Monk music

[asterroc]

Having just re-listened to the Anathem (Neal Stephenson) audiobook with its really nice monkish music at each chapter start, I really want to listen to some monk music. (I'm sure there's gotta be another name for it, but I can't think of it.) Anyone got a link to free downloadable monk music recordings, or barring that anyone want to recommend some that I can buy?

Edit: Is it Gregorian chants that I'm thinking of? I want polyphonic, male choir, acapella, Latin.

Comments

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

I did in fact stumble across Palestrina on YouTube soon after writing this post, and then used him to seed a Pandora channel (after a few attempts to figure out what Pandora calls him).

It seems to me like "liturgical music" includes music of more modern centuries (post Reformation). In a literal sense it seems the term could also include the musical traditions of groups other than Christians, or it could include Christian rock (if used in the context of services).

I forget if you're a fan of sci-fi, but you might find the world of Anathem of interest. The society has perpetuated for something like 4,000 years under a system whereby the scientists and theoreticians have been cloistered away from the rest of society in self-sufficient mixed-sex monasteries where they perform their research but do not advance any technology. The world outside their walls waxes and wanes as they continue to advance theoretical disciplines (theoretical physics, philosophy, math, etc.) undisturbed other than when the secular powers feel need to call upon their abilities. It's a strange mixture of honoring the intellectuals by allowing them to do their work in peace, and fearing and segregating them to where they can't do any harm to society.