If you are a David Lanz fan, you are going to want to check out his Web site. His CDs are on sale and there is a lot more to be found there as well.

First of all, the CDs are a dollar off, and if you are looking for a particular piece of music, there is a convenient table that lists all of his CDs and the contents of each.

There are also “songbooks,” and music for solo piano karaoke. These are not available for download, but are definitely at good prices.

There are some downloadable files however. There is one page that has sheet music for those of you who play for your enjoyment. This sheet music is at extremely reasonable prices and is a great buy for musicians. I’ll envy you for afar - I’m still pretty new on the violin and not quite ready to join David Lanz.

And last, but not least as they say, there are some mp3 files that are available free of charge. Take a look - there is some of Lanz’s earlier work, AND some new arrangements.

Believe it or not, Gregorian Chant is considered part of the new age music genre. I found that odd at first, but considering the spirituality of the chant, it makes sense. It is a beautiful chant, that is very meditative and relaxing. Although I prefer Russian chant, Gregorian is a more traditional and well-known chant, and it has become very popular.

Gregorian Chant is named after Pope Gregory I who led the Catholic Church in the sixth century. There are approximately 3000 compositions. It evolved out of Hebrew Chant and became the Catholic Church’s largest contribution to music after the time of Pope Gregory. Although seldom heard in the 1960s and 70s, it has enjoyed a recent popularity within the church and within the new age music genre.

Chant is sung without any instrumental background. The voices themselves create the music and the mood. It has no meter whatsoever, but groups around two or three notes. Musical scales, as we commonly think of them, are not used, but modes are, which is a form of music theory that groups certain notes together for an effect.

Listen to some Gregorian Chant online before making any purchases. Some people love it. Others do not care for it at all. As I said, I prefer Russian chant, but I do enjoy listening to Gregorian from time to time. It has a very unearthly and deep spiritual sound that touches the soul in a very unique manner. It could easily be thought of as the music of the angels.

Gregorian Chant at Princeton

St. Michael’s Abbey

Antiphon — Morning Prayer

The Catholic Encyclopedia - Gregorian Chant

Wikipedia - Gregorian Chant

Gregorian Schola

Although the lyrics are not copyrighted, the recordings are, so if you do download some chant, it is for personal use only!

When neoclassical music was gaining its fans and becoming more than an alternative genre, there was a popular musician who did the musical score for a film based on the book, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. It was quite a departure for Diamond, who was known for songs such as, “Hot August Night,” and “Forever in Blue Jeans.” But it was a beautiful album and it deserves a place within the ranks of neoclassical music.

The music of this album is free, flowing, and fully involves the listener. If you are familiar with the book, listen to it, and close your eyes; you will feel yourself fly just like Jonathan did, attempting to go higher and higher. It is some of the best contemporary instrumental music I have ever heard.

The lyrics to the few pieces of music that require vocals are quite reflective of the book as well. I believe that Jonathan brought about a change in the way many people approached philosophy; whether that is good or not is certainly up to the individual. But I love the lyrics and I think you will as well.

Jonathan and Neil Diamond were a bit ahead of their time. Perhaps that is the way of all true musicians and creators. It certainly seems to be true with neoclassical music!

Samples from Jonathan Livingston Seagull Soundtrack (Real Player or Windows Media)
Jonathan Livingston Seagull Lyrics