Kirtan cues are used to direct the group energy and promote unity and oneness.
Unity Cues:
Call and response, if solely used during the entire chant, might leave a feeling of separation – ie a facilitator and an audience.
The cue “All together!” when the playing is increasing to a fast tempo and crescendo is meant to unite the audience in oneness during the fast tempo of the chant.
With everyone chanting together during the fast phase, the distinction of a kirtan facilitator and an audience falls away, allowing for a some glimpse of our inherent oneness.
Then the “All together” during the ending phase brings everyone together into unity consciousness again so the chant can end in oneness and in silence.
Authorative Cues:
I will use bossy/authorative cues to direct the audience to uplift the energy, like “Clap!”, “Get up and join hands”.
Other kirtan cues might be unnecessary and may even create mental disturbance/percolation.
I generally don’t like nor recommend kirtan cues like “faster”, “my turn”, etc.
Regarding the “faster” kirtan cue, I think it’s unnecessary because it’s not the role of the audience to go faster. Generally the role of the audience is to slip into a chill mode of following the facilitator.
It’s better in my mind that the facilitator not give a kirtan cue about tempo, but rather just change the tempo and see if the audience follows.
If you want the audience to go faster, but they’re not going as fast as you like, then just keep on increasing the tempo without saying anything until you’re satisfied with how the energy is flowing. You are the facilitator – you must make decisions regarding tempo and then see how everyone follows you (or not).
For the audience to have to make decisions themselves then brings in the mind into action. A participant could ask themselves “How much faster should I go?”, “What’s wrong with how I’m chanting now?”, “Don’t boss me around, I like what I’m doing now.”, etc.
Reduce the audiences’ mental disturbance by providing clear, concise, confident facilitation.
With the “my turn’” kirtan cue, I think it’s only necessary if the audience has gone rampant and they’re chanting whatever they want. If you’re dealing with children, then this cue might be useful.
With a “your turn” kirtan cue, I might do that once in the beginning after introducing a new melody. And then not cue any more regarding order of call and response. Most folks catch on after one cycle of call and response.
If the audience is following appropriately, then KEEP YOUR KIRTAN CUES TO A MINIMUM and most essential.
The priority is your facilitation. Practice enough so that your facilitation of playing, singing, changing the tempo is smooth and seamless. And, with the minimal of cues, your facilitation will help create an uplifting energy.
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Vancouver has enough individualism and separation. We want to support unity consciousness in our kirtan facilitation through our unity kirtan cues.
Ending the chant in unity consciousness/all together is a powerful and skillful kirtan facilitation technique. Peoples’ souls will be nourished by that opportunity to be in some form of oneness. Unity and oneness is our true home.