Music for the spirit and the soul

Yep, I fell in love with Montserrat....and yes I will never forget that experience in such an intimate environment. The whole family was three including their daughter Adrianna.
Sorry all - I checked my archives and realised I made an error in my first posting. This was back in 1999! Savall and Figueras were playing with their other group Hesperion XXI (peviously XX). They were playing mostly music from a disc they just released at the time "DIASPORA SEFARDI" - one vocal and one instrumental disc (This is another fantastic disc to own). If anyone of you have this disc, there is a photo of them, a small grouping of 9 or 10 musicians altogether - it was exactly like this on a small raised stage.
You guys have got me all going now and I've just gone back and listened to some more of Savall and Figueras' stuff this weekend till 3am ! Just finished listening to "LES VOIX HUMAINES" with just Savall playing the Viole de Gambe - Lyra and Bass, yet sound like human voices singing...

Chipman - Les Voix Humaines is one of my most frequently played CD's of the past few months. Definitely a must...Magic! I agree also on Diaspora Sefardi as well. The collection of Marais and Sainte Columbe titled "Pieces de Viole" is also quite outstanding.

Marco

Hope these help your quest, they sooth my soul regularly:
Arvo Part: Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten-the 1st time I heard it was in the car, pulled over and waited until it finished. Most of his music can do that as you have discovered.
Alan Hovhaness: Mysterious Mountain, Op.132. My favorite is w/Reiner & Chicago on RCA. There are others that can do it too, but this is #1 in my book.
John Tavener: The Protecting Veil for Cello & Orchestra. A marvelous CD w/Raphael Wallfisch & Royal Philharmonic. Has 2 other pieces that do well also.

This thread is getting interesting and I thought I was the only one listening to this stuff !
Jax2, I'll be interested to know how you got into the Sibil as this is not really mainstream.
My route was quite bizzare. I have been a fan of record label 4AD with 2 of my favourite vocalists, Elisabeth Fraser of Cocteau Twins and Lisa Gerard of Dead Can Dance and more recently known for her collaboration in the film Gladiator. DCD released an album in 1990 called AION a very moving atmosperic album with Gerard's vocals. One track stood out - The Song of the Sibyl. This interpretation, 16th Century Catalan is quite different to those of Figueras but it was enough to get me looking for more...
Anyway, AION by Dead can Dance definitly fits this category.
Back to Elisabeth Fraser, she made one of the most beautiful songs I know 'The Song to the Siren'. With minimal music (strings), her voice has so much passion I could weep...If you can find it on 12" vinyl, this is the one to get, if not then its still worth getting the album by "This Mortal Coil - It'll End In Tears". This Mortal Coil is a project on 4AD where all the artist on the label mix particpate to make music.

Janet Baker sings Mahler on EMI label. One of these Mahler songs by Baker can be heard in the final vignette of "Coffee and Cigarettes," a Jarmusch film of a coupla years ago...