Tuesday, May 03, 2005
"1000: A Mass For the End of Time"
This recording, by Anonymous 4 -- medieval chant and polyphony for Ascension -- is just gorgeous. (And the content isn't nearly as grim as the cover art, liner notes and reviews suggest...apart from some penultimate rivers of fire and sulfur in the processional hymn, to me the chants speak to ultimate hope and triumph.) As I type I am listening to Quem creditis super astra/Viri galilei. Maybe it will inspire me as I ponder this coming Sunday's Gospel lesson.
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2 comments:
Yes, very beautiful. Didn't Messaien write a mass with this name? Is this related? Who is Anonymous 4? (To me, they really are anonymous, obviously!)
Thanks for posting this. I always love a little chant sampler....
Well, according to the liner notes the elements of this mass are taken from different medieval sources, and the 4 have added a little polyphonic embellishment.
And...I guess the Anonymous 4 aren't so anonymous, because their photos and names are here as well.;-) Based in NYC...Marsha Genensky, Johanna Maria Rose, Susan Hellauer and Jacqueline Horner. So there ya go. They even have a trademarked logo.
My introduction to them was their album "An English Ladymass"...this was just before my religious AWOL period, so the cassette (yeah, that long ago) gathered dust in my collection while I was off listening to throat-singing Saami wizard-women and moody folk music.;-)
They're great...literally send chills up my spine at times.
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