The Seed

SAVITRI Solar Songs
Two Song-Cycles (1986 -2020)

Origin

Having read and studied Savitri for years with different approaches, already early on spontaneous tunes would arise while contemplating selected passages of Savitri. It was always a surprise and joy how these melodies seemed to arise out of the written word. Similar to the mantric effect of certain lines, the tunes fell into the ear and h-ear-t and rose in repeated rhythmic strains, creating strong resonances in the being and surroundings.

Often also, while taking chosen lines on long walks through nature, reciting the verses in movement with every step, these melodies emerged as if from behind and through the spoken words, creating a natural com-position of word, rhythm and tones, embracing these elements of human vocal expression into a heightened form, deepening the encounter with the visionary poetry into an elevating experience.

Production

During the lockdown time of Summer 2020, encountering severe breath problems forced me into conscious breath and voice work, and resulted in revisiting the work of more than 30 earlier song compositions on Savitri. Spanning studies of three decades, two distinct forms emerged of the earlier and later works and were compiled in 2 song cycles.

The dedicated and masterful studio work of Auroville musician, composer and producer Holger from Sunshine Studio helped to shape and arrange the songs from simple song-lines into orchestrated versions, retaining the focus on the key texts. The collaboration with Anushka and Varun on the demos, mastering and their beautiful vocal contributions and suggestions made the work into a celebration of joy and harmony.

SAVITRI Solar Songs I

After having visited the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Delhi and Pondycherry and then Auroville for the first time in 1985 the epic of Savitri became a close companion in my spiritual journey, and the emerging tunes flowed into the then prevalent work of classical guitar and explorations in singer-song-writing. Simple harmonic and rhythmic structures morph the spoken word into a dynamic expression of playful flow and aspiration, emphasizing on the psychic language of the heart…

This cycle unfolds stages of the story and journey of Savitri and Satyavan.

1

THE SEED

All the world’s possibilities in man
Are waiting as the tree waits in its seed:
All that has been renews in him its birth;
All that can be is figured in his soul.

But there is a guardian power, there are Hands that safe
Calm eyes divine regard the human scene.

BOOK 7, CANTO II: The Parable of the Search for the Soul

This first song of the first cycle shares the powerful image of a seed, which harbour “all the world’s possibilities”.
And “there is a guardian power……” safeguarding the unfolding of the human potential.

Geographical Base:
Auroville, India

Featured Flower:
Supramentalised Psychic Activity

“Luminous, manifold, balanced it meets all needs.”

All action must be in [the integral Yoga] part of the God-life, our acts of knowledge, our acts of power and production and creation, our acts of joy and beauty and the soul’s pleasure, our acts of will and endeavour and strength and not our acts only of love and beneficent service. Its way to do these things will be not outward and mental, but inward and spiritual, and to that end it will bring into all activities, whatever they are, the spirit of divine love, the spirit of adoration and worship, the spirit of happiness in the Divine and in the beauty of the Divine so as to make all life a sacrifice of the works of the soul’s love to the Divine, its cult of the Master of its existence.

SRI AUROBINDO

To act, to enjoy is the normal law and right of the nervous being; but to choose by the personal desire its action and enjoyment is only its ignorant will, not its right. Alone the supreme and universal Will must choose; action must change into a dynamic movement of that Will; enjoyment must be replaced by pure spiritual Ananda.

THE MOTHER