Joyful Noise

Sharani

My first song composition – usually I enjoy writing prose or poetry and do not fancy myself to be much of a singer or musician. I barely read sheet music. Yet while meditating and praying at home last week, this song came to me clear as a bell. My friend Archee, a piano teacher and serious musician, kindly transcribed it! Here it is – I sing it silently and out loud in almost a mantric fashion since it arrived in my life. I LOVE IT!

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Sweet Peace Run Moments

Sharani

I loved being part of a Peace Run display/torch sharing with the Cape Verdean Independence Day Festival. Scenes from the event just published to the Peace Run official website. One of our members of the Rhode Island Sri Chinmoy Centre was born in Cabo Verde (formerly called Cape Verde) and I was so inspired to learn more about Cape Verdean culture and to hear the President of Cabo Verde speak in Rhode Island with many state and federal officials present for the event.

The pictures tell the story here.

Faith is the Fabric of Life in Malta

Sharani

Malta Doorway near the Three Cities Ferry to Valletta

One thing stood out above all in a recent visit to Malta. This island nation is an archipelago of a mere 4 small islands – only 2 of which are inhabited – yet it has more churches than there are days in the year. The churches, cathedrals and basilicas also rival famous ones worldwide.

It boasts some of the largest domes in Europe – Mosta has the third largest unsupported dome in the world and the third largest in Europe. Here in my very own Rhode Island, our state capitol has the 4th largest unsupported marble dome in the world.

In part because Paul shipwrecked here on his way to Rome, the country had some of the earliest Christians in the world and to this day 98 percent of the population is Catholic and living a life embedded with faith, actively attending church and participating in religious feasts, etc.

In this milieu of religiosity, it was especially fitting for the male a cappella choir, Oneness-Dream, to perform a free concert of devotional music in a beautiful church in Valletta – the Basilica of Our Lady Mount-Carmel. Striking to me is the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and baby Jesus with an actual crown.

The choir has performed in churches, temples and other spiritual places around the world since their founding in 2011 and its members are students of Spiritual Teacher Sri Chinmoy. Sri Chinmoy composed thousands of devotional songs and many of the lyrics were originally aphoristic and spiritual poetry that he later set to music. The Malta concert included a number of songs where Sri Chinmoy set Christ’s utterances to music, for instance “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” and “I and my Father are one.”

Here are some excerpts of the concert I captured on the video setting of my camera:

Oneness-Dream in Concert – Valleta, Malta from Sharani Robins on Vimeo.