Himalayan Sound Revelations - 2nd Edition: The Complete Singing Bowl Book

This compendious, but very readable, volume by one of the legends of Tibetan Singing Bowl playing has quickly established itself as the definitive study. Particularly useful is the wide scope of the book, which includes not just Tibetan bowls and the techniques used to sound them, but, also, Chinese bells, drilbu and ding-sha, the planets, elements and chakras, cymatics, overtones and partials, nada yoga, mantras, symbolism and the astrology of the bowls, their relation to western music, Pythagoras and Newton and the psychic integrity and true awareness of the bowl user. There is almost nothing that is not here. Although Frank Perry was one of the earliest practitioners of Himalayan Bowls in the 1970s, his music has remained profoundly experimental, so that there are techniques in this book not to be found elsewhere, alongside the clearest and most detailed analysis of how to 'play' the bowls, a combination of simple and technical that shows in Perry's bestselling albums Deep Peace and Celestial Harmonies. Frank's writing is, also, a revelation of his personal contact with living Himalayan Masters, his immersion in esoteric traditions, meditation and mysticism and his understanding of other art forms such as the paintings of Nicholas Roerich, where he is an expert. This new edition of the most important book in its field contains a new appendix on the power of sound and new quotations.

About the Author :
Already an international percussionist when he discovered singing bowls, Frank Perry is widely mentioned in books on percussion and improvisation, including those by Derek Bailey and Bettine Taylor. He has influenced musicians such as Keith Tippett, Alex Cline and Tim Wheater, has recorded with Brian Eno and is familiar with radio, television and modern media.

Review :
"My journey into the world of Singing Bowls began in 1973. But the only book that I will recommend on this subject is Himalayan Sound Revelations by Frank Perry" Mitch Nur "Frank Perry's Himalayan Sound Revelations is a masterpiece of writing about the nature and power of pure sound as encoded into the consciously constructed instruments of the East. No other book in the field of working with sound for healing and spiritual development is as knowledgable, penetrating and comprehensive as this great tome. Contained within these pages is far, far more than an exploration of every aspect of singing bowls, instruments that Perry literally knows inside out through his enormous collection and varied use over many years of practice. Each chapter is an in-depth study of what the bowls have to offer in relation to ancient symbolism, yin/yang shapes, astrology, chakras, mantra, nada yoga, overtones. cymatics (wave fields), planets and musical temperament. Along the way we are given much knowledge of these topics in and of themselves - for example, the use of the voice. The book balances perfectly the historical, theoretical, spiritual and practical sides of these profound instruments and their metals. Very helpful in absorbing Perry's wisdom are the many illustrations, photographs, tables and diagrams. What especially sets it apart is how Perry places them into a spiritual, historical context such as no other text has done and thus makes the bowls (and bells) living, breathing entities. The tome is scholarly but not in an academic sense. It is simply thorough and the writing is clear, direct and substantial without unnecessary digressions. Thus Himalayan Sound Revelations will appeal both to those who wish to make practical use of singing bowls (choosing them, playing them properly and even caring for them) and those who would like to understand the historical context of the bowls and their role in healing and spirituality. Himalayan Sound Revelations is truly a universal work of a music master. It is bound to become a classic and belongs on the shelf of every serious student of Eastern music, meditation and spirituality." James D'Angelo, author of The Healing Power of the Human Voice and Seed Sounds for Tuning the Chakras "This book is without doubt the seminal book on these mystical Tibetan instruments. The book offers a comprehensive contribution to the emerging scholarship on this arcane subject." Alain Presencer, pioneer of the study of singing bowls and their sounds