Composer John Newell offers a collection of fifty three short chants and mantras for use in personal meditation and prayer. Many are also useful for group worship. The chants arose from and are wedded to their brief texts. A number of these are original with John; others you will find to be familiar from the Psalms and other writings of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Some are based upon well known Buddhist mantra texts. Accompaniment is optional, and may be helpful in some cases, especially in group singing. In a few of the chants you'll notice that John couldn't resist writing out simple chordal accompaniments. In fact John most often sings them without accompaniment, and that is generally how they first came to him. Merely speaking the words is another and equally effective option. When singing the chants you should choose a key or pitch range that is comfortable for you, generally using your low to medium voice register. The chants are notated in several different ways. Some of them are more metrical and have time signatures. Others have no time signatures; and some use only black and white noteheards (indicating short and long notes), in a simplified chant notation. John's approach in each chant was to notate it in manner that made the most sense at the time. The repeats are ad libitum. Obviously much of the power of chanting comes from the repetition. Experiment with what is comfortable for you. The chants are organized according to their purpose in a meditation or prayer session: entering the presence or taking refuge, giving praise, evoking blessing and compassion, seeking assistance and intercession, and giving thanks. John has recorded the chants and mantras; audio files are are available for purchase and download at the iTunes Store, Amazon, and other web sites.
About the Author: John is what you might call a contemporary classical composer. Like many composers today he draws from a variety of musical traditions. His objective is to create works that reflect his personal sensibility, that arise from his spiritual journey and response to the world. He finds inspiration in the beauty and wonder of nature, in poetic and visual imagery, and in what he learns from the world's sacred traditions. More information about his works (as well as sample score pages and audio clips) is available at his web site: johnnewellmusic.com. John was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. His earliest musical training was in piano. He attended Duke University, pursuing studies in composition, piano and conducting. John received an M.F.A. in composition and performance from California Institute of the Arts. He completed his formal training at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he studied with Morton Feldman. While in Buffalo he held the first Edgard Varese Fellowship in composition, earning his Ph.D. in composition in 1979. John has received commissions from a variety of professional and amateur organizations. He is equally at home composing for vocal ensembles, chamber groups and orchestra. As an experienced performer he very much enjoys the process of working with musicians who have an interest in presenting new works, and welcomes inquiries about opportunities for collaboration. John's works have received support from the American Music Center, the Massachusetts Cultural Council and Meet the Composer. He lives with his wife Linda in Eastport, Maine; they are very thankful to be living in such a beautiful part of this world.