Hymn me
October 14, 2016 9:48 PM Subscribe
I'm obsessed with this Icelandic Hymn being played in a train station. Help me find more music like this.
I'm looking for similar songs, sung by groups of men or women with only vocals (no instruments). The drone-y nature of this one is particularly appealing to me. I looked for other hymns and nothing was nearly as satisfying - can you help? I know nothing of hymns.
I'm looking for similar songs, sung by groups of men or women with only vocals (no instruments). The drone-y nature of this one is particularly appealing to me. I looked for other hymns and nothing was nearly as satisfying - can you help? I know nothing of hymns.
Maybe Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares? No instruments, very droney
posted by Orca at 10:31 PM on October 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Orca at 10:31 PM on October 14, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: It's very beautiful. Beautifully sung and in a great acoustic environment.
Sounds sort of like a Bach chorale, only sung much slower than chorales usually are. An example of a Bach chorale.
Renaissance vocal music might be close enough for you. Like Victoria's Requiem. (If you like that, search for recordings by the Tallis Scholars, for instance, to find similar repertoire.) Another example of the style is the Lamentations of Jeremiah, by Tallis himself.
Further afield is medieval chant, like this.
posted by bertran at 10:41 PM on October 14, 2016
Sounds sort of like a Bach chorale, only sung much slower than chorales usually are. An example of a Bach chorale.
Renaissance vocal music might be close enough for you. Like Victoria's Requiem. (If you like that, search for recordings by the Tallis Scholars, for instance, to find similar repertoire.) Another example of the style is the Lamentations of Jeremiah, by Tallis himself.
Further afield is medieval chant, like this.
posted by bertran at 10:41 PM on October 14, 2016
Oh, actually these motets by a late-romantic composer, Max Reger, might be closer to the target for you.
(If you are interested in learning more about hymns in general, you might check out the Gaelic hymn style, even though it is not very similar to your Icelandic recording, just because it is so unique.)
posted by bertran at 10:50 PM on October 14, 2016
(If you are interested in learning more about hymns in general, you might check out the Gaelic hymn style, even though it is not very similar to your Icelandic recording, just because it is so unique.)
posted by bertran at 10:50 PM on October 14, 2016
Best answer: I wonder if you might like Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen - a 17th Century German carol, rearranged by Swedish composer Jan Sandström. Gives me goosebumps.
posted by Cheese Monster at 11:11 PM on October 14, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Cheese Monster at 11:11 PM on October 14, 2016 [3 favorites]
Miserere mei Deus is beautiful. (This one is by the Tallis Scholars -- named after Thomas Tallis, who was one of the great composers of renaissance polyphony.) It has an interesting story too, being pirated from the Sistine Chapel by memory, by a fourteen year old punk named Mozart.
posted by klanawa at 11:20 PM on October 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by klanawa at 11:20 PM on October 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
If it's the Icelandic aspect you like then I can't help, but if it's the multi-part monastic-derived choral aspect there's a lot of European ecclesiastical music like that.
Try Carols at Kings (on YouTube, King's College Chapel in Cambridge has a carol concert every year and it is broadcast on TV). Most cathedral choirs perform similar work - search for Choral Evensong, there are lots of recordings. You might like Gregorian chant as well.
posted by tinkletown at 12:54 AM on October 15, 2016
Try Carols at Kings (on YouTube, King's College Chapel in Cambridge has a carol concert every year and it is broadcast on TV). Most cathedral choirs perform similar work - search for Choral Evensong, there are lots of recordings. You might like Gregorian chant as well.
posted by tinkletown at 12:54 AM on October 15, 2016
Try looking up the composer Arvo Part - he was Estonian and he wrote minimalist music that sounded a lot like Gregorian chant with modern harmonies. I particularly recommend you have a look at De Profundis, ST John Passion (more choral, but stunning), Te Deum.
You may also like the sound of Speigel im Speigel and Fur Alina, though those are instrumental rather than choral.
posted by kadia_a at 1:15 AM on October 15, 2016 [2 favorites]
You may also like the sound of Speigel im Speigel and Fur Alina, though those are instrumental rather than choral.
posted by kadia_a at 1:15 AM on October 15, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Georgian polyphony sometimes does that for me:
- Georgian choir Sakhioba singing in a cave in the Lake District
- Musiques de Tblisi • Familie Lejava (Vincent Moon / Petites Planètes)
- ‘Wish’, Georgian folk song in equidistant musical scale
Also of interest (maybe):
- Hanna Benn singing Hildegard in St. Ignatius Church in Mainz, Germany (just one voice, but great acoustics)
- Of Bodies and Spirits: Soundscapes of Byzantine Thessaloniki
posted by lux at 5:12 AM on October 15, 2016 [3 favorites]
- Georgian choir Sakhioba singing in a cave in the Lake District
- Musiques de Tblisi • Familie Lejava (Vincent Moon / Petites Planètes)
- ‘Wish’, Georgian folk song in equidistant musical scale
Also of interest (maybe):
- Hanna Benn singing Hildegard in St. Ignatius Church in Mainz, Germany (just one voice, but great acoustics)
- Of Bodies and Spirits: Soundscapes of Byzantine Thessaloniki
posted by lux at 5:12 AM on October 15, 2016 [3 favorites]
If it's the Icelandic aspect you like...
posted by tinkletown at 9:54 AM on October 15 [+] [!]
I can help with a borderline suggestion...
It's solo, it has a cello in it, and it's quite a bit more abstract, but given how massively frequently Icelandic music gets the spotlight I think it's worth pointing towards Hildur Guðnadóttir - Leyfðu Ljósinu, which is a single take 35 minute live performance involving one female voice and a cello, looped over themselves in an incredibly ethereal manner.
It's also worth highlighting to anyone coming to this thread who finds the original piece linked as compelling as OP (and I) did... there is a rich and thriving Icelandic classical / avant-garde / abstract musical scene at the moment. My personal inroad was Ólafur Arnalds, having progressed via the more dub / minimal techno strands of Yagya and Kiasmos.
posted by protorp at 1:18 PM on October 15, 2016
posted by tinkletown at 9:54 AM on October 15 [+] [!]
I can help with a borderline suggestion...
It's solo, it has a cello in it, and it's quite a bit more abstract, but given how massively frequently Icelandic music gets the spotlight I think it's worth pointing towards Hildur Guðnadóttir - Leyfðu Ljósinu, which is a single take 35 minute live performance involving one female voice and a cello, looped over themselves in an incredibly ethereal manner.
It's also worth highlighting to anyone coming to this thread who finds the original piece linked as compelling as OP (and I) did... there is a rich and thriving Icelandic classical / avant-garde / abstract musical scene at the moment. My personal inroad was Ólafur Arnalds, having progressed via the more dub / minimal techno strands of Yagya and Kiasmos.
posted by protorp at 1:18 PM on October 15, 2016
Here's a recent question where the Icelandic video is used as one example, asking for more music like it.
posted by brentajones at 9:04 PM on October 15, 2016
posted by brentajones at 9:04 PM on October 15, 2016
Branching out to America: if you like the voices-only sound and open harmonies, you might be interested in songs from The Sacred Harp and related hymnals. "Sacred Harp" is the most popular of the many songbooks and has become eponymous for the generic style, but you can also search for songs from the Southern Harmony, Christian Harmony, Cooper Book, Northern Harmony, etc.
Without further ado, some videos:
This recording of Star in the East has been in my ears lately. It's a concert performance of an arrangement of a song from The Southern Harmony. Another group you might like is Anonymous 4.
I gave the Icelandic song another listen and realized that Windham (38b) has a similar opening: this video even has people standing in a similar configuration.
Done by a much larger group (in Ireland!), Novakoski. This demonstrate the fugue style prevalent in Sacred Harp (i.e. staggered entrances).
posted by batter_my_heart at 11:31 PM on October 15, 2016
Without further ado, some videos:
This recording of Star in the East has been in my ears lately. It's a concert performance of an arrangement of a song from The Southern Harmony. Another group you might like is Anonymous 4.
I gave the Icelandic song another listen and realized that Windham (38b) has a similar opening: this video even has people standing in a similar configuration.
Done by a much larger group (in Ireland!), Novakoski. This demonstrate the fugue style prevalent in Sacred Harp (i.e. staggered entrances).
posted by batter_my_heart at 11:31 PM on October 15, 2016
Look at stuff by The Sixteen, particularly by William Byrd.
posted by persona au gratin at 12:32 AM on October 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by persona au gratin at 12:32 AM on October 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
The hymn that you are asking about is Heyr Himna Smiður (Hark, Smith of the Heavens) There are many covers of it. (I, too, found it recently via the link that you provided.)
Similarly, there are many covers of Agni Parthene.
Have a look at Chanticleer. Some, but not all of their oeuvre will be interesting to you. Here they sing O Frondens Virga by Hildegard von Bingen
Hildegard von Bingen wrote a lot of liturgical music for her convent's choir.
Also, have a look at Byzantine chanting. Here are Greek Orthodox monks singing Christ is Risen.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 7:23 PM on October 16, 2016
Similarly, there are many covers of Agni Parthene.
Have a look at Chanticleer. Some, but not all of their oeuvre will be interesting to you. Here they sing O Frondens Virga by Hildegard von Bingen
Hildegard von Bingen wrote a lot of liturgical music for her convent's choir.
Also, have a look at Byzantine chanting. Here are Greek Orthodox monks singing Christ is Risen.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 7:23 PM on October 16, 2016
Seconding Hildegard von Bingen. Columba Aspexit has a nice drone-ey quality.
Maybe Josquin des Prez's Kyrie?
The melody reminded me of Flow My Tears .
posted by benadryl at 9:29 PM on October 16, 2016
Maybe Josquin des Prez's Kyrie?
The melody reminded me of Flow My Tears .
posted by benadryl at 9:29 PM on October 16, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
Here's one for five voices.
They can involve many more, like this one. Another version here. Forty voices going on in that one. It's Spem in Alium by Thomas Tallis, one of the more famous motets out there.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 10:30 PM on October 14, 2016 [3 favorites]