Medieval Meditation
Music written over 500 years ago for the purpose of devotion and contemplation still has relevance today and offers a much-needed pause in our busy contemporary lives. Gently soaring voices, murmuring chants and drones, the spare harmonies of Medieval polyphony, the haunting notes of a flute or clarinet – this music invites reflection and meditation. The lasting musical and emotional impact of Medieval music finds new voice in the works of contemporary composers John Tavener, Morten Lauridsen, Steve Reich and David Childs; while the final piece on this playlist, David Hamilton's Karakia of the Stars, draws on both Medieval idioms, including the sweetly ethereal solo female voice found in Hildegard von Bingen's music, and the folk music and legends of New Zealand.