Talk about hard to answer! Sacred music is surely some of the most beautiful ever written - I think it is an amazing thing to listen to a piece of music inspired by a person's faith. Even as an atheist, I love sacred music more than most other musical types! But picking a fave piece is a toughy...
From a performance perspective, I do find "Let the Bright Seraphim" by Handel most enjoyable to sing, and for its sheer beauty, "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth". It's hard to beat Messiah Love it to death. Also from Messiah, the amazing "Why Do the Nations", especially sung by James Milligan on the recording by Sargent with the RLP. Magical!
For pure listening pleasure, the majesty and power of Tallis' "Spem in Alium" is something to behold. Off topic, wouldn't it be awesome to assemble a "Dream Choir" of the 40 best Renaissance voices currently performing, to do a special performance of this work?
...wouldn't it be awesome to assemble a "Dream Choir" of the 40 best Renaissance voices currently performing, to do a special performance of this work?
Marvelous! I love all of those. As a Catholic, it's interesting because many of these songs are liturgical works that I hear on a regular - or semi-regular - basis.
Just a few other sacred works that come to mind as personal favourites, just some odds & ends:
Kedrov's deeply moving setting of the Our Father
The Pie Jesu from Faure's Requiem (the whole thing is wonderful, but the Pie Jesu especially)
Ubi Caritas by Durufle (which is really an interesting harmonisation of an old plainchant)
The Call from Vaughan Williams' Five Mystical Songs (which I sang back in my music school days)
Stravinsky's Mass
Arvo Part's Berliner messe (especially the Sanctus & Agnus Dei)
The very end of Bernstein's Mass and the "Simple Song" also (this isn't really a mass, but sort of a musical about a mass-- I remember the shock when I first heard the Kyrie with marching band and kazoos! I originally thought it was supposed to be an actual mass & I thought it was awful! LOL It is a somewhat dated work now, but I still rather like it, perhaps more for sentimental reasons now)
no you needent - brahms was of an athiest and the rrequiem is largely a secular piece which makes it specially sacred to everybody - makes me warm and happy with the world every time
Very difficult to narrow down;
Here are some favorite suggestions,
Allegri, Miserere
Palestrina, Missa Benedicta es
Biber, Missa christi resurgentis
Faure', Requiem
Bach, Magnificat
Bach, Mass in B-Minor (the other masses are good too)
Vivaldi, Gloria
Vivaldi, Nulla in mundo pax sincera
Rachmaninoff, Sacred Vespers
Erik, have just joined and simply had to tip my virtual hat to you - I love all of those you've listed. The Biber especially and Vivaldi's sacred music moves me almost more than any other. His Dixit Dominus (RV594) is one of my all time favourites. The 'Sicut Erat in Principio' is just so beautiful. Here's a link to it on youtube (now no snobbishness please - youtube can be a good way of exploring music I've found to check you are going to like something before you buy it!) And this recording of this movement is actually really very good. Have a listen
The B minor is truly great... but my favorite mass/requiem would have to be either Fauré's Requiem or Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. They're polar opposites in terms of style but both are very moving.
Britten's War Requiem easily tops my list. Its mixture of the Requiem and Wilfred Owen's poems makes it a very challenging work. It's just a pity that its message is ignored by most of us.
Der Gott Abrahams; Heinrich Schutz
followed closely by
Praetorius Mass for Christmas Morning
followed closely by
Bach B Minor Mass
followed closely by
Dona Nobis Pacem; R Vaughan-Williams
*list subject to change*
This is an incredibly hard question to answer! I would have to say these few are probably top of my list:
Britten - A ceremony of carols
Britten - Rejoice in the lamb
Tallis - Spem in alium
Byrd - Mass in four voices, in particular the Sanctus. (though three and five are also wonderful!)
O Magnum Mysterium - Laudison
God is with us -Tavener
Britten -Hymn to the virgin
Allegri -Miserere
Bethelem Down - Warlock is a really nice simple song with some really nice harmonies
Lux Aeterna -Ligeti is an amazing piece.
There would definately be some Howells and Vaughan Williams in there somewhere..
Nearly everything Poulenc ever wrote..
Arvo Part summa for choir
Ubi Caritas is a great piece.. used to sing it with my choir. Funny the things you forget!
Does anyone know Bairstow's arrangement of the Lamentations of Jeramiah?? It's a really beautiful piece, quite easy-going as well. I woul recommend it.
There are many more I will remember and add in time I am sure!
I don't think you can break it down to a single work, because sacred music varys so much over the ages, just like all other music.
That being said, the ones that come off the top of my head are the Pope Marcellus Mass and the Verdi Requiem. Mozart's Mass in C Minor and Requiem both come to mind as well.
I don't know if I can include Symphony of Psalms...but I will because it is technically sacred.
I guess I don't much care for oratorios and cantatas.
Mass in G Minor by Vaughan Williams is probably my favorite. I also enjoy Handel's Messiah, but in toto only once a year or so. Rachmaninov's Vespers is another occasional favorite as well as A Feather on the Breath of God by Abbess Hildegard von Bingen.
I've never been enthralled, captivated, or in any way entranced by the lengthy masses and requiems of Verdi, Bach, Bruckner, Brahms, Mozart, and Beethoven.
My most would have to be How Great Thou Art. I don't remember the composer
right now. I consider this the anthem of all gospel music that honors God.
judy tooley
If Ye Love Me by Thomas Tallis would have to be my fave.
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