Track 1: Gateway to Shambhala
Track 2: Temple of Light
GATEWAY TO SHAMBHALA
Beginning with the magical sound of Conch Shell trumpets we then enter a journey through a long Gong crescendo, then overtone singing with choir, followed by Tibetan Bells, leading to Tibetan Singing Bowls, leading to more exotic Tibetan bowls using special techniques (representative of entering into mystical states of consciousness) and ending with 8 Tuned swung Gongs which are then joined by instruments invented by Frank - Trianguhermeezees, Pyrahermeezees, and Ufoms - in a long free passage.
This piece is based upon the Fibonacci series. This mathematical series can be found in nature – such as in the spirals of the Conch Shells. The times at which each section begins is governed by this sequence. These timings are so short at the beginning (each integer is 7 seconds duration) that they measure the times at which each of the 7 Conch shell trumpets enter. There are seven conch shell trumpets. Number and music are interrelated as demonstrated by the great Sage of Samos: Pythagoras (around 600 B.C.) Shambhala also has been associated with the Masters of the 7 Rays – and so, once again, number is seen to be significant. These 7 Rays are seen both as different forms of manifestation of the One and also as Pathways to the Source and one such Path (the 5th Ray) is associated with Science and the rational mind. Once the entire sequence has reached its 7th step the process is reversed to coincide with this Palendromic year. Whilst adhering to this structural discipline, all of the sections are improvised and sometimes there is a slight overlap of sections. In such instances, a gong or Ting-shag is used to mark the entrance of the new section. In this manner we somewhat avoid extremes by including the pairs of opposites within the total music – e.g. Order and Chaos.
Originally, this music was created to accompany one of my sequences of paintings by Nicholas Roerich adhering to the same theme (Shambhala Daik) in 1995 and I’d always wanted to record it. After the ending of the Fibonacci sequence the piece continues, with the addition of a few more instruments, until 51 minutes and 26 seconds has been reached. This is one seventh of a circle and, in the astrology of Dane Rudhyar, represents, amongst other things, the principle of Fate. Fate dictates when there shall be a palendromic year. The next one will be in 2112. This dividing of the circle by seven also produces the first irrational number! (derived from this approach) - the transcendence of the rational mind (whilst being the dread of fundamentalist scientists) may serve to indicate the strange world of quantum physics. Otherwise, divisions of the circle give rise to polygons producing whole numbers - 2 = 180, 3 = 120, 4 = 90, 5 = 72, etc, until we reach number Eleven (a so-called Master number!).
