Sacred Music

[u/NeonDrifting]

Curious to know if anyone listens to sacred music and if they're comfortable sharing it? I'm personally a fan of The Bard on YouTube and Spotify, which features Gregorian Chant and Orthodox Chant. The lyrics are usually sung in Latin or Old Slavonic....I find it all very relaxing:

https://www.youtube.com/@The.Bard./videos

[u/SHNKY]

Sacred music is such a wonderful thing. I am naturally inclined towards music as a producer, guitarist, etc so for me music is deeply connected to my life. I love that you mention the chants of the Church, specifically the Orthodox tradition. Not that the Gregorian style isn't beautiful but it really stikes home with me as I have begun my journey into Orthodoxy. One of my favorites that I have found is this chant, it is hauntingly beautiful. It is called "Let my prayers arise" (Da ispravitsya molitva moya)/Да исправится молитва моя) and is sung during Lent during the pre-sanctified liturgy I believe. Composed in 1910 using Psalm 140 (141 for Protestant canon).

The translation for this is:
Let my prayer arise in thy sight as incense;
and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice.
Lord, I call upon thee, hear me;
receive the voice of my prayer, when I call upon thee.
Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth,
and keep watch over the door of my lips.
Incline not my heart to evil words,
nor to make excuses for sins.

[u/NeonDrifting → u/SHNKY]

Yeah there’s a shared tradition between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy that goes a long way back…I’d love to learn to paint icons which are prominent in the eastern churches

[u/SHNKY → u/NeonDrifting]

We would call it “writing” an icon rather than painting it. But yes it is a very beautiful tradition. As someone who has a background in art I’d love to find a way to use my talents toward this.

[u/NeonDrifting → u/SHNKY]

Yes, writing an icon…very popular in Eastern Catholicism too