Sacred music for Morning Prayer videos
  • penitentispenitentis
    Posts: 3
    Dear forum,

    I'm hoping you can help me. Believe me, I need it!

    My problem is that I really don't know what I'm doing when it comes to selecting appropriate sacred music for a daily video that I produce on YouTube and Gloria.tv called 'Morning Prayer', in which I simply narrate, word for word, morning prayer from the single volume 'Christian Prayer' and set it against beautiful sacred music and cloudscape photography ( for reference, please see http://youtu.be/lXmBOD_b__0 ).

    Basically, my sincere hope is to have the musical selections be consistent with the morning office and therefore meaningful to those who know sacred music, yet still be beautiful, inspiring and timeless for those who don't. They are not consistent at this point.

    Please know that there are some quasi-technical, production value requirements which have grown up around this project: for example, music should be 'highest quality' recordings of traditional sacred music (i.e. studio recordings are preferable to cathedral recordings); should be either instrumental or unaccompanied choral music in Latin (to reduce dissonance so the mind can follow the narration); and should be meditative and basically simple enough to serve well under narration (i.e. minimize dissonance to support or compliment the narration). To my uninformed mind, any well-produced chant or hymn seems to work.

    Currently, I make extensive use of the chant ensemble Psallentes, Kevin Allen's beautiful motets sung by Matthew Curtis, and several recordings by the Benedictines of Mary (whose music started this effort in the first place). All with permission, of course.

    Can anyone suggest traditional sacred music that is actually related to the morning office, and which also fits the loose production criteria, and, perhaps most importantly, may be considered beautiful, inspiring, meditative and contain the 'ring of eternity' quality that adds so much life and breath to the narrated psalms and canticles...

    Perhaps there is no existing body of recorded music that meets these criteria. Perhaps there is. Either way, any thoughts and guidance would be sincerely and deeply appreciated.

    Thank you and GOD bless
    David Rollins
    YouTube 'penitentis'

    PS looking for someone to consider becoming an informal music advisor to the penitentis project. penitentis1@gmail.com. Thanks.
    Thanked by 1Ben
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Just a note regarding the voicing. When narrating, I would really tone down the expression in your voice. You're praying, not voicing a car commercial...were I to use it myself, I would find it next to impossible to pray with.

    Seems like an interesting project though.
    Thanked by 1penitentis
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,798
    Credit Ben with making me curious enough to check out the link! The (ahem) product really could speak for itself.

    But credit as well to David for wanting to take the next step. I can think of two avenues. For me the big cognitive dissonance is being expected to listen to a spoken service with music in the background at the same time. For you the long term project is to become acquainted with morning prayer in its original form as a sung office. You'll learn a lot! Figure out with Latin texts are appropriate for a particular Morning Prayer: Regina coeli for example is traditionally associated with Eastertide and sung at the end.

    But you could also try using music as other than background, and I'd suggest that non-Latin would be better for the purpose: alternate spoken word with sung anthems from the Anglican tradition: Byrd, Tallis, Gibbons. Or use a Latin psalm with the translation appearing on the screen. Use instrumental interludes for (otherwise silent) meditation. And, whatever the permissions specify, always do your audience the courtesy of providing full credits in case something catches their ear and they want to hear more.
    Thanked by 1penitentis
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Anything by tallis scholars.
    Thanked by 1penitentis
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    Probably any vocal work by composer Arvo Pärt would be appropriate.

    This is a very nice idea, so congratulations to David on having undertaken it. Can I assume you are a voiceover or radio pro? And I like Ben's idea of a gentler delivery, too.
    Thanked by 2Ben penitentis
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    At a time when many of us are so busy and beset with our own ills and those of our acquaintance, as well as the calamities that plague our world, this comes, at least to me, as a peaceful quarter hour of prayer, hope, and preparation for this day. Thank you, David, and blessings upon this thoughtful service.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBWFHUHqU4c
    Thanked by 5Jani Ben penitentis Kathy Jenny
  • penitentispenitentis
    Posts: 3
    Thank you all for your thoughtful comments and feedback - it's really priceless. Over the coming weeks and months I will think, explore and figure out ways to incorporate your ideas. Please let me know if anything else comes to mind...

    I'm not now a voiceover or radio pro, but vigorously exploring how I might somehow break in to that crowded market (audiobooks, commercials, etc.). If anyone has any thoughts on that I'm all ears!
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    Have you considered finding an organist to improvise under your speaking? I think that would fit much better than speaking over vocal singing. The vocal singing and speaking at the same time just obscures both texts in my opinion.
    Thanked by 2Kathy penitentis
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    This is a great idea. You might be able to just meet an organist and bring a portable recorder (zoom h4n is my device of choice) to the church, and have him play for 20 minutes, which you then could use on videos. Get a couple and put them in a rotation, and you're set.

    Or, if you want to get really fancy, prerecord your vocals, get the exact time, then tell the organist to improvise with the clock in front of him to fit the video perfectly. But that might be overkill. :)
    Thanked by 1penitentis
  • penitentispenitentis
    Posts: 3
    Love the idea of finding an organist to improvise settings. For morning prayer there is a rotation of about 40 psalms and 20 canticles in the 4-week psalter. Seems like it would be possible to synthesize simple chant-like threads or segments which can be linked together in a final mix to create whatever mood and timing is required for a particular psalm, yet still retain the essence of a chant, maybe synthesize a choir sound. That realistic?
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    I'm not now a voiceover or radio pro, but vigorously exploring how I might somehow break in to that crowded market (audiobooks, commercials, etc.). If anyone has any thoughts on that I'm all ears!


    Record popular public-domain books and release them free on YouTube (with ads).
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