from the spiritsite website on the Gregorian Chant featured here:
www.spiritsite.com
"The Monks of St. Domingo De Silos sprung onto the music scene with some very, very old tunes in 1994. By 1995, their album Chant had sold over 5 million copies.
"The album, and its follow-ups, are unadulterated Gregorian chant -- simple religious compositions dating back to the 11th century.
"As Rolling Stone magazine wrote, "The no-frills recording of Spanish monks captures with perfect clarity the intensity and intimacy of this form of prayer. Modest, unison singing--no tricks, no virtuosity--the chanting comes from the heart, unself-conscious and nakedly direct..."
"The monks of St. Domingo De Silos, apparently overwhelmed by the unexpected success of their music, requested that journalists leave them alone. Alas, this was a difficult proposal. The monks eventually acquiesced to the will of the people and released several popular follow-up albums."
Ave mundi spes Maria - English
Hail, hope of the world, Mary, hail, meek one, hail, loving one, hail, full of grace
Hail O singular virgin, who wast chosen to not suffer flames through brambles
Hail, beautiful rose, hail, staff of Jesse:
Whose fruit loosened the chains of our weeping
Hail whose womb bore a son against the law of death
Hail, O one lacking comparison, still tearfully renewing joy for the world
Hail, lamp of virgins, through whom the heavenly light shone on these whom shadow holds.
Hail, O virgin from whom a thing of heaven wished to be born, and from whose milk feed.
Hail, gem of the lamps of heaven
Hail, sanctuary of the Holy Ghost
O, how wonderful, and how praiseworthy is this virginity!
In whom, made through the spirit, the paraclete, shone fruitfulness.
O how holy, how serene, how kind, how pleasant the virgin is believed to be!
Through whom slavery is finished, a place of heaven is opened, and liberty is returned.
O, lily of chastity, pray to thy son, who is the salvation of the humble:
Lest we through our fault, in the tearful judgment suffer punishment.
But may she, by her holy prayer, purifying from the dregs of sin, place us in a home of light
Amen let every man say.
I've always found music from the Middle Ages to be very peaceful. Thanks for this!
ReplyDeleteYou're most welcome, Astra.
ReplyDeleteI love Gregorian chant ... it is restful and peaceful... I find it interesting that something similar exists in several religions -- Islam with the muezzin's call to prayer, Catholicism with music like this, and Judaism with the songs of the cantors. I like all these kinds of music...
ReplyDeleteGregorian chants are relaxing to play in the background when the day has taken a rush at you.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I drive better when I have this kind of thing playing in the car. ;-)
Thank you Doug.
Cassandra
Yes, Christy, it's another example of the universal need for tranquility in a restless world that too many overly-pious people overlook. Thanks for your comments. :-)
ReplyDeleteI've had the same experience, Cassandra. It slows one's inner metabolism enough to recognize you're living in a world with a vastness that transcends the ordinary.
ReplyDeleteWe're lucky in southern Oregon to have a NPR (National Public Radio) station here that plays all types of pre-modern music, including works like these. It's the oldest musical tradition in the Western world we still can accurately reproduce.
Thanks for commenting. :-)
I have always had a fondness for chanting myself Doug. Gregorian chant is something I have to stop to listen to, I wouldn't play it in the car for example. But I have heard similar chants when I stayed for 10 days at Buckfast Abbey on Dartmoor a number of years ago. I attended vespers and so on, partly out of respect for my hosts, but also because there is not much else to do at that time of night in February on Dartmoor. This monastic tradition has always held some fascination for me and I believe I understand why it is attractive to some people, although it would not have ever been to me as a lifestyle choice.One amusing incident while I was there was that I joined the monks in a sort of sitting room furnished in 1920s-30s style with a television in it, the only one so far as I know in the monastery. The monks had one hours relaxation on Sunday afternoons, during which time they watched TV which they just turned on at random and watched whatever was on. Seated in this room one of the brothers flicked the switch on their big colour TV (it was the mid- 1970s) and suddenly the whole room were fixed upon the ample bosom of Wonder-Woman in her stars and stripes outfit as she did her stuff in the title credits. They watched the entire show, it was an existential experience for me and fell into the Cosmic Jape category of experiences.....and afterwards even more amazingly they could still sound like the monks above. Thanks for the video and triggering that memory Doug. Peaceful harmonies indeed. Have a good Sunday.
ReplyDeleteMarianne used to teach preschool and at nap time she played these chants. It seemed to bring a calm to the kids. She has a section on our Ipods labeled Insomnia. There are a couple of chants on the list. They are quite soothing. I enjoyed the few moments of tranquility the chant just brought.
ReplyDeleteNever mind the words....I llike the chanting. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that surreal anecdote, AA. A cosmic jape indeed, and another of life's boundless ironies. It reminds me of a film I saw a few years back about Buddhist monks in Nepal or India trying to get a satellite television hook-up so they could watch a World Cup football match. (It was based on a true story.)
ReplyDeleteAnd your dedication to exploring that lifestyle gives you a deeper appreciation for the music than someone like myself who find it as more of a respite than part of a dedicated spiritual ritual.
Very smart of Marianne, I'd say Fred, to combine a cultural experience and also trying to get kids to either rest or wind down. My own kindergarten naps as I recall involved plastic mats and the teacher's sometimes futile attempt at maintaining silence.
ReplyDeleteMuch of what we know about ancient knowledge, culture, and history came from the clerks (copyists) in the clostiered abbeys of Ireland and elsewhere. All over western Europe, hell was breaking loose courtesy of the Roman Empire having their "Out of Business" sale and the Visigoths, Vandals and Huns and all that taking over and breaking things.
I imagine those monks needed the tranquility of this music even more than most of us do in this life. Thanks for sharing Fred.
Yes, I know the words were important, but I don't need them either, Wren.
ReplyDelete