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Songs of Praise

An idiosyncratic setting by Merz of a Gerard Manley Hopkins poem, Starlight Night. Hopkins seems to be saying that the stars are departed souls in heaven and the starry night is like a boundary between us and Christ's home.

"This piece-bright paling shuts the spouse
Christ home, Christ and his mother and all his hallows."

Just gorgeous.
 
There is a strong thread of religious/mystic/supernatural lyricsm in English folk music. The most well known example would be the 'Holly and the Ivy', which has made the transition from a folk song (which it is) to being a Christmas Carol. For further examples, listen to the singing of the Waterson family ('The Watersons' and 'Waterson-Carthy'). Here's one example - 'The Seven Virgins' aka 'The Leaves of Life':
 
As pfm's resident atheist church organist, I'm a big fan of lots of "classical" church music. From the Tudor masters led by Tallis and Byrd, through Purcell, Stanford, Vaughan Williams, Howells and all their acolytes, Britain has produced much of the finest religious music the world has ever seen. And that's before we start on the glories of the rest of Europe, particularly the Renaissance!

It's a shame that, as organised religion declines and those churches which are successful often modernise with a menu of 2nd rate pop, that this rich musical heritage is little known outside of our big churches and cathedrals.

I run a "come and sing" Choral Evensong once a month where I play in Sussex to keep the tradition alive.

I've not even mentioned Psalms to Anglican chant or our incredible wealth of hymn tunes...
 
There's an absolutely immense genre of praise songs not mentioned yet - Reggae! Roots & Culture into Rastafari - oh, it's all there.

Here's one picked out at random (by the immense Burning Spear*) - 1997 -



* If you like this try Marcus Garvey /and / Garvey's Ghost: amazing album, amazing dub remix, from 20yrs earlier
 
martin clark said:
There's an absolutely immense genre of praise songs not mentioned yet - Reggae! Roots & Culture into Rastafari - oh, it's all there.

Here's one picked out at random (by the immense Burning Spear*) - 1997 -



* If you like this try Marcus Garvey /and / Garvey's Ghost: amazing album, amazing dub remix, from 20yrs earlier
Click to expand...

(Discreet cough) see my post a day or two ago? :)
 
@martin clark is talking turkey.

Ras Michael & The Sons Of Negus with Jazzboe Abubaka – Tribute To The Emperor



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Edit: @vince rocker is talking turkey too. :)
 
klfrs said:
@Nic Robinson if you have time(!) and like, please share some your favourites.
I really enjoy listening to a big organ - it’s as thrilling as hearing a Philharmonic Orchestra.
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I wouldn't know where to start - my favourites list runs to hundreds of anthems and service settings! Favourite Mag & Nunc? Howells "Gloucester" maybe...but I love dozens of other settings like Weelkes for Trebles or Leighton's Second. Favourite anthem? Again, where to start? But Ireland's "Greater Love" always gives me goosebumps.

In the Tudor and then the Victorian through to the 1960 eras, church music was incredibly well catered for in this country. It's an enormous genre and we really led the world in it owing to the specific needs of the C of E. Declining congregations have turned it into a minority heritage industry now, but cathedrals get good crowds for Choral Evensong which has a large following, for good reason.

If you're ever in Sussex you'd be welcome to come along to where I play and have a listen.
 
The Edwin Hawkins Singers - Oh Happy Day.

Love this, even though I hve no religon in me at all.

 
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Michael Brook – Star Rise: Remixed

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Sufi music tries to banish the hatred living within human beings.

Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan


@Nic Robinson thanks, if I'm ever in the area will take up your very kind offer up. On a similar theme, I also love visiting old religeous buildings and especially when there's potential for a peak behind the scenes.
 
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A tenuous link to ‘praise’ but always worth a listen is the Reverend Claude Jeter’s falsetto in Paul Simon’s Mardi Gras.

 
John Martyn gives Randy Newman's "Gods Song" some welly :) Some other near religious songs on that album as well
 
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