Genre: Sacred or Early World Music, what's your go to?


I had forgotten how much I love to listen to plainchant, often Gregorain.  I also have loved some Tibetan throat singers and American gospels.

When it isn't Christmas, what is your favorite type?

Should we talk about early world music instead?

erik_squires

Tuvan throat singing is amazing - sounds to me so much like an Aboriginal digeridoo.... 

Funny, because I'm not religious, but I much prefer the sacred. The sacred feels universal and timeless, much early world music feels alien to me, primitive and tribal.

But then, certain early world music can feel spiritual, can't exactly put my finger on what does and doesn't feel spiritual. I just have to feel some connection to it. I'm sure knowledge or lack of knowledge of music origins has much to do with this.

I like Benjamin Britten's "A Ceremony of Carols," "Rejoice in the Lamb," and "Missa Brevis." I have the three on a truly wonderful old Argo LP. Maybe it's even somewhere on the net. Definitely worth searching out.

A lot of Baroque can also be considered "sacred", being as church-based as it is (J.S. Bach's day job was as a church organist, and a lot of his compositions were written to be performed on Sundays). Baroque is my "go-to" Classical music.

The composer Ludovico Einaudii feels spiritual, but isn't.  Phillip Glass could be put into the same room I think.

Einaudii is great. Perhaps he falls under the heading of minimalism and my favorite in that grouping is Arvo Part e.g. Alina is very bare and soothing.

There is also a CD called Ancient and Modern by Anne Dudley with the best track here:

 

another good one from the album