About Us
Svara in Sanskrit means manifest sound, voice, or tone, and Sangha means community.
Svara Sangha (a community of manifest voices) will specialize in non-denominational spiritual music suitable for a variety of ritualistic contexts, including public and private performances in unique settings, religious services, weddings, bedside of the dying, funerals, yoga and meditation classes, breath work sessions, and other similar spiritual or sacred gatherings.
These “musical rituals” will include unique covers of known chants and songs, as well as original compositions co-created by the group. The intention is to create in each setting a sacred and transformational experience thru beautiful, transcendent music that features the human voice.
We intend to also record our work (digital albums, videos, and VR experiences) to aid and inspire others on their spiritual journeys around the world.
The ensemble is designed to be flexible, performing in various configurations: as a full mixed-gender octet, as a women-only or men-only quartet, or split into smaller mixed-gender groups.
Rehearsals will be weekly and performances monthly. The group will operate on a hybrid model of compensation—some performances will be paid, while others will be volunteer-based depending on the context.
Examples of the style of music the group will sing can be found on Spotify:
Kevin Mayes
Musical Director
Kevin started his first musical group in high school, an a cappella doo-wop quintet called The Ramblers. At Yale University, where he double-majored in music and theater, Kevin was the musical director of The Yale Alley Cats and The Yale Whiffenpoofs. He was also the founder and musical director of the Chicago-based spiritual vocal quartet, 4Now. He’s musically directed shows at a number of theaters, including The Living Theater and Lincoln Center in New York City, and Bailiwick Repertory in Chicago, where he also served as Artistic Director for 5 years. He’s led music for services at Unity of Chicago and many other Unity churches in Illinois and Michigan.