Music is Magic 2010

Celestial-Harp-at-Masonic-Temple=

Music is Magic – Celestial Harp at Masonic Temple (2010)

A Performance of the Celestial Harp for the Rosicrucian Society in the Victoria Masonic Temple with Robin Armstrong, Lisa Swarbrick and Jesse Footit.

Robin Armstrong, Lisa Swarbrick & Jesse Footit

The idea for the Celestial Harp came from a vision after thirteen months of meditating in solitude in India. The vision was a merging of Astrology, the I Ching, colour and music, The Celestial harp was designed to play a person’s horoscope and even the horoscope of the moment one was playing.

It is a 72 stringed instrument with strings radiating out from a central core. There are eight double strings and frets fro every string. The music moves around a circle and there is no real beginning or end to it. It is designed for several people to play at the same time.

It is a classical instrument and it is both acoustic and percussive. It incorporates the rhythms of the Zodiac and the changes within the I Ching. The constellations are inlaid in the top of the harp and each string represents one hexagram.

As the strings radiate out, they cross over a spiral bridge, a circle of frets and a square bridge. The relations of the spiral, the circle and the square represent the mathematical foundations of the Celestial Harp. Your fingers represent the Sun, the Moon and the planets.

The Celestial Harp represents the birth of a new galaxy in the universe of music.

Special thanks to Niall Good who had the idea to bring the Celestial Harp here for the Rosicrucian Society and for the Masonic Lodge. Being a member of both groups he was able to get all the permissions to make this possible.

Sound quality: The audio system did not record the session properly so we had to use the mic in the camera. Unfortunately the are humming and whirring sounds in  the background that become noticeable at times.

Filming and Production by Peter Elliott

Cover photo y Zara Gabriel

Cover design by Robin Armstrong

Cover and labels printed by Printer Gateway,

www.printergateway.com

©2010 Robin Armstrong and Peter Elliott, Aurora, ON.

info@thewakingdream.net       www.thewakingdream.net

DVD Labels Celestial Harp At Masonic Temple-3a

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  1. Celestial Ascension (2’02”) …. Robin Armstrong

     Robin strumming around the Celestial Harp so that the complete cycle of sounds in the harp and in the zodiac are heard.

20100629-CHarMT-PE1-5538-Cornerstone-Presence

  1. Cornerstone Presence (14’08”) …. Robin Armstrong

     This piece is based upon the horoscope drawn for the laying of the cornerstone of this Masonic Temple on July 3, 1909. Also included are segments relating to the horoscope progressed to June 29, 2010, one hundred and one years later for the time of the performance. The planetary positions for the performance were also taken into consideration.

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  1. Pyramid Power (2’40”) …. Robin Armstrong

This is a percussive piece played on two corners of the Celestial Harp which is includes the shape of the pyramid in its design.

20100629-CHatMT-PE2-2254-title 8fold-path

  1. Eightfold Path (6’11”) …Robin Armstrong, Lisa Swarbrick & Jesse Footit.

This is a percussive piece for three on the harp. The 8 trigrams of the I Ching are played. The trigrams also correspond to the eightfold path of the Buddha.

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  1. IAO (3’35”) …. Robin Armstrong and Lisa Swarbrick

Chanting a sacred chant into the Celestial harp.

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  1. Call to Aziel (10’14”) …. Robin Armstrong and Lisa Swarbrick

This was inspired by the name of the street on the side of the temple. Aziel governs 11 to 15 degrees of Taurus and has special qualities to reveal to the magician who invokes her.

20100629-CH At Masonic Temple-7 Milan Cobanov

(Photo by Milan Cobanov)

  1. The Origin and Meaning of the Celestial Harp (28’54”)

     …. Robin Armstrong

     Robin explains the construction, development of the Celestial Harp and reveals some of the meaning built into it.

 

An Adventure in Time and Space