The Mystical Arts of Tibet:
A Richard Gere & Drepung Loseling Production

Sacred Music Sacred Dance, part of the Mystical Arts of Tibet tour coming to London this June, is a performance comprising nine pieces believed to generate energies conducive to world healing, featuring the unique multiphonic singing of the Drepung Loseling, where the monks simultaneously intone three notes of a chord. Using traditional instruments such as 10ft long dung-chen horns, drums, bells, cymbals and gyaling trumpets. Rich brocade costumes and masked dances such as Dance of the Sacred Snow Lion add to the exotic splendour.

Ancient societies through the world conceived that ritual performing of sacred music and dance establishes communication with higher powers of good and brings about healing on environmental, social and personal levels. In Tibet whenever a monastery celebrated a spiritual festival people from surrounding villages and nomadic tribes would assemble in the monastery's courtyard for three or four days of music and dance. The present Lama Tour is designed as a development of this tradition.

The Drepung monastery was originally established near Lhasa, Tibet in 1416. It had four departments, Loseling being the largest, housing more than three quarters of Drepung's 10-15,000 monks. Drepung Loseling was especially close to the Dalai Lama incarnations, the second Dalai Lama made his residence there in 1494 and subsequent incarnations maintain this link.

Their music featured in the Golden Globe nominated soundtrack of the film "Seven years in Tibet" staring Brad Pitt. They also performed with Philip Glass in the Lincoln Centre New York in the live presentation of his award winning score to the Martin Scorsese film "Kundun". In July 2003 they enjoyed the rare honour of representing Tibet in the Cultural Olympiad of Greece, a pre Olympic celebration of World Sacred music and Dance.

Endorsed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the tour has three basic purposes:
1. to make a contribution to world peace and healing,
2. to generate greater awareness of the endangered Tibetan culture, and
3. raise support for the Tibetan refugee community in India.

The Monks will be performing at the Riverside Studios on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th June 2005. Tickets priced £17 and £13 concessions are available through Riverside Studios Box office tel- 020-8237-1111