5 of the most ludicrously gorgeous sacred carols EVER (with fancy links)

Lately I've been missing the spiritual aspect of Christmas.  Having spent many of my adult years working in churches as a paid choir singer (aka "ringer"), my December calendars of yore were always full of rehearsals, services, and concerts.  But when I went back to school last fall, I made a commitment to keep my priority list simple so I could be as available to my son as possible.  I didn't want to be away from him all day, only to see him briefly at dinner time and then rush off to another evening rehearsal.  So this is the second year that I find my December calendar oddly devoid of musical commitments.  And I'm left feeling that some crucial element is missing from the holiday season.  That element is music; not the corny, boisterous carols like Jingle Bells, but the brilliant choral masterpieces that celebrate the sacred, calm, and mysterious aspect of this season. 

 

 

Although I've drifted far from the comforting black and white Christian faith of my childhood, I still hold onto a sense of reverence for the birth of Christ.  I am not sure whether the whole story of Christ is an elaborate myth, or if Jesus actually was God incarnate (though if He was, he had a few wise spiritual brothers who inspired their own religions, in my very humble opinion).  Despite my lackluster identity as a Christian, I do maintain faith in some Divine Power greater than us all.  It is a benevolent presence that is beyond my understanding.  I like it that way.  I'm fairly certain that the Omnipotent Being who created the intricacy of a snowflake and the vast power of the Universe has qualities that are far beyond my puny human brain's capacity to comprehend.  And that mystery is exciting, because it tells me that there is more to our existence than the day to day ups and downs.  It tells me that there is hope beyond the horrific tragedies that we see each time we turn on the news.  As we approach the 1st anniversary of the Connecticut school massacre, that darkness and tragedy is particularly close to the surface of our realities.
 

 

I see this beautiful mystery when I look up at the stars and attempt to grasp just how tiny our little world is in relation to the grand scheme of things, or when I look at my little boy sleeping peacefully and try to fathom the miracle of his existence. Pema Chodron, a well-known American Buddhist nun and writer, talks about our awareness of such mystery in an article called Waking up to your world: "Awakened mind exists in our surroundings—in the air and the wind, in the sea, in the land, in the animals—but how often are we actually touching in with it? Are we poking our heads out of our cocoons long enough to actually taste it, experience it, let it shift something in us, let it penetrate our conventional way of looking at things?"

 

This mystery is captured so perfectly in the image of the baby Jesus.  Mind you, I don't mean the bigotry-spurning Jesus portrayed by fear-fueled fundamentalists.  I mean the radically loving and compassionate Jesus who unconditionally accepted EVERYONE; republicans, democrats, prostitutes, judgy pharisee asshole types, gay people, straight people, alcoholics, meth addicts, compulsive shoppers, potheads, anarchists, welfare queens, CEOs, and even George Bush Jr.   Whether He was literally the Son of God or just an amazing leader and teacher, his life embodied compassion, and his birth and existence was and is full of miracle and mystery.

 

As a musician, I have found that music conveys this mystery far more fully than any sermon, book, or dogma I've ever encountered.  So as I prepare for the Christmas season, I am going to try and take a few moments here and there to be still and be awake to the mystery of the baby Jesus and all that He represents.  When I'm tempted to obsess over our limited gift budget or the catty annoyances that come up between family members, I'm going to listen to songs like those I've listed below (with fancy youtube links so you can hear them too!).  These are choral classics which I've had the honor of singing many times with various choral groups.  They never fail to quiet my soul and help me tap into the mystery of the Divine. 

 

1. Lux by Eric Whitacre, a modern (and living!) composer.  The video is almost as orgasmic as the music (and no I don't mean THAT kind of video).


2. A Christmas Carol written by the great American composer Charles Ives, and sung here by the exquisitely in-tune choral group Chanticleer (*PS: if anyone needs more evidence that gay men are indeed just as blessed as Godly as any straight person, I suggest listening to a few of their spirituals, and then try to spout reasons why they shouldn't be able to marry one another in a sacred union).  And speaking of Chanticleer, here is their amazing recording of the next song on the list...


3. Ave Maria by Franz Beibl.


4. Bogoroditse Devo, the "Ave Maria" movement of Rachmaninoff's obscenely gorgeous Vespers. 


5. Oh Magnum Mysterium written in 1572 by some guy named Vittoria (clearly I've forgotten everything I learned in my music history courses). 

 

On that note (HA!  Get it?  Note?  Music?) whatever your belief system or religion, may you all find a moment to stop, breath, and ponder the mysterious spirit of this season.  I'd also love to know, my dear readers, which songs bring you BACH to your spiritual center (get it?  BACH? the composer?  Oh nevermind...).  No seriously though, I really would love to know, so please share, either here (if you can figure out how to comment) or on facebook.  Happy singing/listening!