Spirit Child

I was inspired to write SPIRIT CHILD for Lontano after having seen an Everyman documentary - The Kingdom of the Lost Boy (broadcast in April 1996) - about the abduction of the 11th Panchen Lama in Tibet in 1995.

The film showed how the process of divination is used to find a new reincarnation, using visionary meditations and calling upon the great state oracle of Tibet. The documentary went on to expose the kidnapping of the chosen child, assumed by the Chinese government, a few days after His Holiness the Dalai Lama had announced the discovery. Now a second, more disturbing search is underway, this time for the abducted boy: The official 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet.

Moved to take action I began to think what I could do to help. It seemed the best thing I could do was to tell the story in words and music. The piece, written for Sianed Jones to sing, is set behind imaginary prison bars. It portrays the child in captivity, possibly after having been there for some years. We hear the voice of a young person, longing to be reunited with his homeland and the sacred world to which he belongs. The duduk, an Armenian folk instrument with a particularly haunting intensity is played in traditional style throughout the score. The harmonies in the piece are derived from the modality of the duduk.

Let us all overcome hatred and pride
And all fetters
Who does not cling to name or form
And who calls nothing their own Will not be destroyed by sorrow.

Will all be made clear?
Let us overcome hatred by kindness
Evil by goodness
Greed by generosity
Lies by telling the truth
Will all be made clear?

Let us be truthful and calm
And give to those who are in want
And give to those who are in need
And give to those who are in want
And give to those who are in need

They look for me!
They look for me...
The wise ones,
The wise ones
Asked the great lake
And in its waters
Saw my face.

They look for me
They look for me

The holy oracle
With its ancient voice
Spoke my name
Spoke my name
They are in need of me
They are in need...

I was told that I am
A reincarnation
Of a holy one who's gone
But my path is full of sorrow.
Who put me here?
Behind these bars,
I don't know where I am
Let me home.

Let us all overcome hatred and pride
And all fetters
Who does not cling to name or form
And who calls nothing their own
Will not be destroyed by sorrow.

I see kind worlds in side this skin
Memories in cell and limb
Accumulations of pain and learning
Oh, Lord Buddha
I call upon your wisdom and compassion
Across time
Through the lines of strong unbroken speech
To the student from the teacher
Across space
To the seed syllable
Life before life
Before life, before life

I am old, I am young
I am mother, I am son

Gone, gone all gone beyond
Gone into ...

Gone, gone all gone beyond
Gone into
Stillness
Gone into Love
Gone into luminosity
Luminosity

So pray
Liberate this Spirit Child
And liberate this land!