Looking for a certain type of church song
  • Pablo
    Posts: 2
    Good evening,

    I have been hearing a lot of latin music lately. Among the pieces I have heard is one whose first 10 seconds seem to be inspired by a church song:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FioKcbXmhFo

    I heard a lot of catholic mass songs in my life, but not one that has an opening like this. Can you tell me if the song above is an homage to an actual church song?

    Thanks for your kindness!
  • CatherineS
    Posts: 690
    He's using a few short phrases of text from Latin prayers as part of the refrain, and some other references to religion; but I don't think the melody comes from any church songs.
  • Pablo
    Posts: 2
    Funny, I heard another song once that sounded similar and that was also seemingly inspired by church music, in a video game:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bADOmU8ylz8

    There has to be a type of church music like this. It would be too much coincidence otherwise.
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    Try watching silent films that are shown to the public with organ improvisational accompaniment. Organists are trained to make music up - they were improvising before jazz musicians were. That's the "type of ... music like this." Not a coincidence at all.


    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,510
    Pablo, are you talking about the whole thing, or about the very end of the two pieces?
  • PaxMelodious
    Posts: 443
    For the first one, he is talking about the first ten seconds.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    Lyrics for the song are here, in Portuguese with an English translation:
    https://brazil70translationproject.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/22-gilberto-gil-miserere-nobis-1968/

    It seems to be a pop song with some religious themes, which wasn't unusual in 1968. In American pop music, we can think of songs like "Spirit in the Sky", or "Are You Ready?", or hit songs from religious-themed musical plays such as "Godspell" or "Jesus Christ Superstar".
    http://www.rebeatmag.com/the-early-1970s-when-jesus-rock-ruled-the-airwaves/

    The Latin words of the refrain do come from Catholic sources:

    "Miserere nobis" (have mercy on us): words addressed to Christ in every Mass: "Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us".

    "Ora pro nobis" (pray for us): words addressed to the Virgin Mary during the recitation of the rosary, in the prayer "Hail Mary": "pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death".
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,510
    I seriously think he is talking about the ornament around mi in the final cadence.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    In the video-game music? Yes: I suppose that sort of ornament is typical of baroque harpsichord works, hm? The composer, Motoaki Takenouchi, produced music for numerous video games, and since he studied music at university, it is not surprising that he would be acquainted with historical styles of instrumental music.

    Despite the religious-sounding title of the video-game music, the style is like instrumental music written for home entertainment; it does not sound like any famous piece of religious music.
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