Workshop at Well Bath
Kirtan
One voice, one breath, one held sound
Everyone sings as one. Not call-and-response, a single voice held between many. Chanting is for everyone at Well Bath. No prior experience is needed, simply an openness to what may arrive. Through chanting you meet the practice exactly where you need to: a still point of relaxation after a hectic week, the shared joy of singing in community, the felt vibration in the body as the room carries the sound.
Kirtan at Well Bath has its own shape: everyone sings together as one continuous wall of sound for the length of the session. The room becomes one voice, one breath, one held container.
Tim Chalice has been leading Kirtan since 2006. His path began with a workshop with Chloe Goodchild and The Naked Voice in 2005, followed by a life-changing trip to India, and the release of his first album Planting Peace. Two Kirtan albums to date, appearances at bhakti and yoga festivals across the country, and years of holding this exact evening. He leads with David Oliver on percussion and Martin Solomon on harp. You do not need to know the mantras, the language, or how to sing. Come, sit down, and let the room carry you.
Duration
2.5 hours
Price
See the booking page for current pricing.
What people bring
Presentations commonly worked with
Kirtan is a container more than a treatment. People arrive to it from all sorts of places, and the shared sound tends to reach places that talking has not.
- Grief that is looking for a container that is not therapy
- Isolation, or the flatness that follows a long period of it
- A stuck sense that something inside needs releasing
- A wish to sing without an audition, an outcome, or a performance
- Curiosity about devotional practice from any tradition
- A tender week where a whole yoga class would be too much
- The end of a long working stretch where the nervous system wants ceremony
This is not a music class or a lesson in the mantras. It is a devotional container where every voice is welcome to add itself to the room.
What a session is like
From arrival to the last breath in the room
Kirtan is held on the third Friday of the month at seven. This is how the evening unfolds.
- 01
Arrival and settling
Front door, tea from the foyer, take a cushion or a chair in the studio. Room is dim and warm. Arrive early to settle in.
- 02
Tim opens
A short welcome, a note on how the evening runs, permission to sing or not sing as you feel. First mantra begins gently.
- 03
Building the sound
David Oliver on percussion, Martin Solomon on harp, Tim leading voice and violin. The mantra grows in volume and depth as the room joins.
- 04
Wall of sound
The whole room holds one continuous sound for a long stretch. Not call-and-response — everyone sings together, or listens, as the sound builds and settles.
- 05
Silence between
Between mantras the room falls into silence. This is often the most affecting part. Nothing needs to fill it.
- 06
Closing
A final mantra held gently, a bow, tea and quiet conversation in the foyer for anyone who wants to stay.
Weighing it up
Kirtan versus a Sound Bath
Both work through sound. Which is right for the evening you are having depends on the register you want.
| Kirtan | Sound Bath | |
|---|---|---|
| Your role | Active — you sing, or you can listen if you prefer. | Receptive — you lie down and receive the sound. |
| Sound source | Percussion, harp, violin, and the whole room's voice. | Crystal bowls, gong, chime — Kate holds the sound. |
| Duration | Two and a half hours with breaks. | Around ninety minutes. |
| Register | Devotional, communal, participatory. | Contemplative, restorative, still. |
| Best if you | Want to sing with a room and be carried by it. | Want to lie down and let the sound do the work. |
Some people come to both on different weeks. They meet different needs.
What the evidence says
Research and clinical literature
Chanting and group singing have measurable effects on the nervous system, breath, and mood.
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Slow mantra chanting produces breathing rates near six breaths per minute, which is associated with increased heart-rate variability and vagal tone.
The BMJ · Bernardi et al. · 2001
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Group singing is associated with reductions in cortisol and improvements in mood across multiple studies, including in bereaved and isolated populations.
Public Health · Fancourt et al. · 2016
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Devotional chanting practices reduce self-reported anxiety and improve subjective sense of belonging in observed group settings.
Frontiers in Psychology · reviews · 2019
Questions people ask
Before you book
Do I need to know the mantras? +
What if I cannot sing? +
What language are the mantras in? +
Is this religious? +
How long is it? +
What should I bring? +
Is it always the third Friday? +
Who is Tim, and how long has he been leading Kirtan? +
If you are arriving from
Kirtan tends to be met by people carrying
Book
Book Kirtan
Booking runs on Acuity, direct link below. If you are not sure whether kirtan is the right fit, reach out and we will help you find the right first door into the sanctuary.
Prefer to talk it through first? Call Joe on 07986 380327 · Joe will get back to you within 24 hours.
Silo of the sanctuary