Before people wrote about misogyny, as in the present day, songs were actually devoted to God, either through the use of the Bible or Creeds. Here are a couple new releases, one that takes us back to “the day,” when sacred music was the thing to listen to, and one that has contemporary material reaching out into heaven.
Contemporaries Antonio Vivaldi and George Handel both tackled the famous Psalm 110, which is (for you trivia buffs) the most often repeated Psalm in the New Testament. The opening “The LORD says to my Lord “Sit At My Right Hand, Until I Make A Footstool of Your Enemies” is used as a clarion call in both opuses, with Vivaldi’s music a bit more bright and playful, and Handel’s leaning towards majesty. The melding of voices, lead by soprano Lucy Crowe, is a simple hint of future heaven, and the erudite chamber orchestra is crisp and sublime. There is also a four piece prayer set to music by Vivaldi that is a plea for mercy in a flood of sorrows.
Craig Hella Johnson is the head of the vocal group Conspirare and they perform three modern choral works along with the Victoria Bach Festival String Orchestra. The three Robert Kyr pieces delve into th vertical and horizontal love relationships; between people themselves and between people and God. The glorious “The Singer’s Ode” is a rich a cappella piece, leading into th 26 minute “The Cloud of Unknowing” which are writings by St. Teresa of Avila from the 16th Century. The mix of and solos delivered from Esteli’ Gomez/sop and David Farwig/bari is rich and passionate. Though composed in 2011, the “Songs of the Soul” is patterned after JS Bach, withcontrapuntal themes taking you back a few centuries, but the themes of despair and hope last until we are finally reunited with our savior. It’s very refreshing to hear modern writers struggle with eternal themes rather than the ennui of modern society.
Harmonia Mundi Records