[An Environmental Liturgy] -- To the best of my research, Paul Winter and his Paul Winter Consort released Missa Gaia/Earth Mass, a two record set, in October 1982. So, while it did not come out 40 years ago this week, Missa Gaia/Earth Mass is still 40 years old this year, so it's fair game in my opinion. Also, I'm looking only to the album release date; the music itself was performed and recorded a year earlier. Anyway, I thought this album might provide a necessary respite from the commercial onslaught that begins on Black Friday.
I'll explain briefly.
The origins of this release go back to 1980, when James Parks Morton, dean of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, invited Paul Winter, the Cathedral's Director of Music (1977-1991), to compose a contemporary Mass. Winter intended a work both ecumenical and ecological in scope, embracing all the voices of the Earth. The resultant composition was Missa Gaia/Earth Mass, which took its name from both Latin and Greek: Latin (missa = mass) and Greek (gaia = mother nature). The new composition had a live premiere on May 10, 1981 – Mother’s Day to celebrate Mother Earth. This premiere included a sermon by David Brower, founder and president of Friends of the Earth.
The album version is based on three recordings in the Cathedral that year: two in September and one on St. Francis Day (October 4), in honor of the Saint’s 800th birthday. I guess the mixing and any re-recording efforts took Paul Winter and his team about a year because, as I mentioned, the album release was in October 1982. On this album, The Paul Winter Consort weaves together a chorus, choristers, a pipe organ (that just happens to reside in the largest Gothic cathedral in the world), and animal voices (specifically wolf, whale, and loon). In doing so, they create a musical celebration of the Earth in the form of a Mass.
"Musically the ecumenical character is underlined by a web of various musical traditions and styles: from Gregorian chant of the Middle Ages through Protestant hymns, Romantic organ music, African instruments, Latin American rhythms, elements of Gospel song to contemporary rock ballad."
Sources:
The embedded YouTube playlist is missing two tracks ("Song Of Praise" and "Dance Of Gaia") which are available only on the vinyl release.
Flashback: Missa Gaia/Earth Mass (1982)
And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
I'll see you in seven!
