Top 11 Favourite Sacred Works

[Karl Henning]

You know, it never occurred to me before how pointlessly running Cage down really lends authority to your fandom of Stockhausen and Boulez. You really sound like you know what you're talking about. Never lose that facile sneer.

[vandermolen]

Howells: Hymnus Paradisi
Vaughan Williams: Sancta Civitas
Durufle: Requiem
Bloch: Sacred Service
Rosenberg: Symphony 4
Britten:Cantata Misericordium
Janacek: Glagolitic Mass
Holst: Hymn of Jesus
Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on the Old 104th
Vaughan Williams: Song of Thanksgiving
Foulds: A World Requiem.

Not sure if all of these count as 'sacred'

[knight66]

Would have liked to have included Part I of Mahler 8, but seeing as we are after complete works then Veni Creator Spiritus, however beautiful...must yield 

Would you consider the Faust Part II sacred/religious...

Tony, Yes....toss ot in.

Mike

[knight66]

I was surprised that so many posts went by before the Missa Solemnis got a mention.

Beethoven Missa Solemnis
Monteverdi Vespers 1610
Bach St Matthew
Bach B minor Mass
Bach BWV 189 Vergnute Rue
Bruckner Moters
Elgar Gerontius
Britten War Requiem
Berloz Te Deum
Handel Theodora
Rachmaninov Vespers

Mike

[Mirror Image]

I was surprised that so many posts went by before the Missa Solemnis got a mention.

Beethoven Missa Solemnis
Monteverdi Vespers 1610
Bach St Matthew
Bach B minor Mass
Bach BWV 189 Vergnute Rue
Bruckner Moters
Elgar Gerontius
Britten War Requiem
Berloz Te Deum
Handel Theodora
Rachmaninov Vespers

Mike

Britten's War Requiem is a non-liturgical work, Mike.

[knight66]

Yes, though often performed in churches and it was either that or me entirely breaking the rules by sticking Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex in, which is sacred in an atavistic way.

Mike

[DavidW]

I was surprised that so many posts went by before the Missa Solemnis got a mention.

No kidding!  It wasn't even on the first page!   Well I'm not surprised I know that there are plenty of posters that do not admire it.  And also we have to wade through the posts from the modernites first.

[knight66]

Yes, I noted the utter obscurity of a number of favoured works. I guess ennui sets in with the masterpieces.

Mike

[kyjo]

Yes, I noted the utter obscurity of a number of favoured works. I guess ennui sets in with the masterpieces.

Mike

Not everyone favors the tried and true masterpieces, Mike. Some people, like myself, have discovered that music that has fallen into obscurity hold just as much or more appeal for us.

[Christo]

Out of my head:

Bach, both Passions
Tobias, Des Jonah Sendung
Holst, The Hymn of Jesus
Vaughan Williams, Sancta Civitas
Janáček, Mša glagolskaja
Stravinsky, Symphonie des psaumes
Howells, Hymnus Paradisi
Schmidt, Das Buch mit den sieben Siegeln
Durufle, Requiem
Britten, War Requiem
Pärt, Kanon Pokajanen

[kyjo]

Tobias, Des Jonah Sendung
Vaughan Williams, Sancta Civitas
Howells, Hymnus Paradisi
Schmidt, Das Buch mit den sieben Siegeln

Nice to see more votes for these! The Tobias was an amazing discovery for me-a deeply stirring work which is an undoubted masterpiece.

[Christo]

Yay! In no particular order and off the top of my head:

Schmidt: The Book with the Seven Seals
Vaughan Williams: Sancta Civitas
Suter: Le Laudi di San Francesco d'Assisi Poulenc: Gloria
Howells: Hymnus Paradisi
Berlioz: Requiem
Durufle: Requiem
Dvorak: Requiem Janacek: Glagolitic Mass
Tobias: Das Jonas Sendung
Bloch: Sacred Service
Kreek: Estonian Requiem Szymanowski: Stabat Mater
Schmitt: Psalm 47

Oops, almost all (don't now the Berlioz) my choices, too! How could I forget Szymanowski's Stabat Mater!   

[Christo]

The Tobias was an amazing discovery for me-a deeply stirring work which is an undoubted masterpiece.

Again, my words too.   

[kyjo]

Oops, almost all (don't now the Berlioz) my choices, too! How could I forget Szymanowski's Stabat Mater!   

Poor Szymanowski! Everyone keeps forgetting about him! Rather surprised you don't know the Berlioz, Johan.

[Christo]

Poor Szymanowski! Everyone keeps forgetting about him! Rather surprised you don't know the Berlioz, Johan.

No musical upbringing whatsoever and completely illiterate, I just play what I encounter (and missed many classics; never played Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem either). N

[mc ukrneal]

Glad to see this thread reopened - it is an area I would like to hear more of and there are some good suggestions here. I'd have to say:
Faure: Requiem
Brahms: Requiem
Verdi: Requiem
Mozart: Requiem
Mozart: Mass in C minor
Cornelius: Requiem
Bruckner: Mass in D minor
Rossini: Petite Messe Solemnelle

That leaves me two more, but I will need to think about those. Could be Lobo, Stanford, Victoria, Dvorak, Monteverdi, etc. In any case, these 8 are in for sure.

[kyjo]

No musical upbringing whatsoever and completely illiterate, I just play what I encounter (and missed many classics; never played Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem either). N

That's OK, Johan. At least you're different! Anyone who has a passion for little-known music is A-OK in my book! As for Ein Deutsches Requiem, you're not missing out on much IMO. I find it quite turgid and boring. *runs for cover*

[TheGSMoeller]

It took me a while to compile this list as I could only pick using two criteria...

1) Only sacred works composed by Richard Strauss (fortunately for every other composer, I couldn't find any to add, but I would have believe me) 
2) Only choose pieces so obscure that nobody has ever heard of them. The problem I ran into is that I'd had never heard those works either.   

So I decided on these 11 that I find really touch my soul.

Josquin des Prez: Missa La sol fa re mi
Thomas Tallis: Spem in alium
Monteverdi: Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber: Requiem in F minor
Hector Berlioz: Grande Messe des morts, Op. 5
Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius
Poulenc: Stabat Mater
Schnittke: Requiem
Britten: War Requiem
Henryk Górecki: Miserere
Zbigniew Preisner: Requiem for my Friend

A few that are right on the doorstep are Faure's Requiem and Haydn's Seven Last Words of Christ.

Edit: Forgot to add smiley faces so you know I'm just kidding with you all. 

[knight66]

It took me a while to compile this list as I could only pick using two criteria...

1) Only sacred works composed by Richard Strauss (fortunately for every other composer, I couldn't find any to add, but I would have believe me) 
2) Only choose pieces so obscure that nobody has ever heard of them. The problem I ran into is that I'd had never heard those works either.   

I think that by stretching a point I can help you. Richard Strauss: Deutche Motette Op62. Not liturgical but bordering philosophy and belief. If you like Tallis 40 part motet, imagine it reworked using Strauss harmonics. It is probably the most complex piece of its kind. Terrifically beautiful and could even catch the ear of the career obscurists here.

Mike

[knight66]

No musical upbringing whatsoever and completely illiterate, I just play what I encounter (and missed many classics; never played Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem either). N

The Brahms is a marvelous piece. It also breaks liturgical tradition and instead used bible text that Brahms felt more apt. It is very powerful and moving. Give it a try.

Mike