MUSICAL COMPOSITION AND MYSTICAL SPIRITUALITY

By Brian Inglis

This book chapter in Enlivening Faith draws comparisons between aspects of mystical spirituality and compositional procedures and outputs. It discusses a number of compositions utilising spiritual intentions, processes or potential by Hildegard von Bingen, François Couperin, Arvo Pärt, Peter Maxwell Davies and Inglis himself.

A companion playlist is available on Spotify entitled Mysticism and Ecstasy. Check it here.

Audio recordings of other pieces/movements mentioned in the chapter are available here.

• ‘Alleluia’ from Prelude and Alleluia, 1996 (recorded live, July 2006, St Margaret Pattens Church London UK: Gina Fergione, Neil Greig-Smith and Rhodri Davies)

• ‘The Choirs of Angels’ from Visions of Sorrow and Joy, 1998 (recorded live, February 1999, Bath Abbey: Bath Choral Society/Matthew Bale)

• A Christmas Alleluia, 2015 (recorded live, December 2015, Bedford School: Bedford School Chapel Choir/Jeremy Rouse)

Video recording of The Song of Margery Kempe (2008) Scene 2

(featuring Loré Lixenberg performing at the 2009 Tête-à-Tête opera festival):