The Benedictine monk was committed to a life of prayer, which was fulfilled in choir by the communal chanting of the divine office (a set form of liturgical prayer) at specific times of day.
Dressed in black robes, they strive to live in the moment and awake to the oneness of everything by rising at 3am for 18-hour sessions sitting lotus-style in the zendo, or meditation hall, eating communal vegan meals in silence, chanting and taking restorative dips in the hot pools.
Walking on foot for days to reach remote areas in Jonglei and Lakes, states known for frequent inter-communal clashes, the choir chanted songs of peace in different languages.
Chants, declarations, call and response and communal celebration were all suggested in turn, indicating that the magic of a ritual can have more to do with the physicality of its enactment than with its text.
The remainder of the afternoon would be spent studying and, at dusk, chanting aloud with the other monks, their piercing communal monotone flowing from the pagoda like a hypnotic soundtrack to a tranquil Mekong twilight.
On "El 456," she whipped the audience into a call-and-response chant that proved her myriad talents are always in service of a communal experience.
As night fell, we could hear the patter of footsteps in the hallways, yelping dogs in the distance, a monk chanting evening prayers, metal pots being washed, and someone spitting into a communal sink.
