WASHINGTON: On Nov 19, 1990, Sikh Kirtani Jatha of Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, (G.G.S.F.) participated in Eleventh Annual concert, featuring great music of seven religious traditions. Two thousand persons attending the interfaith conference’s (IFC) concert at the Washington Hebrew Congregation, in Washington D.C., witnessed the opening of the concert with Egyptian chanting the Islamic call to prayer standing in front of the Ten Commandments in Hebrew. Seven choirs from the Jewish, Mormon, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Sikh and Unitarian Universalist Faith communities each sang music of their own tradition and joined in a combined choir of 200 voices. This annual event has become an important Washington religious and cultured tradition in the last ten years,

In her reflections, Susan King, co-anchor of WJLATV news in Washington, D.C. also focused on the importance of this concert’s experience of our unity and diversity at a time of troop buildup in the Persian Gulf, and in this season of thanksgiving.

For the first time, liturgical dancers used symbols of each faith community to call forth each choir. They also interpreted the IFC’s mission statement in dance. Each faith community’s banner was brought in a procession of all the choirs in a colorful diverse array of traditional vestments and attire. Sikhs in their bright saffron turban and ladies with cream salwar kameez and dupattas were outstanding.

Major Gary Lamb, director of the U.S. Army chorus, conducted the combined choirs in the premier of an anthem by Daniel Gawth rop which the IFC commissioned for this concert, The choir’s music varied from spirituals to a contemporary Irish blessing, from a traditional Jewish High Holiday prayer sung by a Cantor and chair to 20th century anthems composed by Mormons, from music of the reformation to a Sikh kirtan

This year’s Sikh Kirtani Halha of 30 Sikh men and women was directed by Jaspal Singh, a famous Sikh Kirtan singer who teaches at Amritsar Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico and is based in Los Angeles. The hymn of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, perpetuating the theme of complete surrender of oneself to God and universal brotherhood was sung in a tune composed by Jaspal Singh based on Raag Darbari. This year’s Kirtan was accompanied by many Indian instruments like Tampura, Surmandal in addition to Table & Harmonium adding to the richness of human voices singing the praise of God.

Jaspal Singh said that, “this was a unique experience for me to witness different music sung in different traditions expressing the same universal language.”

Dr. Rajwant Singh, Sikh member of concert planning comm. and who played tabla in the kirtan said, “this celebration of human spirit through music connects us and brings us to this realization that we are one human family children of one God.”

Amrit Kaur, Secretary of G.GSF. said, that, “It provides us an Opportunity to interact with of other religious traditions for mutual understanding and to work towards a more just and peaceful society.”

The annual concerts are the largest program and only fundraising event of the IFC. They help support the year round work in the region on critical issues such as drugs, racial & ethnic polarization and AIDS. The IFC also increases understanding and builds a sense of community among persons of diverse faiths, races and creeds. Its members are Islamic, Jewish, Mormon, Protestant, Roman Catholic and Sikh faith communities. It is believed to be the first such staffed organization in this country or abroad, Rey. Clark Lobenstine the Exec. Director of IFC said, “Its the best developed interfaith concert in the World”.

Article extracted from this publication >> December 14, 1990