Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I enjoy the music on Sunday Mornings on the Satellite radio. Be it Millennium of Music or Baroque and beyond, there is a certain ethereal beauty with much of the religious music of the middle ages and baroque era JS BAch especially. I always enjoyed Gregorian chants. This was not something which I was ever exposed to growing up. I lived in a town of Philistines where it is doubtful few had ever ventured their minds and interests outside of their immediate thoughts. But when O got to college, started learning about art, music, and aesthetics, I found early on that the chants of a Gregorian choir can elevate the mind the something more transcendental. Perhaps that is a part of why I enjoy the Episcopal high church tradition, with the music of the choir reaching ethereal proportions
It is something which I find purely beautiful.
There is an interesting article HERE about music and the transcendental.
Neuroscientists have described how the auditory response with the right sounds, can decrease stress and anxiety. I believe that the key here is that the "right sound" is more subjective than objective. I find medieval ,Renaissance, baroque, classical religious music to be aesthetically pleasing and moving, especially later Gregorian chants I have never found the same response though, with traditional hymns, gospel or contemporary religious music, of which I am generally not fond. I think that this is why I find a Latin mass or a high church Eucharist to offer an aesthetic experience, as the music incorporated therein reaches more of a mystical level of beauty which I find absent from the others.
Perhaps too, coupling the monastic chants with the sound reverberating off the high arches of a gothic cathedral, which allows for an acoustic experience that was meant to, and often reaches, a vision of heaven, as imagined by the listener.
Nice post LKC.
(Funny I didn't catch your title properly on first reading and thought you were going to be writing about atheistic music in religion.)
I always enjoy reading about things that bring people joy in life. Can't say I have quite the same appreciation of Gregorian chanting that you do, but i do appreciate how beautiful it can be. It is certainly calming to the soul (if my heathen soul has one )
I guess in a similar sort of way I have come to love and appreciate medieval Christian art. I can completely understand how it drew people in for centuries. There's something magical and ethereal and other worldly about it.
Nice post LKC.
(Funny I didn't catch your title properly on first reading and thought you were going to be writing about atheistic music in religion.)
I always enjoy reading about things that bring people joy in life. Can't say I have quite the same appreciation of Gregorian chanting that you do, but i do appreciate how beautiful it can be. It is certainly calming to the soul (if my heathen soul has one )
I appreciate Gregorian chanting, it is the Bach reference I have a problem with.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cruithne
I guess in a similar sort of way I have come to love and appreciate medieval Christian art. I can completely understand how it drew people in for centuries. There's something magical and ethereal and other worldly about it.
Medieval? I enjoy the whole thing, and it is interesting to see how changed over the centuries.
I love Gregorian Chants. This is one of my favorites, I'm referring to the first chant, starts at 0:00. I listen to it for a long time, over and over. Higher vibrations for sure. Stirring the soul. Sometimes I start crying while listening to it, tears of joy. I love Bach too, in my opinion his music comes from the astral world.
Instrumental music never moved me spiritually, although I enjoy listening to it. It is always the human voice and the meaning in the words that bring me to tears, and the emotion that rises is inexpressible. It must be cultural, but religious music for me is always Indian classical and Sufi in Urdu. The human voice and meaning seem essential.
The Gregorian chants, while does not move me the same way, also has a quality of synchronicity and resonance, and quite wonderful even if I dont understand the meaning.
Instrumental music never moved me spiritually, although I enjoy listening to it. It is always the human voice and the meaning in the words that bring me to tears, and the emotion that rises is inexpressible. It must be cultural, but religious music for me is always Indian classical and Sufi in Urdu. The human voice and meaning seem essential.
The Gregorian chants, while does not move me the same way, also has a quality of synchronicity and resonance, and quite wonderful even if I dont understand the meaning.
I think that it has to be in some part cultural and subjective. Neuroscientists are able to trace and explain the biochemical reaction to certain sounds and music, while psychologist can explain the emotional response. There are some fascinating studies and papers in both realms. But ultimately, it comes down to what each of us , in our own experience and auditory neural response find stimulating
I can also suggest based on studies in neuroscience and psychology that the idea of medieval art and music, to push the limits of what was the "Divine" led to the next artist and musician trying to push an ethereal experience and perhaps this is why we eventually see a timeline evolving to more and more aesthetic responses in the works.
Quote:
Originally Posted by farm108
Very nice thread.
I love Gregorian Chants. This is one of my favorites, I'm referring to the first chant, starts at 0:00. I listen to it for a long time, over and over. Higher vibrations for sure. Stirring the soul. Sometimes I start crying while listening to it, tears of joy. I love Bach too, in my opinion his music comes from the astral world.
In my opinion, until someone replaces Bach, then his music remains the pinnacle of what can be seen as the pinnacle of aesthetic and neurologically stimulating music.
The organist at the Episcopal church likes to play Bach either before or after the service and has written some interesting articles on the how and why of Bach in a religious setting. It is, as I mentioned earlier, in part due to the ethereal setting, the high ceiling, stained glass which stimulate the eyes while the music stimulates the ears.
I would point out too that gregorian chants date back to the 9th century while Bach was not writing until the Baroque era of the early 18th century, so around 900 years of musical and cultural evolution can be seen, with Bach also having the advantage of a family tradition So far, Bach remains my overall fave but I have so many faves
I also wonder how many times people like John Keats,would later listen to a Bach organ concert or chamber orchestra and then wander home and write..(Although I have read of no such event) I do however, enjoy the works of Bach and keep a marker of his works on the computer for when I need ideas or background music as well as gregorian chants whenever I need
I think that it has to be in some part cultural and subjective. Neuroscientists are able to trace and explain the biochemical reaction to certain sounds and music, while psychologist can explain the emotional response. There are some fascinating studies and papers in both realms. But ultimately, it comes down to what each of us , in our own experience and auditory neural response find stimulating
I can also suggest based on studies in neuroscience and psychology that the idea of medieval art and music, to push the limits of what was the "Divine" led to the next artist and musician trying to push an ethereal experience and perhaps this is why we eventually see a timeline evolving to more and more aesthetic responses in the works.
In my opinion, until someone replaces Bach, then his music remains the pinnacle of what can be seen as the pinnacle of aesthetic and neurologically stimulating music.
The organist at the Episcopal church likes to play Bach either before or after the service and has written some interesting articles on the how and why of Bach in a religious setting. It is, as I mentioned earlier, in part due to the ethereal setting, the high ceiling, stained glass which stimulate the eyes while the music stimulates the ears.
I would point out too that gregorian chants date back to the 9th century while Bach was not writing until the Baroque era of the early 18th century, so around 900 years of musical and cultural evolution can be seen, with Bach also having the advantage of a family tradition So far, Bach remains my overall fave but I have so many faves
I also wonder how many times people like John Keats,would later listen to a Bach organ concert or chamber orchestra and then wander home and write..(Although I have read of no such event) I do however, enjoy the works of Bach and keep a marker of his works on the computer for when I need ideas or background music as well as gregorian chants whenever I need
At one point in his life, JS Bach was a church organist. As such, he was expected to produce a new prelude, a new postlude, and a new cantata every week. He wrote a LOT of music.
His music was considered such a [near] perfect example of harmonic construction that it is used to teach music theory to college students. That's why much of classical music is traceable to him.
This song facilitated one of my experiences. There was more going on like the awe of nature I was experiencing when it did. I decided to play along and sing while acting it out.
At one point in his life, JS Bach was a church organist. As such, he was expected to produce a new prelude, a new postlude, and a new cantata every week. He wrote a LOT of music.
His music was considered such a [near] perfect example of harmonic construction that it is used to teach music theory to college students. That's why much of classical music is traceable to him.
Modern classical music seeks to break free of these ties. It sounds harsh, atonal and chaotic as a result. It has chosen to use mathematical progressions and patterns (see, for example, "serialism"). My stepson is very much into this. Try as I might, I can't really enjoy it.
Not a fan of Gregorian chant, though I am letting it grow on me, since our church choir is the best on the entire, total planet earth. (Episcopal.) As a former Catholic, it was forced down my throat.
Our choir sings from Bach, from Mozart and other amazing names from back when. I sit and enjoy and pray with joy. When the choir sopranos hit the descant, my heart melts and I often stop singing because I can't weep and sing at the same time.
A favorite secular tune, with a descant to die for:
From "Much Ado About Nothing." Wm. Shakespeare. https://youtu.be/8Sm6uoJTS3I
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
)
)
