Encounters by the Night Light - recordings from our mystical literature reading nights
Listen to six hours or music and murmur with Julian of Norwich and Meister Eckhart
More of a plug than a text, but I’m happy to share two recordings from a series of reading nights I’ve been hosting over the past years, dedicated to collectively exploring mystical literature in a dreamy, droney, clumsy fashion (for just how clumsy, see Annie Dillard’s words at the bottom of this post).
The premise is simple: A body of text from spiritual literature is present at a reading table, along with a night light and a microphone. Anyone can come up to the book, open it wherever, and read it for others as long as they wish. Meanwhile, the musicians present improvise to the moment unfolding. Since 2023, we held nights for the works of Brabantine beguine poet Hadewijch, the anonymous text known as The Cloud of Unknowing, explored writings and sermons of the Rhineland teacher and preacher Meister Eckhart and dove deep into wounds and acorns of the visionary anchorite Julian of Norwich.
Below you find the sounds from our Julian and Eckhart night respectively. More than 6 hours of listening material - perfect for these long nights. Below each video, there is a link to stream and buy.
Angel Dog reading night I. ❈ Julian of Norwich
recorded at the Anglican Episcopal Church of St. Peter and St. Sigfrid, Stockholm ❈ on November 29, 2024
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Julian of Norwich was an English mystic and anchoress. Her key work, the Revelations of Divine Love was written over 20 years, following a series of visions, or “shewings” she received from the 8th of May 1373 - and is now considered the first work in the English language written by a woman.
music by Siri Anna Flensburg, Tilde Edlund, Áron Birtalan.
words of welcome (not recorded, due to tech mishap) by Judith Kiros, Reverend Nick Howe and Áron Birtalan.
The night was hosted as part of Gatherings to Disappear - a 3-day symposium for performative practices lived spiritually and unruly thought. Production help from Gabriel Widing and Vincenzo Madaghiele.
Angel Dog reading night II. ❈ Meister Eckhart
recorded at Konsthall C, Stockholm ❈ on September 7-8, 2024
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Meister Eckhart's writings both exemplify and at once transcend Christian spirituality, exploring themes of love, detachment and radical surrender to what is unknown within us. Through a contemplation of sound, space, and collective participation, you are invited to encounter this famously mysterious person in a new way: we will speak his words and hear them spoken, and maybe even try a little unknowing ourselves.
music by Emma Augustsson, Filip Holm Áron Birtalan.
words of welcome (not recorded) by Mariam Elnozahy, Filip Holm and Áron Birtalan.
Annie Dillard in Holy the Firm about the clumsiness of unusual gatherings, and the wisdom they may hold:
The higher Christian churches - where, if anywhere, I belong - come at God with an unwarranted air of professionalism, with authority and pomp, as though they know what they were doing, as though people in themselves were an appropriate set of creatures to have dealings with God. I often think of the set pieces of liturgy as certain words which people have successfully addressed to God without their getting killed. If God were to blast such service to bits, the congregation would be, I believe, genuinely shocked. But in the low churches, you expect it any minute. This is the beginning of wisdom