Judgement(1998),  Interpreted by Tram Nguyen

The "Etheros" album is a compilation of musical compositions that delve into the realm of the ethereal, seeking to express the ineffable forces that govern the cosmos and the depths of the soul. Each piece within this collection is crafted with the intention of evoking the intangible and abstract aspects of existence, from the vast reaches of the universe to the complex inner workings of the human spirit.

In Memoriam Karlheinz Stockhausen

Etherflux

Bendicho Juez De La Verdad

Transonification

Tikkun

The Cosmic Chainsaw

Silicon Based Life

Neshama

In the Eye of the Believer

God is Good to Daddy

The term Homo Religiosus has been offered by scientists to describe humans because religion has been present as long as there have been Homo sapiens. This composition is an inter-religious radio-art piece of recorded voice and electronics with content based primarily on contemporary, real-life views about religion, life, and death rather than on ancient texts, as is the case with most religious pieces.  The piece explores the human aspects of religion, primarily charity, love, prayer, and views about the afterlife. It consists of narration, field recordings and recorded interviews in five places of religious service: The St. Willibrord Parish in Verudn (Quebec), the Tzu Chi Buddhist Relief Centre in Verdun (Quebec), the Ethiopian Church in Jerusalem, the Al-Mahmudya mosque in Jaffa, and the Beit Yosef Yemenite Synagogue in Petach Tiqva (Israel).  The piece is organized in three parts titled (i) “Charity,” (ii) “Prayer,” and (iii) “Love.” “Charity” is based on recordings at the hospitality centre of the St. Willibrord Parish and an interview with its director; “Prayer” fuses together prayers in Gez, Yemenite Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic, and provides a short interview excerpt with a priest at the Ethiopian Church in Jerusalem, and “Love” is based on conversations with She Pi-Chen – the director of the Tzu Chi Buddhist relief centre in Verdun – with Fanny Wang as translator.

The piece endeavors to demonstrate that goodness exists in every religion and that all religions are like pieces of a puzzle, all having intrinsic values for human existence; it is up to us to seek and benefit from these values through acts of charity, love, and sharing. Though multi-religious pieces were composed before, most notably Robert Normandeau’s Chorus (2002), Homo Religiosus uniquely seeks to blur the boundaries between different religions by emphasizing content over identity. Being born and raised in Israel – a country of adversity in diversity – is my key motivation in this effort of unification.

BACKGROUND:
Religious compositions by electronic means exist as early as 1951-3, when Karel Goeyvaerts and Karlheinz Stockhausen – both doctrinaire Catholic mystics at the time – explored the theological value and purity of serial composition with sine tones.  1955-6 Stockhausen composed the master piece Gesang der Jünglinge which incorporated an electronically treated sacred text (the Benedicite) sung by a boy accompanied by synthesized tones.  Many religious Musique concrète pieces were composed in the following decades using old sacred texts, among them Pierre Henry’s Messe de Liverpool (1967) and l’Apocalypse de Jean (1968), and Michel Chion’s Requiem (1973).  Homo Religiosus explores religion from the “voice of the people” viewpoint by including interview excerpts, community services, religious lessons, and authentic services.

Homo religiosus (2008)

A recording (April 11 2013) of this old short Jazz ballad I composed in 1995 for a composition class taught by Guri Agmon.
Its sweetness stuck with me through the years.
It was originally recorded 1995 by Roi Ben Sira on Jazzis

Lophophora Williamsii

Eldad Tsabary

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