Mother's organ music

(Mother used to improvise on the reed organ and later switched to an electric organ. She played on New Year's Day and on some other occasions. These were recorded from the 1950s.)

Mother's organ music
New Year 1955

(Satprem:) “But do you hear something when you play, or what?

(Mother:) When I play I generally hear what I am playing. It's hard to say.... It's not just an ordinary sound, it's a combination of sounds, and it's not ... no, it's true, it's not the same sound but something like the essence of that sound. But for instance, I have a sort of feeling that what I am hearing should be expressed by a large orchestra.... I SEE it, you know, I see something like large orchestras around me, on my right, on my left – and I am supposed to transcribe it on a harmonium!”^[1]

“Mother, every Sunday you play the organ and you always play well. But sometimes we feel that you play better!

(Mother:) Eh?

Every time you play well, no doubt, but sometimes we feel that you play better.

Sometimes you feel, sometimes you don’t, sometimes you like it, sometimes you don’t, sometimes you understand, sometimes you don’t understand, and sometimes I play well and sometimes I play badly. (Laughter)
This depends on many things, above all on the state you are in yourself. It may depend a great deal on the region which seeks expression in the music. There are some which are accessible, there are others which are more difficult to understand or receive; but usually it depends almost exclusively on the condition you yourself are in. The day you are well disposed, you like it; the day you are ill-disposed you don’t understand. There are days when it puts you to sleep, there are days when it pleases you; on some days you have the feeling that it opens a horizon before you, on others you say, “don’t know, don’t understand”! So, there. It depends altogether on one’s own condition.”^[2]

“What is the significance of the tune that goes on repeating itself in your music so often?

(Mother:) You must have noticed that this tune generally comes after some trouble or chaos has been expressed. It comes as a solution to a problem. It means an advancement, a progress, a step forward in consciousness. It comes as an enlightenment. My music resembles the inner movements of the Sadhana. Sometimes a trouble, a chaos, a problem, a wrong movement which seemed conquered returns with a greater force. But then, as an answer or as an aid, the growth, the unveiling of the consciousness — and then the final enlightenment.
This music is very difficult to understand — especially for the Western mind. To people from the West it often means nothing; nor do they easily feel in them the corresponding movements. Mostly those who can appreciate the Indian Ragas can like that music; for there is some resemblance with the Ragas. But here too from the point of view of form, all conventions of musical laws and notations are broken.”^[3]

“From where does it come?

(Mother:) Before sitting down I don’t even know what notes I am going to play. The region? It is always the same region. This is why I can speak with some experience about the origin of Berlioz’s music, because it is a region very well known to me, one I frequent assiduously. But I do not at all know what will come. Nothing at all, nothing. I don’t even decide what feeling or idea or state of consciousness is going to be expressed, nothing. I am like a blank page. I come and sit down, concentrate for a minute and let it come. Afterwards, sometimes I know, not always. But when I hear it a second time here, in the afternoon or evening, then I know; because it is no longer I, it is something that comes from outside. So then I know quite well what it is like.”^[4]

(Mother to Mona Sarkar:) “It is true that my music calms the body. From it emerges a sort of compassion which envelops the one who is listening. It is like a harmony that neutralises the disharmony in the chaos and pacifies the resistances, a melody that purifies the aspiration...
My music brings down the original vibration from the Source; it engulfs you, and lifts you up to the unknown regions. So with this music everything would calm down.”^[5]

1953

December 13, 1953 – “Marching in search of the soul”

(13:47)

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1954

January 17, 1954 – “Meditation of the Spiritual Warrior”	(18:30)	▪▪▪▪
January 31, 1954 – “Let us try to collaborate”	(16:05)	▪▪▪
February 7, 1954	(10:39)	▪▪
February 14, 1954 – “Concentration”	(18:22)	▪▪▪▪
March 14, 1954 – “Aspiration in the body for the Divine”, part 1	(17:05)	▪▪▪
March 21, 1954 – “Aspiration in the body for the Divine”, part 2	(15:39)	▪▪▪
March 28, 1954 – “Aspiration in the body for the Divine”, part 3	(21:34)	▪▪▪▪
April 25, 1954 – “Promise of the 24th”	(19:00)	▪▪▪▪
April 25, 1954	(9:49)	▪▪
May 16, 1954	(21:30)	▪▪▪▪
June 20, 1954 – “Construction of the Future”	(17:34)	▪▪▪▪
October 31, 1954 – “Meditation to merger”	(15:37)	▪▪▪
November 14, 1954 – “Perseus”	(14:11)	▪▪▪
November 17, 1954	(12:37)	▪▪
December 12, 1954	(11:21)	▪▪

1955

January 1, 1955	(31:02)	▪▪▪▪▪▪
January 30, 1955	(12:44)	▪▪▪
February 27, 1955 – “Prayer”	(17:38)	▪▪▪▪
November 13, 1955	(20:06)	▪▪▪▪

1956

January 1, 1956

(25:50)

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1957

January 1, 1957

(28:39)

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1958

January 1, 1958

(30:49)

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1960

February 29, 1960	(27:14)	▪▪▪▪▪
March 12, 1960 – “Joy”	(8:15)	▪▪
March 27, 1960 – “Fairy dance”	(13:55)	▪▪▪
April 19, 1960	(10:26)	▪▪
May 16, 1960	(11:23)	▪▪