# "Sacred" Music -- Your Favorites? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 7, 2005, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814 "2005-02-07T15:37:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/41 "2005-02-08T11:41:42Z")
I do like most of the pieces mentioned here (especially Pachabel’s D Canon), but I hope it isn’t too lowbrow to admit that I love _Amazing Grace_. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/42 "2005-02-08T12:08:07Z")
**Siege** , I totally forgot about _Ashes_! That’s easily near the top of my pile…gorgeous song to play on guitar, too. ---
**Author:** ![counsel\_wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/65b543/32.png) [@counsel\_wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/counsel_wolf)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/43 "2005-02-08T12:21:11Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > What items of “religious music” do you enjoy the most, what ones do you consider your favorites, and perhaps you might discuss _why_ they speak to you? Yet another atheist with a thing for religious music (definately the best thing to come out of christianity). I’m always interested in picking up more and have got some ideas from other contributers, thanks folks. I’ll mention two pieces here that work for me in different ways. Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor This just about epitomises the grandeur of the ‘high church’ mode of worship. It is in the most literal sense of the word an awesome piece of music. In listening to it I am reminded of how I feel awe at the universe in general and how similar this must be to how religious people feel about their god or gods. Duruflé’s Requiem Chosen as a deliberate contrast to the above (the god of Mozart seems to me to be above most human concerns) it seems to me this speaks about a more personal relationship with god and (more importantly for me) about the acceptance of death as an inevitability not to be feared. Contrasting this requiem, and the Faure mentioned above with the more well known requiems of Verdi and Mozart is quite interesting, the messages about the nature of god appear to be almost completely contradictory. ---
**Author:** ![Landshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/77aa72/32.png) [@Landshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Landshark)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/44 "2005-02-08T12:45:35Z")
John Rutter has been mentioned. For specific anthems by contemporary writers, his “For the Beauty of the Earth” is wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/45 "2005-02-08T12:46:27Z")
One of the advantages of beeing a Lutheran is listening to all that wonderful JS Bach music on a pipe organ. I know, other denominations play Bach, too, but it’s a Lutheran tradition. I also like a lot of Mozart’s stuff, but being another musical philistine, I don’t usually know what’s sacred vs. profane with him 😉 As far as individual hymns, favorites include _A Mighty Fortress_, and _Joyful Joyful We Adore You_. I’m sort of ambivalent about _Amazing Grace_; it can be wonderfully performed on bagpipes, but it’s so easily screwed up on bagpipes, too. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/46 "2005-02-08T12:50:17Z")
> [@LifeOnWry](#): > > I love Schubert’s _Ave Maria_, and Pachelbel’s _Canon in D_. - and I’m a sucker for Christmas carols, too, particularly _Adeste Fideles_, _O Holy Night_ and _Silent Night_. Here’s a weird one: O fell in love with _O Holy Night_ watching _Home Alone_. Remeber the scene where Kevin goes into the church, and sees the Evil Neighbor watching his granddaughter’s choir practice? That choir they used kicked ass singing that hymn, and it’s been a favorite ever since. ---
**Author:** ![jinty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jinty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jinty)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/47 "2005-02-08T13:07:32Z")
Another vote for Allegri’s Miserere. Fascinating story behind this piece: it was written for use in religious services, and one particular pope was so impressed that “the work thereafter was protected and a prohibition was placed on its use outside the Sistine Chapel at the appointed time”. And so it stayed for 200 years until a young lad called Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: “As with any tourist, [Mozart and Emporor Leopold] visited St. Peter’s to celebrate the Wednesday Tenebrae and to hear the famous Miserere sung at the Sistine Chapel. Upon arriving at their lodging that evening, Mozart sat down and wrote out from memory the entire piece. On Good Friday, he returned, with his manuscript rolled up in his hat, to hear the piece again and make a few minor corrections.” I love this [story](http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/allegri/miserere.html). ---
**Author:** ![jinty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jinty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jinty)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/48 "2005-02-08T13:08:47Z")
until a young lad called Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart **arrived on the scene** : :smack: ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/49 "2005-02-08T13:21:08Z")
Many of these are going to be fairly obscure chants… Machaut, _Messe de Notre Dame_ Ockeghem, _Requiem_ Palestrina, _Magnificat_, in the first tone “Alleluia: Pascha Nostrum”, sung to the Old Roman chant melody; Ensemble Organum’s recording of this may be my favorite piece of music ever “The Noble Joseph”, sung to the Bulgarian chant melody Mozart, _Requiem_ “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name” The Russian Lenten melody for the Litanies The podoben “Hearken, ye women” ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/50 "2005-02-08T13:31:44Z")
I’m not sure how well the “religious” theme stands up for this one, but it sounds “sacred” to me. The translation of the lyrics sound somewhat religious in nature, as well, so I’ll list it here. **Dead Can Dance** “Song of the Sybil”, particularly the live version on [Toward the Within](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000002MV0/qid=1107870209/sr=8-3/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i3_xgl15/002-5350614-0550410?v=glance&s=music&n=507846). It’s a traditional 16th century Catalan piece that is beautifully performed. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/51 "2005-02-08T13:36:42Z")
I have a terrible knowledge of the music I like so I can’t be as detailed as the other answers in this thread, but I basically like most classical pieces and a couple of more modern tracks that I like have religious undertones. I like a group called Enigma, and my utter lack of complete knowledge mentioned above means I am not sure if it should be considered religious, or just _religious sounding_ or parodying. I also heard a song on the OC (tv drama) that was a religious song. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/52 "2005-02-08T15:40:16Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > I’ve got a couple of performances of this work next month, together with the _Choral Fantasy_. I sang the Beethoven _Mass in C_ over ten years ago, and I can still recall every note of the bass/baritone line – which is pretty unusual for me, as I don’t have a good memory for fugal sections. Best of luck on your upcoming performance! ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/53 "2005-02-08T16:02:01Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > I do like most of the pieces mentioned here (especially Pachabel’s D Canon), but I hope it isn’t too lowbrow to admit that I love _Amazing Grace_. I don’t understand why _Amazing Grace_ would be considered “lowbrow.” It’s a lovely song, and one I should have included in my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/54 "2005-02-08T16:13:09Z")
Well, it’s not high-brow, long-hair music (:)) but I’ve always loved Ferlin Husky’s [On the Wings of a Dove](http://www.a-kjw.co.uk/FerlinHuskyOnTheWingsOfADove.htm). Great old timey country gospel. And, when I worked at a music store, I got a promo of the Andy Griffith album, [I Love to Tell the Story: 25 Timeless Hymns](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000005KXI/ref=pd_bxgy_text_1/104-0505990-8425544?v=glance&s=music&n=507846&st=*) and I actual find myself listening to it quite a lot. I’m not religious in the slightest and don’t consider myself a Christian but I do enjoy the old hymns… ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/55 "2005-02-08T17:08:07Z")
Hildegarde von Bingen’s works are lovely to put on in the background while you’re reading or praying. My favourite Hymn is “Be Thou My Vision”, sung to the tune Slane. I love the words, and the tune is quintessentially Irish, and stirring. The Lyrics are here: [http://junior.apk.net/~bmames/ht0112\_.htm](http://junior.apk.net/~bmames/ht0112_.htm) I like the big, belting hymns that have great chorus and sound best sung by a choir. “Guide Me Oh Thou Great Jehovah”, “Oh For A Thousand Tongues To Sing”, “As I Survey The Wondrous Cross” and “How Great Thou Art”. If Spirituals count, you’ve got to rate Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman” way up there. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/56 "2005-02-08T17:23:48Z")
Leos Janacek’s 1926 [Glagolitic Mass](http://www.nehrlich.com/chorus/janacek_cctimes_review.html), an enormous hurlyburly of dramatic choruses, surging orchestration, and howling organ solos. Kenneth Anger used it as the soundtrack of his 1954 underground film [Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome](http://imdb.com/title/tt0047114/), which I first saw in 1982, under decidedly secular circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/57 "2005-02-08T18:27:22Z")
> [@Can Handle the Truth](#): > > When I hear a great hymn, 99% of the time it turns out to be by Isaac Watts. Forgot to include a link to [The Cyber Hymnal](http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/w/h/e/whenican.htm) ---
**Author:** ![WeRSauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f19dbf/32.png) [@WeRSauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WeRSauron)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/58 "2005-02-09T03:21:31Z")
“Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” The best rendition that I have been able to find thus far has been by Beyonce. “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” is one of my favorites. The best recording I have found thus far is by the Promise Keepers. WRS ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/59 "2005-02-09T11:47:49Z")
I’m singing the Allegri _Miserere_ in about seven hours from now… I sure hope our principal treble is up to it, it’s a long way upstairs to them high Cs. All I have to worry about is a nice deep bass line with plenty of low Fs 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814/60 "2005-02-09T16:18:12Z")
_O Come O Come Emmanuel_ – especially the earlier versions and harmonizations (like medieval / Renaissance era). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sacred-music-your-favorites/288814.md?page=4)