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Tibetan Sacred/Monastic MusicAlthough there are two religious belief systems practiced by Tibetan people, Bon and Buddhism, most research and scholarship has been conducted on the majority religion, Buddhism. Both religious practices include recto-tono recitation, chanting, and similar instruments in their ritual celebrations. Bon, which predates Buddhism, has incorporated many outside elements, especially from Buddhism, although still preserving fundamentals of the religion including mythology. Tibetan Buddhism has a very dense liturgical calendar and many rituals involving music surrounding it. Vocal choruses are frequently employed during these rituals, as well as ritual instruments. The music used in these rituals is usually based on oral tradition. Tibetan manuals of notation are mnemonic devices and do not give clear-cut instructions like most Western music notation. These notational systems can only be used by those knowing the oral tradition. Various forms of notation, particular to Tibet, can be found for voice, drums and cymbals, and aerophones, or instruments that are blown into to produce sound, like trumpets. The recitation of lines of text occurs through the use of psalmody and brief melodies. One form of chant, dbang, is slow and somber, in which syllables are interspersed between lines of text, and dbangs change with each ritual. Individual monasteries often have a particular sound created by the chant produced by their choruses. 'Cham, a masked dance, also thought of as a type of drama, can be found in both the Bon and Buddhist traditions. It is performed by monks outside the monasteries for those Tibetans that are not monks. 'Cham dances are accompanied by instrumental ensembles, which include, but are not limited to rgna, rgya-gling, and dung-chen (see Tibetan Musical Instruments). The dances usually depict the life of a famous saint. One can see the traditional dress, costumes and masks used in 'Cham, as well as monastic rituals at the Norbulingka Institute website under "Losel Dolls."
General Articles | Books | Dissertations | Sound Recordings | Websites
Articles on Tibetan Monastic and Buddhist musicBaumann, Max-Peter, ed. Special issue, "Body and ritual in Buddhist musical culture. " the world of music 44, no.2 (2002). Canzio, Ricardo O. "The place of music and chant in the Tibetan religious culture." Tibetan Review 13, no.6 (June 1978): 14-17. Crossley-Holland, Peter. "rGya-gLing hymns of the Karma-Kagyu: the rhythmitonal architecture of some Tibetan instrumental airs." Selected Reports in Ethnomusicology 1, no. 3 (1970): 79-114. Chen, Pi-yen. "Buddhist chant, devotional song, and commercial popular music: from ritual to rock mantra." Ethnomusicology 49, no.2 (2005): 266-86. Chen, Pi-yen. "Sounds and emptiness: music, philosophy, and the monastic practice of Buddhist doctrine." History of religions 41, no.1 (2001): 24-48. Dorje, Rinjing, and Ter Ellingson. "Explanation of the secret Gcod damaru: an exploration of musical instrumental symbolism." Tibet issue, Asian Music 10, no.2 (1979): 63-91. Draghi, Paul Alexander. "The stag and the hunting dog: a Bhutanese religious dance and its Tibetan source." Journal of Popular Culture 26, no.1 (1982): 169-175. Dunn, Gavan. "Sacred Rgya-gling music of Tibetan Buddhism: a culturally specific system of notation." Context 18 (Winter 2000): 67-74. Ellingson, Ter. "Ancient Indian drum syllables and Bu Ston's Sham Pa Ta Ritual." Ethnomusicology 24, no. 3. (September 1980): 431-452. Ellingson, Ter. "Don rta dbyangs gsum: Tibetan chant and melodic categories." Tibet issue, Asian Music 10, no.2 (1979): 112-156 Ellingson, Ter . "Indian influences in Tibetan music." the world of music 24, no.3 (1982): 85-93. Ellingson, Ter. "The mathematics of Tibetan Rol Mo." Ethnomusicology 23, no. 2 (May, 1979): 225-243. Ellingson, Ter. "The technique of chordal singing in the Tibetan style." American Anthropologist, New ser., 72, no. 4 (August 1970): 826-831. Ellingson-Waugh, Ter. "Musical flight in Tibet." Asian Music 5, no. 2 (1974): 3-44. Gerson-Kiwi, Edith. "Religious chant: a pan-Asiatic conception." Journal of the International Folk Music Council 13 (1961): 64-67. Greene, Paul D., and Li Wei, guest eds. "Introduction: mindfulness and change in Buddhist musical traditions." Asian Music 35, no.2 (Spring-Summer 2004): 1-6. Greene, Paul D., et al. "Buddhism and the musical cultures of Asia: an annotated discography." Asian Music 35, no.2 (Spring-Summer 2004): 133-174. Greene, Paul D., et al. "Buddhism and the musical cultures of Asia: a critical literature survey." the world of music 44, no.2 (2002): 135-175. Helffer, Mireille. "Le Gandi: un simandre Tibetain d'origine Indienne." Special issue, Yearbook for Traditional Music 15 (1983): 112-125. This article is in French. Helffer, Mireille. "Réflexions concernant le chant épique tibétain." Tibet issue, Asian Music 10, no.2 (1979): 91-111. This article is in French. kha pa, Tsong. Meditative realization of the melodious goddess." Tibet issue, Asian Music 10, no.2 (1979): 1-2. Kouwenhoven, Frank. "The Tianjin Buddhist Music Ensemble's European tour." CHIME 7 (Autumn 1993): 104-113. Large, John, and Thomas Murry. "Observations of the nature of Tibetan chant." Journal of Research in Singing 5, no.1 (December 1981): 22-28. Large, John, and Thomas Murry. "Quantitative analysis of chant in relation to normal phonation and vocal fry." Folio phoniatrica 32, no. 1 (1980): 14-22. Lhalungpa, Lobsang P. "Tibetan music: secular and sacred." Asian Music 1, no. 2 (Autumn 1969): 2-10. Mabbett, Ian W. "Buddhism and music." Special issue, Asian Music 25, no. 1/2, (1993 - 1994): 9-28. Martin, Dan. "Divinity secularized: an inquiry into the nature and form of the songs ascribed to the sixth Dalai Lama." Tibet Journal 29, no.2 (Summer 2004): 90-103. Orenstein, Claudia. " A taste of Tibet: the nuns of Khachoe Ghakyil Ling Nunnery and the Theatre du Soleil." Asian Theater Journal 19, no. 1 (Spring 2002): 212-231. Pandita, Sa skya. "On music." Tibet issue, Asian Music 10, no.2 (1979): 3-4. Pandita, Sa skya. "Why study music?" Tibet issue, Asian Music 10, no.2 (1979): 157-158. Perris, Arnold. "Feeding the hungry ghosts: some observations on Buddhist music and Buddhism from both sides of the Taiwan Strait." Ethnomusicology 30, no. 3 (Autumn, 1986): 428-448. Pertl, Brian. "Some observations on the 'Dung Chen' of the Nechung Monastery." Asian Music 23, no. 2 (Spring - Summer 1992): 89-96. Qing, Tian. "The sinicization of Buddhist music (part one)." CHIME 14/15 (1999-2000): 8-27. Qing, Tian, and Tan Hwee San. "Recent trends in Buddhist music research in China." British Journal of Ethnomusicology 3 (1994): 63-72. Smith, Huston. "Unique vocal abilities of certain Tibetan lamas." American Anthropologist 69, no.2 (April 1967): 209-212. Slawek, Stephen, ed. Asian Music 35, no.2 (Spring/Summer 2004). All articles in this issue are on Buddhist music in Asia. Steen, A. "Buddhism in rock music: a new music style." CHIME 11 (1998): 151-164. Tarocco, Francesca. "Buddhist music," In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2 nd ed. Edited by S. Sadie and J. Tyrell. New York: Grove's Dictionary's, 2000. Vol. 4, 549-553. Tatz, Mark. "Songs of the sixth Dalai Lama." Tibet Journal 6, no.4 (Winter 1981): 13-31. Tsukamoto, Atsuko. "The music of Tibetan Buddhism in Ladakh: the musical structure of Tibetan Buddhist chant in the ritual Bskan-gso of the Dge-Lugs-pa sect." Special issue, Yearbook for Traditional Music 15 (1983): 126-140. Vahi, Peeter. "Buddhist music in Mongolia." Leonardo Music Journal 2, no. 1 (1992): 49-53. Vandor, Ivan. "Aesthetics and ritual music: some remarks with respect to Tibetan music." the world of music 18, no.2 (1976): 29-32. Vandor, Ivan. "The musician in the Tibetan traditional society." the world of music 21, no.2 (1979): 39-45. Vandor, Ivan. "Tibetan musical notation." the world of music 17, no.2 (1975): 3-7. Widdess, Richard. "Caryā and cacā: change and continuity in Newar Buddhist ritual song." Asian Music 35, no.2 (Spring-Summer 2004): 7-42.
Books on Tibetan Religious and Buddhist Music
Goldman, Jonathan. Healing sounds: the power of harmonics. 3 rd ed. Healing Arts Press, 2002. Kaufmann, Walter. Tibetan Buddhist Chant: Musical Notations and Interpretations of a Song Book by the Bkah Brgyud Pa and Sa Skya Pa Sects. Translations from the Tibetan by Thubten Jigme Norbu. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1975. [ML3197.K4] Milarepo. Drinking the mountain stream: songs of Tibet's beloved saint, Milarepo. Translated by Brian Cutillo. Rev. ed. Wisdom Publications, 1996. Essential Buddhist prayers: basic prayers and practices. Advised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Prayer and chant book. Accompanied by compact disc. Vandor, Ivan. Die Musik des tibetischen Buddhismus. Wilhelmhaven: Heinrichshofen, 1978. [ML3197.V365] In German. Vandor, Ivan. La Musique du Bouddhisme Tibétain. Paris: Buchet/Chastel, 1976. [ML3197.V36] In French. Note that both books listed above by Ivan Vandor are the same. Willson, Martin. In praise of Tara: songs to the saviouress. 2 nd rev. ed. Wisdom Publications, 1996.
DissertationsChong, Lee Suan. "Tibetan Buddhist vocal music: analysis of the phet in chod dbyang." MA diss., University of Hawaii, 2000. Diehl, Keila Mackie. "Echoes from Dharamsala: music in the lives of Tibetan refugees in north India." PhD diss., The University of Texas at Austin, 1998. Egert, Janine Eve. "The strings of the Gandharva's lute: continuity and change in the cross-societal transmission of Tibetan Buddhist ritual." PhD diss., University of California, Berkeley, 1998. Ellingson, Terry Jay. "The mandala of sound: concepts and sound structure in Tibetan ritual music." PhD diss., University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1975. Egyed, Alice Maria. "Theory and practice of music in a Tibetan Buddhist monastic tradition." PhD diss., University of Washington, 2000. Goldblatt, Elizabeth Ann. "Vajrayana Buddhism as viewed through a Tibetan ritual, the Padmasambhava ceremony." PhD diss., University of California, Los Angeles, 1993. LaMacchia, Linda Jean. "Women's religious expression in Tibetan Buddhism: songs and lives of the jomo (nuns) of Kinnaur, northwest India." PhD diss., The University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2001. McCormac, James. "Tibetan ritual chant: a preliminary study of vocal style." MA diss., University of California, Los Angeles, 1978. Pertl, Brian G. "The trumpet of Dharma: an organological study of conch trumpets in Buddhism." MA diss., Wesleyan University, 1990.
Sound RecordingsBliss world of the sky dancers: sacred music performed by the Khachoe Ghakyil Nuns. Chants from Amitabha pure land. Performed b y the nuns of Rachen Nunnery. Deshek, Ven. Tenzin. Stairway to liberation: a collection of prayers and meditations. Essential Buddhist prayers: basic prayers and practices. Advised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Compact disc accompanies prayer and chant book of the same name. Freedom chants from the roof of the world. Performed by the Gyuoto Monks.Rykodisc, 1989. Palden Lhamo. Performed by the Monks of Gaden Jangtse Tsawa Khangtsen. Gaden Jangtse Tsawa Khangtsen, 2002. Lama Chopa: a Buddhist tantric celebration. Performed by the Monks of Drepung Loseling Monestary. 1999. Lama Tashi. Tibetan master chants. Spirit Music, 2004. Laswell, Bill, Toshinori Kondo, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Life Space Death. Meta, 2001. Music of Tibetan Buddhism: record 1: the Nyingmapa sect and the Kagyupa sect. Kassel: Musicaphon, 197?. [Record X682] Music of Tibetan Buddhism: record 2: the Sakyapa sect [and] the Gelugpa sect. Kassel: Musicaphon, 197?. [Record X683] Music of Tibetan Buddhism: record 3: the Kagyupa sect and the Gelugpa sect. Kassel: Musicaphon, 197?. [Record X684] Musique rituelle Tibétaine: enregistrement réalisés par Georges Luneau. [ France]: Ocora, 198?. [Record X1488] Praises of Tara. Performed by the Nuns of Kopan Monestary. Prayer for world peace. Performed by the Monks of Gaden JangsteTsawa Khangsten. 2005. Relative sound of the ultimate. Performed by the Monks of Palpung Sherab Ling Monastery. Sherab Ling Records, 2005. Rinpoche, H.E. Chagdud Tulku. Voice of Tibet: a treasury of sacred mantras and prayers gathered from the great masters of Tibet. Chagdud Gonpa Foundation, 1997. Sacred healing chants of Tibet. Performed by Shartse Monks. Eastwest Records, 1999. Songs of Milarepa: Tibetan music from the Mahayana Buddhist Nunnery. New York: Lyrichord, 197?. [Record X2092] Tibet: Monks of the Sera Jé Monastery: Ritual Music and Chants of the Gelug Tradition. Florence Italy: Amiata, 1998. Compact disc. [Temporary Control Number EFF9232] Tibet Music of the Tantric Rituals. New York: Anthology, 1970. [Record X2830] Tibetan Buddhism: Tantras of Gyütö: mahakala. Recorded by David Lewiston. New York: Nonesuch, 1975. [Record X2093] Tibetan Buddhism: Tantras of Gyütö: Sangra düpa. Recorded by David Lewiston. New York: Nonesuch, 1975. [Record X2094] Tibetan mantras and chants. Performed by Monks from Maitri Vihar. Sounds of the World, 1999. Tulku, Chagdud. The yogi's song. ZAM on behalf of Rigpa. Shower of blessings: mantras, chants, and music from some of the great contemporary masters of Tibetan Buddhism.
Recordings available at Naxos Music Library OnlineDip Tse Chok Ling Monastery Monks. Sacred Ceremonies, Vol. 1: Ritual Music of Tibetan Buddhism. Catalogue no. 17074-2 Dip Tse Chok Ling Monastery Monks. Sacred Ceremonies, Vol. 2: Ritual Music of Tibetan Bhudism and Tantric Hymns. Catalogue no. 17079-2 Dip Tse Chok Ling Monastery Monks. Sacred Ceremonies, Vol. 3: Ritual Music of Tibetan Buddhism. Catalogue no. 13132-2 Monks of Sherab Ling Monastery. Sherab Ling Monks: Sacred Tibetan Chant. Catalogue no. 76044-2 Roach, Steve, and Thupten Pema Lama. Prayers to the Protector. Catalogue no. 13183-2 Shartse Dratsing Monks. Tibetan Buddhism: Shartse College of Ganden Monastery . Catalogue no. BCD9015 Various Artists. Buddha: Transcending Space & Time . Catalogue no. 14215-2
WebsitesDrelung Loseling Institute: Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies, Practice, & Culture, http://www.drepung.org/ Mystical Arts of Tibet, The, http://www.mysticalartsoftibet.org/index.cfm#top Includes a page on the Multiphonic Singers of Drepung Loseling Monastery called "Sacred Music Sacred Dance," http://www.mysticalartsoftibet.org/SMSD.htm#top Norbulingka Institute-- Preserving Tibetan Culture, http://www.norbulingka.org/ Includes traditional costumes under "Losel Dolls," http://www.norbulingka.org/dolls/frameset_dolls.htm Official Web Site of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, The http://www.tibet.net/phogaly/index.htmlIncludes a page giving information on the Department of Religion and Culture, http://www.tibet.net/religion/eng/ Tara Dhatu Home Page, http://www.taradhatu.org/ "Pure realm of Tara, a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring and uplifting humanity through the sacred arts." Tibet House U.S. Website, http://www.tibethouse.org/ Includes a directory of artists, http://www.tibethouse.org/directory/artist.html Tibetan Government in Exile's Official Web Site, http://www.tibet.com/ Under the heading "Tibetan Culture" one can find the page: Songs of Official Ceremony, http://www.tibet.com/audio/index.html
Compiled by Jenée E. Morgan | |