Music Monday: Music for Daily Prayer

Posted byChaplainmikePosted inIM Recommended Listening, Music Monday

Today on Music Monday we feature music for daily prayer by Margaret Rizza. The album is called, Officium Divinum, and it is performed by the Convivium Singers under the direction of Eamonn Dougan. It was recorded at Portsmouth Cathedral and many of the pieces were accompanied by David Price on organ.

Rizza is an English composer of classical and contemplative choral music. I came to know her through a daily prayer podcast that I love dearly, “Pray As You Go,” which regularly uses Rizza’s pieces to create a calm, meditative, Christ-centered atmosphere as you participate in the readings and prayers.

Officium Divinum features musical settings for the four periods of daily prayer: Morning, Midday, Evening and Night based on the Daily Prayer services from “Common Worship, Daily Prayer.”

Here is her rendition of the “Song of Mary” (Magnificat) for use in Evening Prayer:

Portsmouth Cathedral
Portsmouth Cathedral

Officium Divinum is available at Amazon and other vendors and I recommend it as a good companion on your Lenten pilgrimage. You can also go to Margaret Rizza’s website and listen to examples from her other albums of equally sublime music.

I find that music, particularly choral music that is contemplative in nature, aids me greatly in my own practice of prayer. It is in that spirit that I commend this collection to you, hoping that it will likewise enable you to find a sense of rest and prayerfulness in God’s presence as you journey throughout these holy days and the rest of the year.

Below is a video featuring Margaret Rizza discussing Officium Divinum, with excerpts from some of the other songs on this album.

As our prayers rise before you, O God,
so may your mercy come down upon us
to cleanse our hearts
and set us free to sing your praise
now and for ever.
Amen.

12 thoughts on “Music Monday: Music for Daily Prayer”

  2. Thanks for the lead, Dana, for for inserting the translation. I will check into Sr Marie.

    While we are on a discussion of music for meditation, I also commend the following pieces by the great contemporary composer, Arvo Part. He is gifted in his approach to minimalist composition. I find his works lovely for contemplation. Titles are above the links below:

    Beatitudes

    MIrror on Mirror ( truly sublime in my estimation)

    and Salve Regina

    For another astounding variation on Beatitudes, try the version by Philip Stopford. this one will be more tuned to the Anglican ear.

    I’ll stop before I drive others away.

    Tom

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  3. I am so glad you posted that. I have no sound on my computer as it is broken. No sound is necessary with those words. I am inspired.

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  4. Mine too. I also like Sr. Marie Keyrouz – same kind of sound as Fadia to whom Tom points.

    Dana

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  5. I love Fadia’s voice. The hymn is as haunting in English with a tonality that is more familiar to the Western ear, as most Eastern churches sing it on Good Friday:

    Today He who hung the earth upon the waters is hung upon the Cross (three times).
    He who is King of the angels is arrayed in a crown of thorns.
    He who wraps the Heavens in clouds is wrapped in the purple of mockery.
    He who in the Jordan set Adam free receives blows upon His face.
    The Bridegroom of the Church is transfixed with nails.
    The Son of the Virgin is pierced with a spear.
    We venerate Thy Passion, O Christ (three times).
    Show us also Thy glorious Resurrection.

    Dana

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  6. I was invited to go see Punch Brothers last night by a friend who had an actual ticket. Think I knew one song of their’s, and it may have been a cover…but it was an amazing, beautiful show. And one song was sang acapella, and I haven’t heard a whole room singing in unison quite like that since my Baptist days early 2000s…was amazing.

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  7. the beauty of Anglican choral music is one of Britain’s national treasures, I think . . . a treasure they have shared with the world, to its joy

    thank you for sharing this loving music with us this morning . . . strange that I wrote ‘loving’ instead of ‘lovely’ by mistake, but maybe I was right on with the first attempt after all . . . as prayer, this music expresses love in itself

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  8. Lee – Great referral. Here’s one you might mesmerizing as I do. Its an Easter hymn:
    Fadia el- Hage: Alyâwm – Greek – Arab Orthodox Easter Chant

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  9. Ch MIke: Thanks for sharing the Pray-as-you-go site with the IMonks. This site has been a staple of my morning prayers for several years and is a great blessing.

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  11. 4:15 a.m., My back was tired of laying in bed so I got up, went to the computer, read the most recent Internetmonk post and listened to an absolutely divine piece of Christian choral music which brought me joy..

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