The Catherine Braslavsky ensemble, a Paris-based group of singers and instrumentalists, specialize in medieval, as well as contemporary, music inspired by sacred texts. Since 1997, they have been chosen by Lauren Artress to sing and play each year at Chartres Cathedral, accompanying the groups sponsored by Veriditas. Veriditas, the Voice of the Labyrinth Movement, was founded in 1996 by Lauren Artress and is a non-profit organization dedicated to introducing people to the healing, meditative powers of the labyrinth.

The two main contributing musicians in Chartres: The Path of the Soul, are Catherine Braslavsky and Joseph Rowe. Ever since Catherine and Joseph met and began to work together over 10 years ago, they have been interested in this question: is it possible to discover a sacred music which is relevant to a large number of open-minded, ecumenical, contemporary people, a music which transcends cultural and religious divisions?

Joseph and Catherine have been weaving together their diverse and overlapping interests and talents in unique ways since 1991. Both Joseph and Catherine have studied and researched in many different areas of music. Catherine has studied classical voice, Gregorian and Medieval Chant, overtone singing with David Hykes, classical Indian music with Nageswara Rao, the music of Hildegard of Bingen, and more. Joseph has studied classical guitar, classical Middle Eastern oud with Hamza El Din, a master and pioneer of “world music”, and more. Their music is also very rooted in research of ancient music of various traditions, such as Jewish, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek and early Christian.

An active music teacher, Catherine has developed her own method of "natural chant," consisting of deep work on the voice, exploring certain musical traditions, and a new approach to improvisation. She teaches in Paris, both individually and in classes, and often directs workshops in France and abroad.

Joseph is active in research and teaching in the areas of creative-potential therapy, and exercises for personal development in theater and music. He has developed a system of exercises called "Holorhythm," a synthesis of body movements, vocalizations, percussion, speech, and meditation, which help unlock the gates to deep listening, inner and outer attention, and creativity. He teaches workshops and sees individual clients in France and abroadTo find out more about Catherine and Joseph and their current activities, please visit their website at:  www.naturalchant.com.

Joseph Rowe: “Catherine and I have played twice at the StarHouse. Both experiences were very moving, especially the visual inspiration of the architecture. I remember wondering: ‘Why aren't there more temples on Earth which offer a truly full and unbroken circle?’"

The Chartres Cathedral Labyrinth

The Chartres Cathedral, a majestic twelfth-century Gothic church a few miles west of Paris, was built on an earlier, pre-Christian religious site, and became an important pilgrimage site for medieval pilgrims. The eleven ring labyrinth at Chartres was built around 1200 AD by the Knights Templar and is approximately forty-two feet in diameter. The Ark of the Covenant, one of the most sacred objects in Christendom, is reputed to be buried under the rosette in the center. The labyrinth is inlaid in tile in the floor and is located in the nave of the Cathedral.

A labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness. It combines the imagery of the circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. The Labyrinth represents a journey to our own center and back again out into the world. Labyrinths have long been used as meditation and prayer tools.

At its most basic level the labyrinth is a metaphor for the journey to the center of your deepest self and back out into the world with a broadened understanding of who you are.

 Audience Comments and Reviews

“Uplifting and inspiring! Catherine and Joseph are truly gifted musicians. Allow them to enrich your life." -- Lauren Artress, founder of Veriditas

 "Catherine was born in France with a beautiful voice since birth and Joseph an American who has lived in France for decades. They have sung in cathedrals all over, for the tonal effects. Catherine knows how to compose music for resonant cathedrals - with spacing permitting the voice of the cathedral to be heard. They return to Chartres Cathedral and are the only ones permitted in late at night to move back the chairs to reveal the labyrinth, and sing and sing and sing to the accompaniment of Joseph's percussion and oud. They are the ones invited by the Veriditas people (Lauren Artress at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco) to sing whenever Veriditas brings people to Chartres. To get the full effect of the subtle resonance of the high stone vaults of this ancient cathedral, you need to listen to this in a contemplative state of mind. Not, in my opinion, for background muzak, but for up-front and personal. Catherine and Joseph performed at StarHouse some years ago, and may do again on their upcoming tour.  Catherine stands in her simple one-piece robe and sings the sacred day - the day of those who devote their eyes and ears to spirit." -- David Tresemer, Ph.D.

 “I have traveled through France with these two wonderful humans, and had the privilege of singing and chanting with them in several cathedrals. Catherine has the voice with the power and beauty of an angel with a sword. She and Joseph have found the rhythms of other times and cultures and captured them in meaningful and artistic expression.  If music could heal the world, this music would be greatly responsible.” -- Lila Tresemer

"Listening to this album is traveling throughout the musical tales whose landscapes are set in the Medieval Europe. 19 varied themes...where solo voices or choirs, accompanied by ancient instruments, tend to predominate. Part of the pieces that shape the album are traditional songs, whereas the rest are composed mostly by Catherine Braslavsky. She is a singer who has specialized in Gregorian Chant and in the music of Hildegard of Bingen. Catherine's warm voice is the high point of a work that will awake the enthusiasm of the followers of the best Ancient European Music." -- Amazing Sounds

 

"Chant has gone away long enough for us to miss it, and this set by a top shelf French crew brings it back in a new way. The song selection is ecunemical and from a pan religious and pan secular base. It was recorded in a medieval cathedral that was built by Knights Templar an seems rightly suited to sing as you meander its labyrinths. All told, it's a different kind of adult record that defies genre typecasting and easy description. Very much a well made stand alone set, the open eared adult looking for a new and different sonic experience will have come to the right place here." -- Midwest Record Recap

 

"Recorded live in the Chartres Cathedral, within the labyrinth inside...supposedly under this labyrinth is buried one of the most sacred artifacts of the Christian beliefs - the Ark of the Covenant. This sort of transcendental atmosphere lends itself well to an album filled with vocal chants and contemporary music sure to enlighten and indeed relax most everyone. Beautiful and an essential for any one that enjoys spiritual awakening." -- Smother.net

 

"...A nice libretto accompanies the CD. It presents lyrics and liner notes in English and French. A journey into the rich spiritual songs, images, themes, history, and thoughts from the past. The project exudes mystery and musical magic. Worth a listen!" -- The Critical Review