Customer Reviews

Ambrosian Chant

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Few people realize that Gregorian Chant is not the only form of sacred chant that existed in Europe. Of course Byzantine chant was known in Constantinople and her spheres of influence. But even in the Latin west there were several forms of chant, two of which survive to this day: Mozarabic and Ambrosian.
Ambrosian Chant is named after and attributed to Ambrose, bishop of Milan (Italy) in the 4th century. Ambrosian Chant has continued to be the chant proper to the distinct liturgical practices of the Milanese church.
This particular recording presents the sounds of Ambrosian Chant wonderfully. For anyone interested in experiencing the wide range of sacred music traditions that existed in Western Europe, this CD as well as Chant Mozarabe (Mozarbic Chant), should be on your shelf.

through all the world's madness music has been there for me, keeping a love for life burning bright. music as prayer. the beauty that's within the soul. this is a stunning recording of latin chant from italy. absolutely gorgeous. if you find enrapture in the heart of music. if you find the human voice about as good a musical instrument as there is. then this disc is for you.

I couldn't be happier with this cd. What a great value for the money. The chant is beautiful, there are many great pieces, and you can't beat the low Amazon price. I definatelt recommed this one. I have a copy in my car and office for anti-rage music, and I am getting another one today for my family. I must have chant cd.

Absolutely awesome and the best prayer chant...amazing voices and arrangements...one of the best heard! The price is right through Amazon CD...fast shipping very smooth transaction. Highly recommended indeed!

The lineage of Ambrosian Chant is complex--and well explained in the enclosed booklet with the CD. In Dulci Jubilo is a women's chorus from Milan where this early form of Catholic chant originated. There is no musical accompaniment, no big theatrics or fireworks--just beautiful, sublime voices like a choir in heaven. There is a true sense of peace in this music.

Ambrosian chant is a form of plain chant used by the Church of Milan and is named after Saint Ambrose who was Bishop of the metropolitan diocese from 374 to 397 and is credited as their creator by medieval tradition.

When Saint Ambrose succeeded to the See of Milan, he found there in use a liturgy associated with Saint Barnabas which had been brought from Greece and Syria.

Under Saint Ambrose this liturgy evolved and came to be called the 'Ambrosian Rite'. Over the centuries the rite was subjected to continuous modification to bring it more in conformity with the Roman use.

The Ambrosian Missal became more and more Romanised but Ambrosian chant, on the other hand, completely escaped standardisation and to this day survives as an "independent unit".

The chants on this CD are directed by Alberto Turco, an Italian musicologist who specialises in Gregorian and Ambrosian chant and has lectured on the former at the Ambrosian Pontifical College of Sacred Music in Milan.

There are 19 tracks on the CD with a total playing time of 62 minutes 19 seconds. They include chants for each part of the Ordinary of the Ambrosian Mass plus antiphons, musical forms of psalmody, responsories and other short pieces.

The programme notes are written in English, French and German and the texts of the chants are in Latin and English. The recording was made in 1995 in the parochial Church of Quatrelle in Mantua, Italy.

This CD is a good introduction to Ambrosian Chant. It is excellent value for money and highly recommendable.