Walk and Touch Peace is the final movement in a work commissioned by the Elmer Iseler Singers, Lydia Adams conductor. The complete work, entitled Om Saha Nāvavatu (may we all be protected and blessed), combines Sanskrit chant and sound healing instruments, typically used in meditation practice, with traditional choral textures. It was premiered in October, 2022, as part of a 6-concert series supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. This concert series was also made possible through countless volunteer hours on the part of Vilupti Corlis and the Singers’ manager, Jessie Iseler.
The work leads the listener into a state of deep relaxation over the course of 55 minutes, also setting texts from other prominent Eastern spiritual leaders, Sri Chinmoy and Anandamaya Ma. Thích Nhất Hạnh’s poem offers a fitting conclusion to the sound journey, both in its simplicity and in the tradition of engaged meditation that it represents.
