'… Music is a heaven-sent ally in reducing to order and harmony

any disharmony in the revolutions within us …' PLATO

Since the dawn of civilisation man has been aware of the effect of music upon the nervous system. Whether in the sacred rituals of ancient traditional music or in the mathematical complexities of composers such as J.S. Bach, music has the power not only to transform our mood and emotional state, but also to affect us at a primordial and elemental level.

Scientists have long surmised that the nature of the universe is bound up with the existence and movement of vibrations at a sub-atomic level. These vibrations or oscillations, made popular in quantum physics via concepts such as the super string theory, occur in every existing particle. On a larger scale we also experience vibrations in everyday phenomenon such as the transmission of light and sound, and other building blocks of our observable universe.

So it is small surprise that music, which in its most basic form is nothing more than the transmission of a series of sound waves or vibrations through the air, should have such a deep resonance with the inner being of the individual. If we are composed of a cluster of oscillating molecules grouped together to form a physical body, then we should not be astonished when these particles respond on a primal level to the sympathetic experience of musical sound.

Many diverse cultures recognise the metaphysical power of music. The North American Indian tribes use music to communicate with the  the Great Spirit: Wakan-Tanka. Australian Aborigines literally sing their world into existence, using the creation myths of the Songlines. Tibetan Buddhists have long used chanting and instruments such as medicine bowls to create an atmosphere of healing through vibrational sound. Sufi saints such as Rumi have used music to bring about a state of ecstasy (masta) – an active, divine communion, channelling the love of God into the world through song and dance.

For the Ancient Greeks, music echoed the ‘Harmony of the Spheres’ and had its origin in the Logos  - the word of God manifest from the moment of Creation. Similarly the Vedic sages of ancient India saw all things derived from the sacred sound Aum.