Meredith Monk - A Song of Ascension

Monk specifically chose Ann Hamilton’s Tower to combine symbols of Christianity and Buddhism. The tower is circular, representing the Zen Circle usually referred to as ‘Ensō’ in Zen Buddhism. In Christianity, a circle signifies eternity and the sacred union. Inside the tower, there is a staircase leading up to the rooftop. With Christian motives in mind, this could resemble the staircase to heaven; in general, it could depict the ascensions from darkness into the light – a journey of possible self-improvement.

Furthermore, the color composition seems to be rather important. Most musicians wear dark, earthy tones to blend into the wall of the tower, acting as background or accompanying elements. The dancers and vocalists, however, are divided into two groups: those who wear red and those wearing white. In Buddhism red is an auspicious color. It is sacred, one of the colors of the five Buddhas, and the color of the monks’ garments. White represents Saraswati, the goddess of learning and knowledge, and the goddess Tara who denotes purity, holiness, and cleanliness. In Christianity red is often referred to as ‘scarlet’ or ‘crimson’ and symbolizes both sin and redemption, which usually point to some type of blood sacrifice or needed redemption. White, similar to Buddhist symbolism, represents purity, innocence, and holiness. Seeing the staircase as a journey of self-improvement, it would make sense, according to both beliefs, to place those dressed in white close to the top of the stairs.

The first song in “Songs of Ascension” begins with meditative sounds which resemble a singing bowl. Suddenly, an unknown instrument begins to play two notes in alternation as in a religious procession. A red dressed woman steps into the tower and slowly makes her way up the stairs. She vocalizes single sounds, as if testing what could be waiting out there. More red dressed performers follow, as they all take several steps forward and two steps back, possibly mirroring the road to amendment or the journey of life.

The second song is played by a string band and has a very fairytale-like theme. The red clothed performers now begin to dance experimentally, mainly with their arms. Then, as the third song begins, its gospel-like singing provokes memories of Christian church ceremonies. Only one red clothed woman now ascends the stairs with slow, heavy steps while the string band accompanies the gospel singing. She glances down again and again, as if not wanting to move upward. It resembles a mournful procession as the performer walks to her own sacrifice.

During the next few songs, a lady in white dances in the water at the lowest point of the tower, making it appear like the purification process common in many religions. She dances with her arms, passing those movements onto those close to her in red as in an attempt to purify them as well. As the scene changes again during the sixth song, a single red performer sits on the bottom of the stairs while a group of people in white wait at the top of the staircase. She sings alone, sounding mournful.

The seventh and last song sounds rather chaotic in the beginning, everybody is singing and playing their instruments at once: the whitely clothed in a gospely manner, the red calling out to each other. Then the song focuses on the same woman, who was just sitting at the bottom of the stairs, as she calls to the other red performers who begin to descend the stairs to her. Slowly, everyone in white ascends the staircase fully and everyone in red joins the woman at the bottom. It is difficult to ignore the resemblance of the Christian symbolism of heaven and hell in this scene.

All in all, these performances not only tell the story of ascension, as the title suggests, but also stay true to Monk's belief that "art can melt walls, not build them" by linking two different religions with one another. Contrary to my initial assumption, her ideas are also clear to follow and understand. In Buddhism, there is the ascension to a higher level of ‘kamma’ (or karma, as Western society refers to it). While the performers in red physically move downward, I like to belief that they represent the Buddhist community ascending to their higher kamma since red is the sacred color of Buddhism. The performers in white would then represent the Christian community who ascend and take the stereotypical stairwell to heaven – not the “highway to hell.”