A tone of some world far from us
Where music and moonlight
and feeling are one
Shelley
On Thursday evening I was at a concert of Altan, one of the greatest live acts to play traditional Irish music and currently Ireland's biggest name in such music. They were incredible in their individual performances and the music they produce together as a group. The energy of the dance music contrasted with the beauty of Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh's voice as she sang songs of loss and love songs from the North West of Ireland. In the small theatre where they played it made for an unforgettable, magical experience.
I find that when I am listening to great music or standing before a work of art, a quiet inner space opens up, in which a full range of human experiences are felt. On Thursday this was linked to the music which evoked a sense of place, a feeling of home, the ideas of love and loss and belonging. The chatter of the mind ceased, a texture of silence was created, and the awareness of deep creativity deepened, much like what happens during meditation. Time slowed down and an instinctive awareness of what is really important emerged. In times like this, things are reduced to the fundamentals. Your own sense of the world and of yourself are touched, and sometimes changed.
