KillingClassicalMusic

Posts tagged Choral Music

The results are in!  As always, thanks much to all of you who participated in this week’s “Drop the Needle” competition.  This week is unprecendented.  No one got everything correct!  Looks like I finally found a week spot, as you all have been quite impressive in your ability to identify works from short clips.  In any case, it looks like I’ll have to do more choral works.  This week’s piece was Sir John Tavener’s Hymn to the Mother of God.

Here’s the whole thing for you to enjoy:

Since you all had so much trouble with this one, let me point you to recordings of Tavener’s music that you can pick up at .

Thanks again to everyone who participated and gave it your best shot.  If you have ideas for pieces you think would be particularly difficult for people to guess, please let me know.

Researchers have found that singing together has many benefits beyond the joy of music making.  This should come as no surprise to anyone who has sung in a choir.  Still though, it’s worth reflecting on the benefits of corporate music making, and singing in particular.

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As I’m sure all are keenly aware, today is the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy.  To mark that occasion, I would like simply to share this video of John Adams’ On The Transmigration of Souls, written to commemorate the victims of that day.  The fact that this piece for composed for chorus is an important fact for me.  Augustine said rightly that to sing is to pray twice.  In singing, the power of breath is merged with the mystery of music.  Through singing the words and names in this piece, those whose breath was taken away are merged into greater mystery by music.

I believe that all music is sacred music, that it’s not a text that imbues mere sound in time with a sense of the sacred.  At a time of reflection such as today is, I think we see more than usual how true that is, and we experience the sacred mystery and wonder that hides within our music.

Peace to all,

Grant Charles Chaput