Described as meditative and sublime, the Buddhist form of ritual chant known as shomyo is one of the oldest living forms of vocal music. Shomyo no Kai, a chorus of two dozen priests from the Shingon and Tendai sects of Japanese Buddhism, perform both ancient shomyo and contemporary shomyo-inspired works, accompanied by colorful ornamental robes, processions, and the scattering of flower petals.
