Random Acts

The a cappella group Prana; harpist Máire Ní Chathasaigh and guitarist Chris Newman; Shanghai Acrobats; and Raven Chacon’s Huntress Quartet

The five members of the a cappella group Prana sing kirtan, or devotional music, that stills the mind and body — the kind of music often heard in yoga classes. Prana, which is also the Sanskrit word for breath, blends a variety of cultural influences and styles into the quintet’s chanting and singing, from Western folk and choral music to Tuvan throat-singing and the traditional music of Eastern Europe. Baird Hersey, who formed Prana in 2000, is a National Endowment for the Arts Composition Fellow and the author of The Practice of Nada Yoga: Meditation on the Inner Sacred Sound (Inner Traditions, 2013). Hersey and the other members of Prana sing at Gig Performance Space (1808 Second St.) on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, $20, are available at the door. For more information, visit www.gigsantafe.com. — Jennifer Levin Máire Ní Chathasaigh is Ireland’s foremost harpist, named Traditional Musician of the Year in 2001 at the TG4 Gradam Ceoil (Traditional Music Awards). Chris Newman is considered an English master of acoustic guitar and is known for his virtuosity in numerous styles, from folk and jazz to comedy. Both began playing music in early childhood and went pro in their teenage years. They have been playing, recording, and touring as a duo since 1987, when they made their debut together at the Cambridge Folk Festival. Their partnership has brought them to 22 countries on five continents and has produced seven albums that move between slow, melodious traditional music and faster, almost danceable tunes infused with bluegrass and hot jazz. Chathasaigh and Newman play at Gig Performance Space (1808 Second St.) on Friday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, $20, are available at the door. For more information, visit www.gigsantafe.com. — J.L. A little boy dreams he sees a beautiful fairy phoenix fly out over the sea. He runs into the water to follow her, nearly drowning, but he is saved by the phoenix. Together they fly up to the sun and then down to a fantasy world under the sea. Singing birds, flying hats, clowns, and other creatures entertain the boy, but the “evil ones” lurk in the shadows, keeping watch in order to seize control of the fairy phoenix. This is just the beginning of the newest production of the Shanghai Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China. The ensemble formed in 1959 and is considered one of China’s premier acrobatic troupes, with feats that include trampoline arts, juggling, contortion, and martial arts. Presented by Performance Santa Fe, the Shanghai Acrobats appear at the Lensic Performing Arts Center (211 W. San Francisco St.) on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $27 to $100, available at www.performancesantafe.org or www.ticketssantafe.org. — J.L. Navajo musician Raven Chacon is a member of the indigenous collective Postcommodity and was chosen as a composer in the Kronos Quartet’s Fifty for the Future program. He’s also an educator who visits Native communities and recruits highschool students to engage in collaborative compositions. Six of these works are included in SITE Santa Fe’s biennial exhibition much wider than a line, and one is performed by Chacon’s Huntress Quartet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, at the Armory for the Arts Theater (1050 Old Pecos Trail). The musicians are Jessica Billey and Rosie Hutchinson, violins; Heather Trost, viola; and Ariel Muniz, cello. Tickets for this event are $10, $5 for students, seniors, and SITE members. They are available at www.sitesantafe.org or at the door; call 505-989-1199. — Paul Weideman