Sri Chinmoy:
The Peace Meditation at the United Nations

On 27 January 1978 the Meditation Group hosted a programme marking the anniversary of Australia’s admission to the United Nations, which also coincided with Australia’s National Day. Ambassador Ralph L. Harry of Australia spoke, and members of the Group performed traditional Australian folk songs as well as Aboriginal music. Below is an excerpt from Ambassador Harry’s talk.

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His Excellency Mr. Ralph L Harry, Permanent Representative of A ustralia to the United Nations: Long before Captain Cook found the east coast of Australia and long before Europeans came to Australia, the Australian people had developed a most interesting music for their rituals and for their life in general, and that Australian aboriginal music is still alive today. Of course, that tradition has an influence on our contemporary music. But the main stream of musical development in the last 190 years has come from Europe-from England, Scotland and Ireland – and more recently from Germany, Italy, Greece, Spain and practically every part of Europe.

At the same time that Australians like Dame Nelly Melba, John Brownlee, Marjorie Lawrence and Joan Sutherland have become world opera stars, a very vigorous folk music tradition has developed with themes and poetry from our own culture. Along with that, there has been a new stream in our music. Young composers have been traveling to Asia and the Pacific, bringing back new musical ideas, while at the same time in Australia we have been receiving musicians from our neighbouring countries and drafting their ideas and concepts into Australian compositions.

Perhaps the samples that you will hear today will give you an idea of some of the music of Australia. You will remember that we are reaching back in to the past and reaching out to our friends. We believe that these trends are fully in accordance with the ideals of the United Nations, which we in Australia, as well as your Group, are seeking to foster.

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