That Bach is life and was my life for three months in Nepal. That Bach, when seen in solitude, shows itself. That Bach is as powerful as the highest peak in the world.
RELEASED JULY 9TH, 2024
Judith Glyde, in the fall of 1999, spent three months in the Khumbu region of the Himalayas. Following in the footsteps of the Buddhist teacher who enters contemplative isolation to study, she experienced these months in a secluded village, Sengma, re-exploring the six suites for solo cello by Bach.
The result of the journey is the memoir...
UNDER THE GODDESS OF THE SKY
A Journey Through Solitude, Bach, and the Himalayas
The pilots dip into the valley (OMG) then lift at the last minute, landing onto the airstrip—a strip of dirt that is giving its best impression of being a runway.
Dead ahead was a ‘wall’—in essence a mountain so high the top was not visible. Thankfully, the pilots make a quick right turn in avoidance—just in time.
The homes, seemingly clinging to the side of the mountain... All are built with the same, basic Sherpa structure.
Having played the cello for 50 years, it is an old friend. Holding the instrument in my hands, I am hopeful that all will be tolerable for it, and for me.
The possibility of the entire village sliding off the mountain seems very real. The fact that it has been here for centuries belies that probability.
They want me to cross first (why, I’m not sure, unless it is the Buddhist way, or I am a test subject). The view is spectacular, but I was grateful when we finally crossed onto earth. This bridge is definitely not for the faint of heart.
The problem now is that I know I am truly alone. Even the breeze, silenced for the moment, seems to have recognized a change. I may be nervous and apprehensive, but I know why I am here. I cannot throw in the towel and concede defeat.
We round a corner and Phuti points— ‘there’. I am staring at the DaVinci of landscapes. Mount Everest!
Phuti, an elegant woman, is dressed in Sherpa style with a long woolen skirt and a striped, multicolored apron. I look around at the faces—worn and weary, a legacy of farming and herding left to them by the Sherpas of the 16th century.
The beauty of Khumbu and its people will remain with me always.
UNDER THE GODDESS OF THE SKY
A Journey Through Solitude, Bach, and the Himalayas
RELEASED JULY 9TH, 2024
“My hope is that this volume will speak to a large audience: the adventurer, the musician, the travel enthusiast, the lover of mountains and all those in search of a challenge.”
