Program Notes
Ram Tori Maya is a bhajan by the ancient Indian saint-poet, Barabas, set to a melody by Ninu Majumdar. It speaks about how worldly distractions can prevent us from focusing on what is the most important and most sacred to each of us, and invites us to find that spirit within ourselves, and commit fully to it.
I originally arranged this bhajan for our Shastra Summer Collaborative, to teach Hindustani singers to sing with a string quartet. But the music is so direct, so lilting, so engaging that when Carnegie Hall’s Link Up program approached me to write a new piece, I knew that the students would benefit more from connecting with this ancient wisdom that is even more relevant in today’s world.
NOTE: I arranged this work in two parts: there is a beginning prelude that is participatory — students can participate by singing or on recorder. This corresponds to the resources in the Carnegie Hall Link Up curriculum, which is available here. The second part, which starts at 1:09 in the video above, is a part that only the orchestra plays. Students can listen in after participating, or the prelude can be omitted entirely if there is no participatory element to the concert.
Recording
(see video above)
Text
Ram tori maya, nach nachave
Nis din mera manva vyakul
Sumiran sudhi nahi ave
Ram tori maya, nach nachave
Premiere/Performances
This work was premiered at Carnegie Hall in Spring 2022.
