Rivers of Sacred Sound traces the flow of influences from East to West, fromBC to AD and from wordless jubilations to the setting of texts. It takes thediscussion about western chant beyond a European perspective.The text of this book, preceded by an introduction, is presented in sevenchapters and covers a period of approximately five thousand years. There aremany references all over the world to praising the divine with sound. Thusthe starting point is the praise song, a fundamental impulse in mankind. TheRg-Veda requests that our loudest-sounding hymn be accepted, as food mostdelightful to the Gods. The Psalms request us to make a joyful noise unto Godand to sing forth the honour of His name. Spontaneous songs became ritualevents. In an aural culture what was the role of gesture and what is its rolenow? There are many doors to open in pursuing these and other questions.This book opens some of them.
