A Spirited Night of chanting at Spirit Rock

Went to a "Chanting Workshop" at Spirit Rock Meditation Center   tonight.    It was fascinating.
We had been to this place a few times last year, and really enjoyed it.   This is all new to me, and I am enjoying it, finding that the workshops and programs here do resound with me spiritually.    In Traverse City, we have done a few classes with Chava Bahle, a Rabbi who doesn't have a pulpit, but who leads classes in spirituality.  I have completely enjoyed these.
The Spirit Rock experience  was led by Robert Gass, who is apparently quite well known in the Buddhist and Chanting World.  He is roughly our age, and in fact, reminded us of Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary and seemed to be influenced by the folk music of the 60's, my favorite music of all.   He played a guitar, had another guitarist, a drummer, a flutist, and singer, all of them sang.   He has a wonderful voice!   Deep, engaging, and emotional.
The way it worked was that he would sing the words, then the audience would repeat it, and soon, we all were chanting.   I don't know the definition of chanting, but it's basically singing the same phrases over and over, which becomes hypnotic, soothing, and reflective.   His melodies were achingly beautiful at times.
I had gone to a chanting meditation in Traverse City earlier this summer, went with my friend Trudi and met up with my new friend, Terrill.   The teacher played a chant made by the Dali Lama, and we listened to it as we were on a guided meditation.   It was incredibly powerful to me, I was in tears listening to it.   This same experience happened tonight too during one of the chants.   I can't produce crying tears very well, but I came very close tonight.   This was not a chant we all sang, but a spoken one by Robert Gass, about our circle of loved ones, present and past.
The last chant was "Hallelulah" (not the Leonard Cohen version) .   We had to greet other people in the audience, meet their eyes, as we chanted this, and moved around the room.    It was powerful, but I realized it made me a little uncomfortable.    It challenged my personal boundaries, because of the openness ---of being so close to people, and looking them in the eye.   I enjoyed it, felt good that this challenged my boundaries, felt good that I was uncomfortable.    I know it all can sound "gimicky", like touchy feely stuff, but really, that can be good.   How deeply can we trust others, how open can we be?   How safe can we feel?
Pat