Weekly Guided meditation with classical music masterpieces
April 13 – Meditative Mondays: Mirror
We combine the meditation goal of self reflection with two iconic pieces by “mystical minimalist” composer Arvo Pärt.
We’ll perform Spiegel Im Spiegel, which means Mirror In Mirror and Fratres. Both works are in Pärt’s “tintinnabular” style consisting of a lyrical melody and spare, “bell-like” accompaniment.
Seth Boustead – piano
David Keller – cello
Mamie Amin of Katie Bellamy and Associates – meditation guide
We pair the meditation goal of cultivating inner peace with gorgeously spare music for piano and electronics inspired by Iceland’s serenely beautiful landscape.
Music by Anna Þorvaldsdóttir, Ólafur Arnalds, and Jóhann Jóhannsson
Seth Boustead – Piano
Mamie Amin of Katie Bellamy and Associates
We pair the meditation goal of embodied presence, incorporating gentle Qi Gong–inspired movement with music for guitar and flute by Bobby McFerrin and Casey Nielsen.
Mamie Amin of Katie Bellamy and Associates – meditation guide
We pair the meditation goal of remembrance with gorgeous solo cello music inspired by imagery, beauty, and the search for stillness.
Monday, January 12 from 6:00 to 7:00 PM
All Saints Episcopal Church
4550 N. Hermitage Ave.
$20 suggested donation
PROGRAM
Meditation by Seth Boustead
Cellogram by James Tenney
Sonata for Solo Cello by Rikuya Terashima (mvmt 1)
Preludes by Sofia Gubaidulina (excerpt)
Five Hofer Photographs by David Fennessy (excerpt)
Sarabande from Solo Cello Suite No. 5 by J. S. Bach
Alyson Berger – cello
Mamie Amin – meditation guide from Katie Bellamy and Associates
| Meditative Mondays is a unique experience that pairs guided meditation with live performances of contemporary classical masterpieces. Each session centers on a specific meditative goal, with live music carefully chosen to deepen focus and emotional connection. This month we present a new program called Memory Garden featuring luminous new piano works that drift between recollection and reverie. Three Meditations by Sunny Knable positions the listener at the center of a beautiful, sunny town where sound appears from all around. Tintinnabuli Etude No. 8 by Kevin Germaine draws inspiration from the bell-like compositions of Arvo Pärt. Lost Cycle by Preston Peak is a meditative composition where every note is like a burst of memory for things forgotten. Inflorescence by Matt Mason from the blooming of flowers. Scarlet by Tori Ovel is an homage to the composer’s grandmother and a reflection on the tune Scarlet Ribbons by Harry Belafonte. Monday, November 10 6:00 PM 4550 N. Hermitage Ave. $20 suggested donation Matt A. Mason – piano Mamie Amin from Katie Bellamy and Associates – meditation guide |
John Cage’s Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano was composed between 1946 and 1948 when he was heavily influenced by Indian philosophy.
The aim of the music is to express the eight permanent emotions of the rasa Indian tradition. In order to achieve this otherworldly effect, Cage “prepares” the piano by asking the performer to insert screws, bolts, pieces of rubber, plastic and an eraser into the strings of the piano.
On Monday we welcome pianist Shi-An Costello to perform part of this landmark work as part of our Meditative Mondays series, a unique experience combining a guided meditation with a live performance of significant music from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear this seminal piece of music performed live in an intimate setting!
Guided Meditation by Ashantis Jones of Katie Bellamy & Associates
Shi-An Costello – piano
March 10 – Metamorphosis
We pair the meditation goal of accepting change with a performance of Philip Glass’ most famous piano work: Metamorphosis, made famous in the film The Hours.
Guided Meditation by Hannah Grove of Katie Bellamy & Associates
Seth Boustead – piano
In the dead of winter of 1940, a young composer named Olivier Messiaen wrote a piece of music while imprisoned in a German POW camp that has since become a classic.
We’ll pair the meditation goal of healing with a performance of Olivier Messiaen‘s numinous cello solo from his landmark work Quartet for the End of Time.
We’ll round out the program with Elena Kats Chernin’s contemplative work Blue Silence written as a healing piece for her son, and a new arrangement of Bill Evans’ classic work Blue In Green made famous by Miles Davis.
Guided Meditation by Hannah Grove of Katie Bellamy & Associates
Seth Boustead – piano
David Keller – cello
April 7 – Metamorphosis
We pair the meditation goal of accepting change with a performance of Philip Glass’ most famous piano work: Metamorphosis, made famous in the film The Hours.
If you missed this program in March then you have one more chance to experience it!
Guided Meditation by Hannah Grove of Katie Bellamy & Associates
Seth Boustead – piano
We take a moment to shut off our phones, improve self-awareness and acknowledge our thoughts, feelings and sensations without necessarily reacting to them.
We pair the meditation goal of relaxation with Brian Eno’s ambient masterpiece Music for Airports, Eve Beglarian’s transcendent piece Until it Blazes and a new work by Casey Nielsen, all performed on solo electric guitar.
Guided Meditation by Hannah Grove of Katie Bellamy & Associates
Music performed by:
Casey Nielsen – electric guitar
February 10 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
All Saints Episcopal Church
4550 N. Hermitage Ave.
Chicago, IL
$20 suggested donation