PORT TOWNSEND — Dave Stringer, a performer who blends traditional Indian instruments with American gospel music and the harmonies of Appalachia, is coming to the Madrona MindBody Institute at Fort Worden State Park for a kirtan concert this Sunday night.
Kirtan, a call-and-response form of mantra chanting that is having an international resurgence, will fill Madrona’s ballroom at 7 p.m.
Stringer is bringing it, along with his band — Daniel Paul, Sparrow Grace and Brent Kuecker — on his Northwest tour in light of his new album, “The Satellite Sky.”
All ages are welcome, while tickets are $20 in advance via www.madronamindbody.com. If any space is left Sunday evening, admission will be $25 at the door.
Return engagement
This is a return engagement, since Stringer played one of Madrona’s first concerts back in 2008. He begins his concerts with the soulful kirtan sound he’s known for and then goes into ecstatic songs from his album “Elixir” as well as from “The Satellite Sky.”
While the former is a collection of songs based on “The Radiance Sutras” by Lorin Roche, the latter album is a philosophical work blending elements of Americana with East Indian and gypsy folk influences — something that might be called country and Eastern music.
Traveling to India “blasted me into billions of spinning particles and then slowly reshaped me,” Stringer has said.
“I can’t begin to claim complete knowledge about all of the layers of history and philosophy and theology represented by the mantras I learned to chant while I was there.
“But I can attest to their power.
“I’m not a Sanskrit scholar and not always a particularly focused practitioner, but I am deeply committed to the process of inquiry.”
To find out more about the artist, visit www.DaveStringer.com, and for information about the concert, contact the Madrona MindBody Institute, aka building 310 at Fort Worden, 200 Battery Way, and at 360-344-4475.
