Harmony across the valley

By Kath Gannaway
WARBURTON’S five-day Harmony Festival finished on Monday with the dissolution of the Sand Mandala and the sounds of Songs Across the Valley.
The festival, the fourth to be held in Warburton, was an exciting blend of art, concepts, workshops, interfaith spirituality, films and forums.
Organisers Mary-Jane Reynolds and Keith Sarah worked with the Harmony team to create a festival, they say, took on a personality of its own.
The festival opened with Lama Ven Lobsang Tendar, musician Jarek Czechowitz and Healesville Indigenous elder Auntie Dot Peters on Thursday evening in the Mechanics Hall.
Lama Tendar created a traditional Tibetan Sand Mandala over the five days of the festival and was involved in a number of activities including meditations and the children’s Mandala colouring workshop.
Indonesian, African and Indian dance workshops, films, games, international food, a river walk and Universol Colour Wheel workshop, community concert and concert spectacular, featuring Sacred Earth and Babaganoush … were all part of the packed festival program.
A spiritual highlight of the festival was an Interfaith Forum with Lama Tendar, Carmalite Friar Father Kenneth Petersen, environmentalist John Seed and others held on Sunday and followed by an Interfaith Service.
The festival is held every second year in Warburton.