That catholic schoolboy sound

June 23, 2008 8:25 AM

I'm looking for songs with the Catholic sound - like Enigma: Sadness.

I'm looking for pop songs that sample that Latin singing that usually goes on in the Catholic Church. Sometimes it's sung by the choir boys, other times by the priest during communion. It sounds a bit like opera, but not as loud.

Do you know any popular and modern songs with that sound in any genre? YouTube links would be great!

posted by ChabonJabon to media & arts (16 comments total)

Are you thinking of Gregorian chanting?
posted by majick at 8:33 AM on June 23

That's weird. I'm listening to this album right now as I read your question. Not a pop song collection. But it has that sound.
posted by genefinder at 8:45 AM on June 23

Plainsong (also plainchant) is a body of traditional songs used in the liturgies of the Roman Catholic Church. There were quite a few groups like Enigma in the 90s which sampled Gregorian chants and plainsong in their tracks.

Also check out Achillea -- which is Jens Gad (co-producer of Engima).
posted by ericb at 9:37 AM on June 23

There's also Era (website). One song/video: Infanati.
posted by ericb at 9:42 AM on June 23

If you don't mind new age stuff, you might try Libera--most of it sounds pretty traditional (here are some youtube links), but try the first track on that Amazon link.
posted by metabrilliant at 9:42 AM on June 23

Just to head off some potential disappointment: most Catholic churches haven't done Latin chanting since the '60s.
posted by box at 9:44 AM on June 23

Also -- the Masters of Chant albums (I, II, III, IV, V). Also -- The Dark Side: The Original.

A 'Masters of Chant' video.
posted by ericb at 9:51 AM on June 23

Gregorian -- Masters Of Chant website.
posted by ericb at 9:55 AM on June 23

For unaltered chant, I can recommend Chant, by the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos. For beautiful chant and plainsong, look up anything by Anonymous 4 - I like A Star in the East and An English Ladymass. Sadly, as box points out above, chant has been out of vogue for some time in the Western Church. It's probably making a slow comeback wherever indult masses are celebrated, especially since no special permission is needed any more to use the older Tridentine Rite. Orthdox chant, now...that's a whole other matter. Beautiful stuff, too. Check out the stream at Ancient Faith Radio for a sample.
posted by jquinby at 10:06 AM on June 23

Bah. I somehow missed the 'popular and modern songs' portion of your question. Enjoy them anyway!
posted by jquinby at 10:07 AM on June 23

Marginally related, maybe. Here's some kind of church chant (iTunes link) that sounds traditional but appears on a modern pop/rock record in which none of the other music is like that. I love love love it and wish I could find more. Only lasts like 20 seconds. I don't know what you call it.
posted by Askr at 10:20 AM on June 23

Do a search for O Fortuna on YouTube: that's a well-known piece from Orff's modern passion play Carmina Burana. You'll know it when you hear it - it's been used in tons of things, and was particularly popular in rave remixes in the early 90s.

More seriously, give Hildegarde von Bingen a listen. She's worthy of an FPP herself: daughter of nobility, abbess, advisor to kings and popes, visionary, early feminist, and the first composer in Western music whose life we know. There's a CD from the early 90s entitled Vision: The Music of Hildegarde von Bingen that combines her ethereal music with some new-agey sounds, but unfortunately I can't find the CD on Amazon. I did find a track from the CD set to some religious imagery on YouTube here.
posted by BrotherFeldspar at 10:22 AM on June 23 [1 favorite]

If you're looking for modern songs with that sound, V.A.S.T. frequently uses that sort of chanting feel, both Catholic and otherwise.
posted by adipocere at 10:54 AM on June 23

Hildegarde von Bingen is a fine idea, but most of the recordings of her music probably aren't modern enough to qualify. I'd recommend Lux Vivens, a modernized recording of Van Bingen's work done by Jocelyn Montgomery and David Lynch. (Yes... that David Lynch.)

Since you say pop, Libera might be a bit more upbeat. But if you want to venture a little outside of that realm, there's everything from Malcolm McLaren to Dead Can Dance to Jocelyn Pook to Stoa... depending upon your personal taste.
posted by markkraft at 12:02 PM on June 23

For the metal-ly version, I give you Therion
posted by drezdn at 1:19 PM on June 23

Nirvana by El Bosco features choirboys singing Luke 21:25 in Latin.
posted by hellopanda at 9:16 AM on June 24