According to legend, Persian King Bahrām V Gōr petitioned the king of Persia for 10,000 expert lutists (luris) so that the poor and oppressed throughout his kingdom may be relieved by their music.
The king agreed and the luris were given an ox, a donkey and another donkey charged with wheat seed. They were to live free by propagating their grain – if they agreed to live their lives offering the beauty of their lutes throughout the destitute regions of the kingdom. The luris however soon returned to the king gaunt having eaten their oxen and the whole of the wheat seed. The furious king removed them from his land and destined them to roam the earth on their donkeys.
It is believed that, over the centuries, these roaming musicians traveled from land to land and town to town playing their music. As they traveled they experienced the truth of the cultures they immersed themselves in and their own music evolved. Indo-Aryan rhythms, Vedic tonality, Persian longing, Celtic energy, Christian and European harmony all joined African rhythms, and by fire at night they played and mastered their music from the world.
I love this idea and I love this idea for universal Christian gathering music. I love the idea of experiencing music in it’s context and letting it engage us with it’s meaning rather than what our ears are used to. To try to understand each other rather than pinching out what we like and despising the rest. To let the rules of the music decide the terms as we focus on the meaning. I love the celebration of life. I love the intimacy of a hearing the resonance of wood and skin while fire dances between us. I love the idea of being spiritually connected to our ancestors via their musical traditions.
Jeremiah 6:16
“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”