Customer Reviews

African Sanctus

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fanshawe did a good job at blending the cultures and native African recordings with his compositions. The whole concept of his journey is wonderful, and the CD cover does a great job of describing his intentions and activities and also contains a comprehensive overview of each movement. Basically, Fanshawe has taken the traditional movements of the ordinary mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei) and added movements, changed the order, and added all the African sounds that he recorded on his ethnomusical journey. I will admit that there are a couple of moments that I don't particularly adore, but they are few and far between. Just the Credo and Sanctus movements alone make this CD worth buying, and the rest of the movements are a bonus as far as I'm concerned! Highly recommended!

I heard Fanshawe speak when he visited my college a few years past. I had to pick up this CD after, and it has been a staple of my musical diet ever since. It is a stunning musical blend of a traditional Sanctus and African tribal music (forgive me if my terminology is wrong, I'm an English major, not a music major). Without wanting to get pithy and/or didactic about harmony and diversity, it truly shows how lives and faiths blend through this incredible music.

For example, check out the "Kyrie: Call to Prayer." This is a juxtaposition and combination of the Muslim and Christian faiths, as it combines the traditional Christian kyrie liturgy with the recital of the Azan, Call to Prayer, which Fanshawe received special permission to record in the Muhammad Ali Mosque in Cairo.

It's amazing. If you can't take my word for it, check it out yourself.

This piece of music is absolutely stunning. The "Et in Spiritum Sanctum" actually almost makes me cry every time I hear it. It's just so... Pure. You can feel the humanity and deep spirituality of this piece. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

I found this CD at the library and renewed it weekly for a year because I couldn't give it up. Bottom line is the Our Father. Don't listen in pieces, hear it through from end to end.

I remember singing selections from David Fanshawe's "African Sanctus" for Texas State choir auditions my sophomore year in high school. Fanshawe is definitely not for everyone, and some will probably find his "African Sanctus" strange. But for those who are prepared to listen, it's a great experience.

"African Sanctus" was inspired by Fanshawe's expeditions to Uganda, Sudan, Egypt, and Kenya in 1969-72. He recorded indigenous chants and Muslim prayer calls, and incorporated the recordings into his own setting of the Mass. For example, the first track starts off with an African tribal chant, with the choir superimposed. The second track is fascinating- it's a recording of an imam chanting the traditional Muslim prayer call, and a choir singing the Kyrie; the tonality of the 2 go together very nicely.

If you enjoy both world music and classical music, and are looking for something different, get this CD. It has a lot to offer.

I purchased this album on an LP many years ago, I was very happy it has been recorded on a CD. I enjoyed the CD and recommended it to other friends.

This album became a favorite in our family a year or two before we moved to Africa. It does contain quite contrasting styles of music so a lot of people won't like everything on it. I myself prefer the more lyrical "Lord's Prayer" as well as the stunning weaving together of the Kyrie and the Call to Prayer. The latter in particular evokes a visceral hope for peace and understanding between Muslims and Christians in Africa (a hope which I think is unrealistic but nice to envision anyway).

I have to say that I find the present album cover rather unbecoming to the work ... don't be put off if you don't like it either.

If you've gotten as far as to read these reviews, don't leave the page without at least sampling some of the pieces now that Amazon lets you hear before you buy. You may find yourself as entranced as I was!

I found this CD at the library and renewed it weekly for a year because I couldn't give it up. Bottom line is the Our Father. Don't listen in pieces, hear it through from end to end.

David Fanshawe is wonderful! Most of the songs are a wonderful blend of western and african culture. The Our Father is beautiful, the boys choir that sings it is amazing. This work is even better live.

I'm sorry I purchased this. It is not what I had envisioned.....I wanted more authentic African music. African voices are magnificent...why not let them sing their own music?