, and innovative.
The idea is to establish a new technique, which is on one hand anchored by the deep knowledge of western music that I have been practicing professionally for more than twenty years as both an operatic soloist and choirmaster. On the other hand, this new technique is also anchored in a close connection with the yogas, to which Swami Veetamohananda has dedicated his entire life as a Monk in the Order of Ramakrishna.
This is a unique intersection of two strands: vocal techniques and Hindu yogas.
These seminars are aimed at anyone seeking to develop their knowledge and vocal techniques, regardless of age and level, and in an atmosphere of spiritual openness—most often between Christianity and the Vedanta.
Indeed, we often find ourselves singing Vedantic chants as well as classical masterworks (Bach, Mozart, etc.) and Gregorian Chant.
This openness is made possible, above all, by an understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of the voice. Reflexology is used to make this awareness accessible physical and experimentally.
Indeed, the vocal mechanisms used are the same throughout the course, regardless of the musical styles that we will choose to explore thereafter. These principal techniques of the voice and of musical interpretation are put into perspective and enriched by the different yogas: hatah yoga, prana yoga, jnana yoga, bhakti yoga, mantra yoga.
In keeping with their spiritual tradition, the mantras are practiced under the guidance of Swami Veetamohanda, Monk of the Order of Ramakrishna et President of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre.

Graduate of the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur for Music and Dance, with a degree in song and writing, after a complete and multi-faceted curriculum including leading a choir, choreography, piano, jazz, and percussion.
After 25 years as an opera singer in France and abroad, in numerous classical operatic works as well as Oratorio, Florian Westphal now focuses on teaching singing, with a particular focus on the links between the technique of classical singing and yoga.

Programme cost per person:
EUR 120 (full board) / EUR 60 (external visitors)
Welcome: Friday from 17h00 onwards

Yoga of song – Gregorian Chant

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YOGA OF SONG - GREGORIAN CHANT

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