Forty Days (Dave Brubeck)

Dave Brubeck wrote a sacred oratorio The Light in the Wilderness. "40 Days" is a movement from that work, a meditation upon Jesus' time in the wilderness. Jesus' temptations in the wilderness are traditionally reflected upon by the church as we enter the Lenten season.

   

 -

Ave Verum (Mozart) - King's College, Cambridge

-

Sacred Music: The story of Allegri's Miserere

Arvo Pärt: The Deer's Cry

Arvo Pärt is an Estonian composer of classical and sacred music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs his self-invented compositional technique, tintinnabuli. His music is in part inspired by Gregorian chant. (from Wikipedia)






Arvo Pärt: The Deer's Cry

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in me, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me,
Christ with me.


-

Come Sunday (Duke Ellington)

I first learned that jazz great Duke Ellington had written  a repertoire of sacred music a little over 20 years ago when "Come Sunday" was performed at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. It was performed as a a trumpet solo with piano accompaniment during the worship service. Here we have two fine renditions. The first features the great Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson doing a beautiful a cappella presentation of the lyrics with a very sparse piano accompaniment by Duke Ellington himeself. In the second version is an orchestral presentation featuring a trumpet solo. Enjoy either one, or both. You can scroll down to read the lyrics.

Come Sunday

By Duke Ellington

Oh dear Lord I´ve loved

God almighty, God up above

Please, look down and see my people through

I believe the sun and moon

Will shine up in the sky

When the day is grey

It´s just clouds passing by

He´ll give peace and comfort

To every troubled mind

Come sunday, oh come sunday

That´s the day

Often we feel weary

But he knows our every care

Go to him in secret

He will hear every prayer

The leaves in the valley

They neither toll nor spin

And flowers bloom in spring

And birds sing

Up from dawn till sunset

Man work hard all the day

Come Sunday, oh come Sunday

That´s the day

-