@Frelga: entsprungen literally means "has sprung up" or better "arisen". The whole title of the Carol literally translates as "a rose has sprung up" (I realize, of course that your comment was meant as a joke ^^. Curiously, I think the Ents would have liked or at least been puzzled by one aspect of modern German: compound words. See this English Wikipedia entry for more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donaudamp ... sellschaft)

It's ironic that an atheist is the most regular contributor to this thread

Listen to this - it's gorgeous:

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Some of the greatest music ever written grew out of religious faith.

I remember years ago reading a dismissive New Yorker review of an oratorio that began by saying something like how odd it was that such music was still being performed now that we have all become too sophisticated for those old stories to have any meaning.

If he couldn’t hear the music through his thick coating of sophistication, it was his loss. I knew plenty of atheist musicians back in the day who could hear it just fine.

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“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

Do you remember what the oratorio was?

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I don’t, alas. I remember I’d heard of it, but wasn’t familiar with it.

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“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

It is gorgeous, Jude.

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Before there was Queen, there was... The Deller Consort!

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Perhaps, I confess in a way I miss the music. Yes, I can still listen to it, yes it still stirs all those emotions it did before, but sometimes I feel a little... not guilty exactly... hypocritical? Not sure exactly what the word is, but it's like I shouldn't still enjoy it but I do. I even sing it in the car sometimes just cause as you said, it really is just beautiful music sometimes!

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Window seat for one,
Passage out of town
The old fashioned way:
Train ticket, out bound.
Midnight departure,
Red-eye double-track.
Star filled horizons,
Beacons in the black.
Last call for boarding,
Destination: nowhere.
Two carry-on bags
Ought to get me there.
Don’t know how far
‘Til my journey’s done;
Train ticket, out bound,
Window seat for one.

You're not taking a philosophical position because you enjoy the music, elengil. It would be a sad thing if you couldn't get pleasure from a large body of beautiful music simply because your beliefs have evolved since you first started listening to it. Music belongs to everyone and should be enjoyed freely, that's what I say. I've been powerfully moved by music I happened to hear whose context and language I knew nothing about. It's a deeper connection than the mind, and therefore a good thing—something that has the potential to bind people together without reference to religion or politics or cultural beliefs.

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“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

On a rational level I totally agree. And it's funny because I can listen to religious music from other faiths and simply appreciate the beauty of the music. It just seems odd when I listen to Christian music. Still, I won't stop listening to the music I enjoy.

_________________
Window seat for one,
Passage out of town
The old fashioned way:
Train ticket, out bound.
Midnight departure,
Red-eye double-track.
Star filled horizons,
Beacons in the black.
Last call for boarding,
Destination: nowhere.
Two carry-on bags
Ought to get me there.
Don’t know how far
‘Til my journey’s done;
Train ticket, out bound,
Window seat for one.

It's too late at night right now, but I'm going to come back to this thread tomorrow and listen to all these, now that my ears work.

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“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

Love those, Elengil!

This is maybe my most-loved Christmas carol:



English medieval music - I was brought up on this stuff

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Ah, a fellow medieval lover! Do you know of Medieval Babes? Many of their songs are from medieval origins

_________________
Window seat for one,
Passage out of town
The old fashioned way:
Train ticket, out bound.
Midnight departure,
Red-eye double-track.
Star filled horizons,
Beacons in the black.
Last call for boarding,
Destination: nowhere.
Two carry-on bags
Ought to get me there.
Don’t know how far
‘Til my journey’s done;
Train ticket, out bound,
Window seat for one.

I've heard of them - and based on the samples you posted, I like them!

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Went looking for non-saccharine Christmas music, found this. By "orthodoxy" I'm thinking they mean Greek Orthodox? The image with the music lends that direction but then that doesn't prove anything. Still, lovely harmonizing, very moving music.

_________________
Window seat for one,
Passage out of town
The old fashioned way:
Train ticket, out bound.
Midnight departure,
Red-eye double-track.
Star filled horizons,
Beacons in the black.
Last call for boarding,
Destination: nowhere.
Two carry-on bags
Ought to get me there.
Don’t know how far
‘Til my journey’s done;
Train ticket, out bound,
Window seat for one.

Well, I had hoped to post some non-saccharine Christmas music of my own, but after booking the church and an accompanist, I found that they had locked the piano and neglected to provide me with a key. So we tentatively rebooked for 5 January. Whether or not we record at the same church depends on how they respond to my complaint when I get in touch with them.

So expect some Christmas music early January...

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Elengil, that's not Greek, so perhaps Serbian or Polish Orthodox? My beloved says it sounds Polish.

Sent from a tiny phone keyboard via Tapatalk - typos inevitable.

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Mornings wouldn't suck so badly if they came later in the day.

Admittedly I thought Greek Orthodox was just the eastern half of the old catholic church split but now as I type this I guess Eastern Orthodox would have been the term I was after. I am not up on my sects. I didnt even know there was a Polish Orthodox!

_________________
Window seat for one,
Passage out of town
The old fashioned way:
Train ticket, out bound.
Midnight departure,
Red-eye double-track.
Star filled horizons,
Beacons in the black.
Last call for boarding,
Destination: nowhere.
Two carry-on bags
Ought to get me there.
Don’t know how far
‘Til my journey’s done;
Train ticket, out bound,
Window seat for one.

Lovely!

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If you're not tired of Christmas music yet, here is something interesting I discovered - The Medieval Baebes' version of "God rest ye merry, Gentlemen". At first I thought the lead singer was out of tune in one note, until I realized they were doing it in the Dorian mode instead of the minor. Check it out!

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