Crystal Journey begins at Arts Centre

By Jane Cherry-Lemire

City of Camrose Arts Director

The Chuck MacLean Arts Centre is pleased to announce that it is part of a cross Canada tour of the Crystal Journey, performed by David Hickey www.crystaljourney.ca on Sunday, April 15, at 7:30. Cost is $25.

The tour will begin on April 6 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and end in Regina on May 29. Other provinces will include Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia with a total of 35 shows.

David says that “with over 10 years' experience and 1,000 performances to date, Crystal Journey will expand yet again to new musical heights.”

He states that audiences can expect two 40- to 50-minute sets. His usual setup includes 15 to 20 Quartz Crystal Bowls, eight to 10 Paiste Planet Gongs, a Vibraphone and a Santoor. Nothing is amplified, pre-recorded or rehearsed. Each set and performance is sonically pure and unique.

Planet Gongs are tuned to the natural harmonic series based on the orbital properties of the Earth, Moon, Sun and Planets. All of these gongs resonate in harmony with the celestial bodies and communicate a distinct aspect of the Music of the Spheres, which was first documented by Pythagoras in the sixth Century B.C. Each planet gong contributes a vital pitch to the total harmonic resonance of our solar system.

He also states and I can attest that a Crystal Journey concert is like no other musical experience on earth. The combination of all these unique and ancient instruments provides the listener a chance to journey with the sounds to the outer reaches of our minds and universe.

Crystal Journey has dedicated its intention for the music to help raise awareness to our environment and such social causes as Tibet and Burma, raising funds for these and various other charities. Crystal Journey also works with cancer support groups such as Well Spring Calgary and SEVA Canada, a Vancouver based charitable organization that fights blindness and restores sight in nine countries.

The intent of the performance is to create expansive and improvised music, to awaken consciousness and to provide a cosmic musical journey into the Unknown.

David’s musical inspirations are Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead, John Lennon, George Harrison, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Miles Davis and Frederick Chopin to name a few.

Anyone wishing to attend should call Jane at 780-672-9949 in advance as space will be limited.