An atheist's favourite religious music

[Ron Obvious]

Don't worry, this is good stuff.

If I were to make a top ten of my favourite religious music, J.S. Bach would occupy 9 out of the 10 spots. This is the other one, the Miserere by Allegri. Legend has it that a young Mozart transcribed it from memory after hearing it once.

This is the classic 1963 recording by the Cambridge King's College Choir. The story goes that the young treble soloist, 12 year old Roy Goodman, showed up late to the recording, causing the choir director much anxiety, and sang this while still wearing his muddy rugby kit under his cassock and surplice.

Happy Easter!

[Cartoonist]

1. I like Ave Maria

Heard it sung in Vietnamese once. As long as I can avoid the English version, I'm OK. Better still, I prefer the instrumental version.

[cbayer]

2. That one is great. There are so many.

I was in the chicago children's choir and then sang with the choir in college. The opportunity to perform some of these pieces is something I cherish.

I like so much, from Faure to Mozart to Poulenc to Britton, and of course Bach…. always Bach.

[juxtaposed]

3. I'll second Ave Maria W Muzyce, and Ave Maria at ted kennedy's funeral

Also Patti Smith singing 'O holy night' at the vatican

[SwissTony]

4. Absolutely beautiful.

Some of my fondest memories were singing in a school choir. Obviously not at this level.

Did young Roy still have his boots on?

[Ron Obvious]

6. I don't know

I'm only recounting what I remember from first hearing this story on BBC's My Music. The whole thing might be apocryphal for all I know.

[Warpy]

5. I'm partial to this one

And this one:

[SwissTony]

8. Both these pieces are gorgeous.

I'm not at all familiar with these works, but both are stunning.

Thank you, Warpy (and to Ron for reminding me about Miserere which I hadn't heard in 30+ years).

[Ron Obvious]

10. Those are both lovely!

What interesting acoustics in the train station!

[longship]

7. The Saint Matthew Passion comes to mind.

I have not listened to it in years, but it is a beautiful piece of music no matter what one believes.

I too am a JS Bach fan. Also many others who were somewhat more... shall I say daring.

As a lifelong atheist I do not eschew sacred music simply because it worships gods. The music stands on its own, regardless. I am a rather big fan of requiem masses. My favorite is Brahms' Ein Deutches Requiem which is, on the whole a secular work, as was Brahms himself non-religious.

But unlike some here, but like Dennett has often opined, there is something important to this cultural thing we call religion. If it can give rise to such wonders as gothic cathedrals and so many wonderful works of art and music, one should not dismiss its cultural impact.

One should learn from it. But appreciate the incredibly rich cultural heritage it has given rise to.

There are even some overtly religious works by arguable non-believers which make one want to believe. Not really, but witness this.

Muti starts out a bit too fast, but Cecilia slows him down when she starts singing. The last two movements are pretty damned wonderful. This written by a guy who likely was a non-believer. One of the most passionate religious works of his time.

As Dennett often has said, there is something to this stuff. We need to understand what that is.

Happy day to you all.

[Ron Obvious]

12. Mozart makes me happy

I listened to this while making Lasagne. That makes me happy, too.

But I agree with you and Dennett, that there's value in religious music, architecture and and art. When I become supreme benevolent dictator of the world, they will still be treasured, though I'm afraid all churches built in the 60's and later will have to go.

[longship]

15. Just leave St. John the Divine in NYC standing.

And re Mozart. Giulini's recording of Le Nozze di Figaro is exquisite. Check it out. Elizabeth Schwarzkopf (Rosina), Anna Moffo (Suzanna), Eberhard Wächter (Count), Giuseppe Taddei (Figaro), and the utterly stupendous Fiorenza Cossotto in the pants role of Cherubino.

As is common in this opera, it is essential that the Cherubino character (a mezzo playing an over-sexed adolescent boy) chew the scenery. Cossotto is great here. Cherubino has two arias, Suzanna has none in this opera.

As said in the movie "Amadeus", the sextet at the end of the second act is a wonderfully amazing and humorous thing. Like that movie script portrays, everybody is singing over everybody else, with confusion reigning. But what fucking glorious music.

Le Nozze is and always will be about how to do ensemble singing to perfection. Although Suzanna has no arias, as a major character she has heavy duty to perform. Mozart, not so concerned about solos lets her character come out within the ensemble. And those are incredible. There is the notable duet (featured in the Shawshank Redemption).

It's a comedy. But it is based on a play by the French playwright, Pierre Beaumarchais, who was poking fun at the French King, whose wife was the Austrian emperor's sister. Her name was Marie Antoinette. Oopsie!

How this opera survived such a political scandal at the time is amazing. That it was performed at all in Emperor Joseph's court is likewise amazing. But it remains one of my favorites, one I can listen to over and over again. Many claim Don Giovanni as Mozart's greatest opera, and I would agree. But that does not explain why I keep going back to Le Nozze di Figaro. It's just fucking delightful music.

Hope some enjoy this.

[2naSalit]

9. This non-religious individual

Last edited Sun Apr 5, 2015, 09:53 PM - Edit history (1)

Performed a number of these and many others - too many to list - for years as a vocalist... I started out as the only child in an all adult choir by the age of nine and onlyt stopped because I had to travel for my actual day-job. When I went to college, I started back up in the first week of school and stayed with it until a year after graduating.

There's something sacred about all the participants breathing and phonating together to bring forth such beautiful sounds... that would be the religious part of it for me.

Thanks to everyone for posting these, I'll certainly be listening later when there's nothing left to do today. And because the only NPR station I've listened to for decades for classical music (and used to for news) has shut down the repeater that served my area so there's nothing but one local moldy-oldy station available now and I can't deal with that.

My ISP isn't real fast so listening to streaming isn't the best option, these shorts will do though. Thanks!

[Ron Obvious]

13. Maybe satellite radio would be an option for you?

I just listened to my own collection for years while our local classical station went commercial. When that station went listener-supported, I really discovered a lot of new (to me) music I missed out on during those years. I really enjoy programs like Harmonia from Indiana university, which plays a lot mediaeval and renaissance music that I've not heard before and that I just love.

[2naSalit]

16. It's an option...

but in this area it isn't that great a service, lots of outages occur - remote mountainous area - and an added expense on top of the $50/month I pay just for Internet access that I have to share due to the cost. I am not always employed so I need to keep my living costs down... between the necessity of phone and Internet, I am spending about 1/8 of my living costs on communications for looking for work and while working as well as safety due to my remote location. I was using my radio because it was free and I have had the radio for decades. I grew up with radio and I don't watch enough TeeVee to make it worth the expense of having one along with the hook-up to satellite service.

I will just have to live with my collection on cassette until I find a free access point. At least I can access Youtoob vids when I really gotta hear/see something.

[BlueJazz]

11. I remember going to Choir practice after school. (Catholic) I liked it a lot and met nice friends.

[pinto]

14. Oh Happy Day and Joyful Joyful (from the movie, Sister Act)

[AtheistCrusader]

17. This one is sort of religious, and I enjoy it.

In fact, I think I like both of them, despite religious overtones, because I can glean unrelated meaning from them, and they are good simple guitar rhythms, and good vocals.

And

[Act_of_Reparation]

18. Bach wins, hands down.