I was wondering what music, if any, do you all listen to while praying, meditating?

Every night, as I sit here making my rosary bracelets, I listen to Andrea Bocelli's Sogno. There is something very spiritual and moving in his music. I also like Celtic melodies but don't have much of that. (Any suggestions?) Requieum from the Jesus soundtrack is another good one. And Ave Maria by Celine Dion. Oh~and the Chant CD's.

So, since music has been discussed around the forum before, I thought I'd start a thread. What music is good to pray or meditate by for you?

-- Jackiea (sorry@dontlikespam.com), May 12, 2002

Answers

To the top, please.

-- Jackiea (..@......), May 12, 2002.

Jackiea,

I listen to "Feather on the Breath of God" by Erin Jacobsen. I ordered it on the net - Serenitymusic.com

It is so beautiful - so peaceful blending the gentle sounds of piano, flute, and guitar. Distant choirs, chimes, and a heavenly breath of wind all contribute to an album that will stir every emotion. (Description on CD) :)

My dog died in January and I just started listening to it again because she loved the music. Whenever I put the CD on and began to pray silently, she would come into the room as soon as she heard it and lay at my feet. I cried the first time I played it again.

It just removes all the stress and I truly feel God's presence as I listen to it while I am praying. Even my kids love the music. I light a candle when I am praying too.

By the way, Jackiea, I would like to tell you that you are one of the nicest people on this forum - Happy Mother's Day! MaryLu

-- MaryLu (mlc326@juno.com), May 12, 2002.

Hi Ladies:

I love John Michael Talbot. His music is very soothing and relaxing and also he bases most of his lyrics on scripture so it is extra powerful. He recently finished a series based on the Wisdom books in the Bible. I plan to get that next.

As for Celtic -- I love it. A GREAT worship CD is Robin Mark's "Revival in Belfast" He's an irishman and the irish bagpipes and violins combined with STRONG lyrics provide the most powerful worship CD I have ever heard -- transporting! Actually, he leads worship amongst Protestants and Catholics together, and apparently God has really brought healing through his tremendous gift.

Love,

Gail

-- Gail (rothfarms@socket.net), May 12, 2002.

Awwww MaryLu. Thank you. You just made my day. :) I happen to think you are quite nice yourself. And I wanted to wish all of the mother's here on the forum a very Happy Mother's Day. I hope you all got a much needed break. :D

And thank you, ladies, for the suggestions. They sound splendid!

God Bless~

-- Jackiea (sorry@dontlikespam.com), May 12, 2002.

I love Michael Talbot too. In fact, I have to look for my tapes. I haven't listend to him in a while.

In fact, I think I will do that tonight. I am very sad right now. I have been told by Fred that I am a heretic who is ruled by Satan and could be automatically excommunicated from the church - just because I have a mind that questions things sometimes and am interested in learning about other religions - not to join another church, just enjoy learning.

I have never been told by anyone that I was ruled by Satan - never. I am quite sickened by such a harsh judgement.

Thank you, Jackiea for your kind words. MaryLu

-- Mary Lu (mlc326@juno.com), May 12, 2002.

MaryLu~No one knows what is truly in your heart, mind and soul but God. Learning about other religions does not make you a heretic or aligned with Satan, dear. And if it DOES, then guess you can feel less alone. :) My mind will not stay dormant. Learning about other religions is not the same as practicing other religions. And even still, I'm not quite sure that would make you a monster, MaryLu. There is room in God's heart and kingdom for everyone that wishes to be there.

A very dear friend of mine doesn't know it, yet, but she taught me something that I'll try to share with you. In very simple terms~find peace in your own heart. Do the best you can. And pray. :)

Peace and many blessings be with you, MaryLu. Do not be so sad, dear.

-- Jackiea (sorry@dontlikespam.com), May 12, 2002.

From what I've learned here over the past year is that it must be a difficult job to be strict orthodox and charitable at the same time. I am often surprised by their zeal and condemnation. But they do claim this to be their house and all the rest are treated as various types of visitors.
I usually meditate without diversion but when I sit quiet to listen to Pat Methaney I'm moved. There are a bunch of guided meditation tapes out there that are topical and often times very helpful to deepen the meditation.

-- Chris Coose (ccoose@maine.rr.com), May 12, 2002.

Celtic, hmmm?

May I suggest an artist by the name of Noirin Ni Riainn ? She is a Celtic soprano with the voice of an angel. I believe she resides in the Gaeltacht, and I have enjoyed her work for over 20 years.

A lot of her work is of very old and very spiritual traditional Irish (Gaelic)pieces, one CD of which was recorded in an ancient Irish monastary. The accoustics of this particular work are sublime!

My music tastes vary according to my mood, as far as what I need when I pray and meditate. I admit, there are some days when even the works of Richard Wagner (Overture to Tannhauser; Entry of the Gods Into Valhalla)can give me what I need. Other days, nothing will do but Mozart or Vivaldi. Varied needs of the human spirit call for a varied reportoire, I imagine.

-- Thomas J. Aytch (tjhcwfan@aol.com), May 12, 2002.

Chris~I'm often reminded of the passage....For God so loved the world...It doesn't say For God so loved the Catholics. Or For God so loved the Jews. Or .... For God so loved THE WORLD. Everyone in it. No matter of race, creed, religion or color. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, no matter what you believe~God still loves us all. And He so loved the world, that he sent his only begotten son.

:)

It's funny you mentioned Pat Methaney. I have an exboyfriend that once sent me a tape with this artist's music on it. Very lovely music, indeed.

And Thomas. I looked up the artist you suggested. Thank you. By the way...anyplace with THE in front of it seems interesting to me. Yes, even The Bronx. :D

Many blessings and peace~

-- Jackiea (sorry@dontlikespam.com), May 12, 2002.

Hi Jackiea,

I am okay, not really 'so sad.' I was shocked and hurt at Fred's remarks because no one has ever accused me of those things. I am used to speaking freely and having 'discussions' with my friends where we voice our opinions and then discuss them, get different perspectives on issues.

It seems that one is not allowed to do that here without being called all kinds of horrible names.

Once again, thank you for your kind words. Good night and God Bless.

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), May 12, 2002.

Hi Jackiea,

I am okay, not really 'so sad.' I was shocked and hurt at Fred's remarks because no one has ever accused me of those things. I am used to speaking freely and having 'discussions' with my friends where we voice our opinions and then discuss them, get different perspectives on issues.

It seems that one is not allowed to do that here without being called all kinds of horrible names.

Once again, thank you for your kind words. Good night and God Bless. ML

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), May 12, 2002.

Hi Jackiea,

I also have the Chant CD. I strongly recommend the "Chant" book--it is the size of a CD and it has the same cover. Anyway, this little book has two gems:

1) The author does a wonderful job explaining the history of chanting. She discusses the meditative aspects of Chant.

2) At the end of the book, she provides all of the first Chant CD's lyrics in Latin with English translations!

Here's the Amazon.com link.

Enjoy,

Mateo

-- (MattElFeo@netscape.net), May 13, 2002.

Jackiea, In my humble opinion you could do alot worse than "Is A Woman" by Lambchop. Not quite music to pray to but good all the same.

I love my music, and have to admit for a real soft spot for this band, so excuse the amount of space Ive taken up. Here a review I wrote, stealing a few lines from playlouder.com...

So there's a fortysomething guy sat on his porch with a laptop and some cigarettes. His days are filled watching the birds and insects in his yard, waiting for his wife to come home, and keying in a few lyrics. Pretty idyllic, by the sounds Welcome to a world where heartache and regret are your best friends. Welcome to a world where songs are best served with a neat whiskey and a cigarette. Welcome to a world where you work out how to stop a table from wobbling by placing a matchbox under the leg. Welcome, in short, to the wonderful, weird world of Lampchop. Kurt Wagner, reclined on his sunsoaked Nashville porch for this one, has re- emerged for 2002 as a walking-talking songwriting enigma.

His lyrics delve deeply and provocatively into the natural world, the psychology of relationships, the mapping of our lives, the wispy interventions of the supernatural domain... and they're truly wonderful. All the songs here are just accompanied with piano, a quietly strumming guitar and the merest hint of percussion. It's all topped up with Wagner's heartbreakingly fragile falsetto, giving the impression of a man who has lived, loved, and lost, even when he's intoning lyrics such as "I have “$%^& on the hillside" that marvellous voice keeps these songs on just the right side of poignancy. Minimal and huge at the same time, desperately sad in places , thought-provoking and ethereal in others this is an incredible milestone of a record.Is A Woman over time proves a creative masterstroke. The subtleties and nuances of texture combine with the entrancing narratives to provide a listening experience that really has no equal. Nashville's idiosyncratic Lambchop continues to impress with each effort, and has reached a plateau all its own on this, its sixth album

As Mateo might say enjoy!

-- Courtenay (csisherwood@hotmail.com), May 13, 2002.

Mary Lu, if you are in need of true guidance see your priest not laypersons. He will, I am sure put your mind at rest. Fred means well, please pray for him.

-- Courtenay (csisherwood@hotmail.com), May 13, 2002.

I must also chime in and say that I have once again "rediscovered" Enya to be very relaxing music for me. There was once a time when I would have laughed at such a statement, but I have grown much since then.

It is not always that I concentrate on the actual lyrics when seeking such music of meditation (so long as I already know that the lyrics are acceptable), but rather that the music help re-connect me to that certain since of easiness that I, as of late, often yearn for.

I know that some persons find more upbeat music to be relaxing, but I must exclaim my difficulty in believing that the human brain could possibly be relaxed when such fast rhythms are “pumped” into the ears.

This leads me to another question I have always had regarding music being played during Communion. It is best that I start a new thread on this topic.

-- Michael (mikereithmeier@hotmail.com), May 13, 2002.

This is a great thread - thanks for starting it. I love Gregorian chants, find them very condusive to meditation and prayer. Also, the monks of the Weston, Vermont priory - not well known at all, but they do beautiful music worship. I used to spend time at the monastery when we lived in Vermont. It was a true gift to be so close to it.

Have a great day, all

Sean

-- Sean (Rougan@rcn.com), May 13, 2002.

Hmphh!! Orthodox indeed. Fred and others have attempted to take over the forum these past two years. They have elected themselves as defenders of the faith - their faith - not others it must be noted.

With new member constantly expressing their thought feelings and love for Christ these people will balance what a forum is aobut. Indiviual threads are forums to my mind not the site.

We had some fine people here who have turned away in dismay at the lack of charity shown. Withought charity and patient understanding one's " faith " is hollow.

I so often think of Christ saying " My Father's House has many Mansions. "

-- Jean Bouchard (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), May 13, 2002.

Re: Gregorian Chant and the further development of Church Music. When chant was in only three voices - rather droll - Palestrina asked for the opportunity to write some music as the Church fathers were at the stage of capping music. The result was his Missa De Beata Virgine in five voices.

Without him just think of the loss of future praise through music to God The Father. Bach/Mozart/Bethoven not to be heard. That would have been a true sin indeed.

-- Jean Bouchard (jeanb@cwk.imag.net), May 13, 2002.

MaryLu~You're very welcome. And I hope you had a restful, peaceful sleep. :)

Mateo~Thank you SO much for the information. I'd love to have that!

Courtenay~Hmmmm the only Lambchop I've ever heard of is the puppet. :D Thanks for the review!

Michael~I, too, like Enya. My ex sister in law turned me on to her many years ago, actually. And I agree with your opinion of some of the "music" out there. Although, I must confess, my tastes range from one side to the other. :) Everything but rap. Or really hard (or weird~think Marilyn Manson, Eminem) rock. But you may see a Creed CD in my personal CD player here at my desk and a Handmaidens of the Lord CD in my car. Just depends on my mood. Music can speak to the soul. Or it can grate it. :)

Sean~You're welcome. :) I would love to hear some of the chants in person. How wonderful that must have been for you!

Jean~Charity begins in the home, they say. One who loves Christ, no matter their religion, and pays him respect is ok with me. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all children of God. I just wish we acted like it more sometimes. And I don't mean just here, either.

Peace be with you all and have a terrific week~

-- Jackiea (sorry@dontlikespam.com), May 13, 2002.

Courtenay, thank you for your advice. This wasn't the place to express my feelings about name-calling - we are talking about music and I should have kept it at that. I was just shocked at what was said and found it very hurtful.

I really do not need guidance, though some people here seem to think I do. I have been on a spiritual journey for many years now and my Catholic faith has taken on a new dimension - that is what is going on. If I run into trouble, I will go to see someone more knowledgeable than I concerning religious matters. You are very kind, thank you.

Sean, did you know that you can listen to music from Weston, Vermont priory on the Internet? Just type Weston, Vermont Priory in your search engine and you will come up with an address for their site. You can order their music on their site too. You can listen to the music of your choice and then decide if you want to order it.

My husband and I are planning a trip to see the Priory this summer and I am truly looking forward to it. MaryLu

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), May 13, 2002.

Pardon the digression, I'm taking something Cris Coose said:

''From what I've learned here over the past year is that it must be a difficult job to be strict orthodox and charitable at the same time. I am often surprised by their zeal and condemnation. But they do claim this to be their house and all the rest are treated as various types of visitors.''

--What's the face value; and I wonder why he makes an inflammatory statement like that, in a music thread?

----Chris: --We are all visitors in this forum. We engage in discussion not because we own this ''home'', but because we have strong convictions. You say there's ''condemnation'' unless you're orthodox? Is orthodoxy some pejorative term? You can't be orthodox, can you; if you make no objection to unorthodox opinions? But that's not condemnation. It's sane discussion. To boot, some of the more insistent unorthodox arguments in this board aren't expressed as opinion, but as fact. How should a faithful Catholic regard that?

What about zeal? Do you say it's better NOT to be zealous; and to water down all your belief for the sake of ''diversity''??? Yes, I suspect you think so. The facts are, you go away mad because some of us just don't agree with you ! That is all that you judge to be condemnation.

When there HAS been a measure of repugnance expressed, it was mostly with offensive people who come here to flay the Catholic faith. We aren't under an obligation to tolerate abuse. You should examine your motives at bottom. Are you anti-Catholic? Nobody's denouncing your personal opinions; all I've ever done is tell you my own. Which, YES-- are orthodox. I've no argument with your right to be unorthodox; but when you are, I'll dispute with you. --Nothing unfair about it.

-- eugene c. chavez (chavezec@pacbell.net), May 13, 2002.

Eugene,
"--What's the face value; and I wonder why he makes an inflammatory statement like that, in a music thread?" E.C.
If you read just above, you'll see that a contributor was reeling from some stunning comments made to her by a household resident in another thread. Just thought I'd add my two cents worth.

-- Chris Coose (ccoose@maine.rr.com), May 13, 2002.

I like Gregorian Chant, and traditional hymns for the most part. The really modern Christian music to me is virtually indistinguishable from most rock music (as in you can't understand the words without the lyric sheet).

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), May 13, 2002.

This isn't *exactly* music to pray by... :) ... but I love this song so much! Thought I'd share~From Breathe CD

Faith Hill There Will Come A Day

It's not easy Trying to understand How the world can be so cold Stealing the souls of man Cloudy skies rain down On all your dreams You wrestle with the fear and doubt Sometimes it's hard, but you gotta believe

There's a better place Where our Father waits And every tear He'll wipe away The darkness will be gone The weak shall be strong Hold on to your faith There will come a day There will come a day

Wars are raging Lives are scattered Innocence is lost And hopes are shattered The old are forgotten The children are forsaken In this world we're living in Isn't anything sacred

There's a better place Where our Father waits And every tear He'll wipe away The darkness will be gone The weak shall be strong Hold on to your faith There will come a day There will come a day

Song will ring out Down those golden streets The voices of earth The angels will sing Every knee will bow Sin will have no trace In the glory of His amazing grace Every knee will bow Sin will have no trace In the glory of His amazing grace There will come a day There will come a day Oh, there will come a day There will come a day I know there's coming a day Coming a day

-- Jackiea (sorry@dontlikespam.com), May 14, 2002.

Hi Jackiea:

Faith Hill sang that song as an opening for the Country Music Awards within the last year or two. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! INCREDIBLE SONG! And boy can she sing it! Gave me goosebumps!

Gail

-- Gail (rothfarms@socket.net), May 15, 2002.