Music is both a big part of our group work, and of personal practice. Because of this, we wanted to collect some useful resources. We fall into the general Pagan/Celtic influence for group work at this time (in large part because that’s where Jenett’s particularly comfortable) but we’re also interested in exploring the ritual and energetic effects of other musical traditions.
Phoenix Song uses some chants from sources below, but also a few of our own creation. We are also experimenting with some energy raising and focusing methods based on late medieval/early Renaissance polyphony.
One great resource for Pagan music is Serpentine Music which makes it easy to get some harder to find artists. Their Best of Pagan Song compilation is a great introduction to a number of classics and significant artists.
Chants:
It’s common for many groups to use simple chants in ritual to focus and direct energy, as an offering to the deities, or as a way to induce trance. Singing lets us join intention (through the words of the chant) and breath, which shifts our entire body.
Two books with music for chants are Jess Middleton’s Songs for Earthlings and Kate Marks’ Circle of Song. I tend to prefer the first for most of my uses, but they both have good stuff.
Online sources:
There are a number of online sources for learning chants: many include sound files. A few of our favorites:
- Beth’s Pagan Chants page has a number of common chants.
- The Utah Pagan Clergy Association put together a CD of common chants, and has now made it available online for free.
- Ivo Dominguez has hosted the Chant of the Month archive for years – both common and less common chants are here.
- Chants from Fireborn Spirit include a number of different chants.
- The En-Chant-Ment site includes not only chants, but notes and an essay on using them.
Recordings:
There are many recordings out there with chants. A number of these are available from iTunes or other online music stores, but I’ve linked here to the creator’s pages about them for additional information and resources.
- The Reclaiming tradition has put together a number of chant CDs with great sound quality and singing.
- Ruth Barrett, a Dianic priestess, has put out several CDs of chants (especially The Year is a Dancing Woman which has two CDs)
- Kiva has some lovely chants in luscious arrangements.
- Libana is a women-centered group that records music from many faith traditions: many of their recordings include multiple Pagan chants.
Jenett’s favorite music:
Some of these are Pagan musicians, writing music for other Pagans. Others are musicians who draw on the rich heritage of folktale, myth, and legend, but who may not be Pagan themselves. (links coming shortly). These are not all I listen to, but I’ve picked out those artists who are commonly mentioned by other Pagans.
- Avalon Rising
- Blackmore’s Night
- Castalia - a priestess and musician from Canada.
- Damh the Bard
- Elvendrums
- Emerald Rose
- Flight of the Hawk
- Gabrielle Roth‘s work on movement as prayer.
- Gaia Consort
- Heather Alexander
- Heather Dale
- Loreena McKennitt
- Maddy Prior : especially her Year album.
- Revel Moon
- Ruth McKenzie : her Kalevala: Dream of the Salmon Maiden is stunning music based on the Finnish saga.
- Spiral Dance
- Spiral Rhythym
- Thorn Coyle (Particularly Songs for the Strengthening Sun and Songs for the Waning Year with Sharon Knight)
- Three Weird Sisters
- The Wailin’ Jennys : Their “One Voice” sums up a lot of my approach to life.
- Wild Mercy
Also fond of musicians in various folk traditions – these include Great Big Sea and Steeleye Span, as well as several Scandinavian groups. (A favorite compilation is Wizard Women of the North). The harmonies are very different from British folk influenced music, but entrancing.
Local musicians:
We’ve been quite fond of attending the Rose Ensemble together: they’re based at the Minneapolis basilica and focus on Gregorian chant and Renaissance music. Much of what they sing comes from the Christian tradition, but it is beautiful music, with dense polyphony and a very thoughtful (and fun) approach to the historical side.
Jenett loved what she got to hear of the Dunn County Clerics and Réve du Faun at Twin Cities Pagan Pride in 2008. She’s also loved Kari Tauring‘s music since she first heard it (all three have some tracks you can listen to on their sites.)