Jenny Bower, organ

This piece is the second of three that explore the ways in which purity as an aspect intonation is encultured into Western listening experiences.  I designed these pieces specifically for the Brombaugh organ in Oberlin's Fairchild Chapel, taking strategic advantage of its unique intonational capabilities by accounting for the exact mathematical expressions for all possible note combinations within its fifteen-tone octave in quarter-comma meantone temperament. Each movement is an arrangement of an interval sequence that migrates between extremes of mathematical purity and impurity, which are obscured by moments of archetypal meaning. In the context of the recital, I hope that these pieces served as reminders that one must inevitably function within their own schemata for spiritual experience when engaging with a religious praxis they may initially categorize as a cultural other.


These tracks were recorded as part of a performance in fulfillment of the "senior thesis" (read: senior recital) requirement for a B.M. from Oberlin Conservatory. I attempted to take this as an opportunity to craft a performance that reflects my [participatory, observational, and textual] research thus far into the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) as well as that of Indian music more generally. The function of the performance was twofold: firstly as a devotional service in the tradition of Krishna Consciousness as it is taught and propagated in the United States, and secondly as a presentation of music that celebrates, comments on, and makes space for critique of this set of traditions. The former involved transcribing and arranging traditional ISCKON melodies in a way that allowed at least some of the congregation—who came from diverse musical and religious backgrounds—to access the participatory nature of the kirtan(ecstatic musical chant) and prasad (the consumption of spiritualized food) services. That being the case, it could not have been done with any success if I had not gained the service of many devotees from the Fairview Park temple, who not only joined in kirtan but helped serve prasadam and decorate Fairchild Chapel, where the performance was held. I hope that my compositions serve as a an offering to this community and ISKCON as a cultural movement, while evoking something like its importation and transformation of characteristically Indian modes of cultural expression that I find so exciting, beautiful, and, at times, troubling.

Interlude:  Describing Purity with the Art of Temperament, II

"Neidges Awarra" written by Neil Davey, "To Mirth Inclined" arranged by Neil Davey, and "Keur Eledh" (or "Coer Elath") arranged by Merv Davey and based on a carol collected by Ralph Dunstan - These Cornish kabm pemp ("five step") dances were performed live at the 2024 Central Ohio Folk Festival.

Find more of Neil's music at http://www.dalla.co.uk and listen to recordings of the tunes at https://open.spotify.com/track/1AtXy7C0tLWXMlux05FJug?si=8e1a5d831a514cb9 and https://open.spotify.com/track/01ymlZDTOqNz433sscHZ1c?si=675e04395c034d93

Here's a video of dancers learning the steps to the kabm pemp dance: https://youtu.be/0JRch2t-pXI

Neidges Awarra / To Mirth Inclined / Keur Eledh at the 2024 Central Ohio Folk Festival

Nicholas Booker

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