my favorite things...

[targeter]

The cup for my daily grande chai from Starbucks usually has the quote on music by the neurologist who wrote "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" - or something like that, which talks about the emotional power of music, and how it has the ability to exalt the soul or bring us to tears - often, in my experience, it does both at the same time

Comments

Oh yes.

[ophymirage]

When I was young, I sang in all kinds of choruses. One of the most memorable experiences of my life is singing the last hymn 'The spacious firmament on high' from Britten's Noyes Fludde, which is based on Tallis' Canon. We were singing in the balcony of a cathedral, and as one of the youngest sopranos (I was probably 9 at the time), I was very close to the front.

I remember quite clearly the sensation of being so purely lifted by the glory of singing that music, that I could have stepped up over the balcony railing into the sunbeams pouring into the church, and been carried to God (in the literal, rather than unpleasant metaphorical, sense.)

The Melody lifted me

[obi_have]

Most anything by Andrea Bocelli and Mendelson's overture to Midsummer Nights Dream. Although I think to deny every thing I just said..... the guy's you know will think I've turned human.

[rpage]

Most Mahler symphonies, Bach's "Little Fugue in G" in the rain in Vienna in Stephansdom when I was very homesick (age 19), Sibelius 2nd Symphony, Dvorack 4th Symphony, Tchaikovsky "Romeo & Juliette", Bruckner Te Deum, and so many more.

[natehead]

The neurologist you speak of is Oliver Sacks. I read that book back in a Psychology class I took at DeVry. Cool book.

[regfoghorn]

The Verdi Tuba Mirum is gorgeous, but the Dies Irae is even more emotional. As is the Dies Irae from Britten's War Requiem. I recently came across the Dies Irae from the Requiem by Karl Jenkins (of Adiemus) and it is very interesting, with a constantly driving percussion background.

I've sung the Verdi & the Brittan, with Robert Shaw, when I was in his Festival Singers group. What an experience.

In shorter pieces, listen to the "Ave Maria" for men's chorus by Franz Biebl I prefer Standford's Fleet Street or U of Oregon "On The Rocks" to Chanticleer's recording, but Chanticleer is close to technically perfect.
You can find the Chanticleer version on YouTube.

There are two songs arranged by Schubert for men's chorus, Nachtelle and La Pastorella, that are my all time favorite choral pieces to sing or listen to.

But don't forget the Randall Thompson arrangement of "The Pasture" (poem by Robert Frost) and his Alleluia for a/c choir.