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Welcome

The Center for Sacred Art is an independent arts organization based in Seattle since 1997.  Our approach is holistic and multifaith.  We develop, produce, and present quality programming and content that illumines and celebrates the intersection of contemporary spirituality and the sacred arts. Our activities include educational events, public programs, research, and publications that are grounded in a historical understanding of sacred art.  Our programs are known for their depth, beauty, and richness of content.  LEARN MORE

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WORLD CHANT

GREGORIAN CHANT RETREAT

WORKSHOPS AT THE MUSIC-THANATOLOGY ASSOCIATION'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Monthly, on the 3rd Sunday evening of each month
Led by Joseph Anderson from 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Phinney Yoga House, Seattle, WA

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

We sing simple repetitive and call-and-response chants - no training or practice is required.  The chants celebrate the divine in its many names and forms, as it is expressed in cultures around the work.  We sing traditional Hindu kirtan, Buddhist mantras, Gregorian chants, Sufi songs, Jewish melodies, and creative expressions from our own time. 

We gather in North Seattle (near the Woodland Park Zoo) at the Phinney Yoga House, 6615 Dayton Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98103-5215. The yoga studio is located in the lower brick building of the Phinney Neighborhood Center. Enter through the southeast corner (the end nearest the zoo) of the brick building.  Access is easy and there's plenty of street parking.  Click here for a map and directions.

A $10 donation will help cover our costs.  We encourage you to bring a water bottle, and your sweet God-given voice, just as it is!  Bring socks if you want to keep your feet cozy.  You'll be asked to remove your shoes in order to protect the studio's beautiful bamboo floors. There are some blankets, pillows, and chairs available for sitting, but feel free to bring your own if you prefer.

World Chant is sponsored by the Phinney Yoga House, home of Phinney Ridge Yoga and Yoga Momma.

Summer 2012 Gregorian Chant Retreat 

Saturday, July 21st - Monday, July 23rd, 2012

A weekend retreat led by Joseph Anderson that recreates the chanted experience of monastic time.

The weekend includes a slide presentation by CSA Director Victoria Scarlett on visual art related to the retreat's theme.

Learn and chant monastic prayers as open-hearted spiritual practice in a beautiful woodland sanctuary.  We anticipate a rich and meditative time together at St. Andrew’s House Retreat Center overlooking Hood Canal. In between our chanted prayer services there are teaching sessions where you learn new chants and explore their deeper spiritual meanings in a welcoming multifaith context.  Previous chant or singing experience is helpful but not necessary.  

This is an opportunity for you to participate in the chanted Liturgy of the Hours, an ancient and meditative collection of psalms, hymns and scripture.  Enter into ancient rhythms of prayer, melody, and sacred time as practiced by monastics for centuries. Over the course of the weekend we will sing 11 Gregorian chant services in a resonant chapel, from Vespers and Compline on Saturday evening, to Sext (noon prayer) on Monday. The deep communal stillness and listening at the heart of the chant experience draws us into contemplation.  Joseph Anderson, our chant instructor, leads us on this meditative journey.

The retreat includes time for silent reflection and walks in nature--as well as slide presentations by Victoria Scarlett Director of the Center for Sacred Art in Seattle. The presentation will on visual art related to the retreat's theme.  For 30 years Victoria has specialized in the understanding, appreciation, and history of sacred art, the visual culture of which it is part, and its place in devotional practices throughout the world.

LOCATION

The deeply peaceful setting of St. Andrew's Retreat Center at the southernmost point of Hood Canal nourishes in so many ways--from the sacred space of its
woodland chapel to its wonderful views of the Olympic Mountains.  Past participants have had overwhelmingly positive and powerful experiences.