Addressed to a group of young adults in Sacramento on April 30, 2022, this talk starts with the centrality of prayer in the Catholic life, looks at St. Joseph as a model, refutes the lies of the modern secular mentality, discusses the proper Christian use of media (especially the internet), praises the value of silence and the role of discernment in choice of music, suggests the right mentality to have for dating, and presents the glories of marriage, religious life, and priesthood. Includes an extensive Q&A that drills into all kinds of stuff. I mention that I will provide a list of music recommendations. Well, here it is! I am certainly not putting all of these items on the same level, or saying that everyone ought to like all of it. Rather, I put these forward as examples of higher-quality music, both art/high/classical and popular/folk. This is only a beginning, but it will give you endless hours of listening adventures! Instead of listing album names I am mostly listing ensembles or individuals; you can find them on Spotify, etc.
FOLK: (Just Good Stuff Modern Folk) The Avett Brothers* • Slaid Cleaves (usually depressing) • Josh Ritter (usually depressing) • The Arcadian Wild (especially their EP principium)* • The Wailin’ Jennys* • The Brothers Comatose • The Lumineers • Trampled by Turtles (Modern, soft gentle vibes, still worth it) • Gregory Alan Isakov* • The Brother Brothers • The Milk Carton Kids • Passenger Caamp • Simon and Garfunkel* • The Oh Hellos • Blanco White • Watchhouse* • Lord Huron First Aid Kit (Traditional sound, some new and some old compositions) • The Murphy Beds* • Gordon Bok, Ed Trickett, Ann Mayo Muir (a trio)* • Pete Seeger (mostly kid songs) • Gawler Sisters* • Stillwater Hobos • Hillbilly Thomists • Prickly Pair* (Bluegrass) • Nickel Creek • Doc Watson • Old Crow Medicine Show • Allison Krauss
Straight Up Irish Folk Music: • Tim O’Brien* • The High Kings • Liam Clancy • Battlefield Band • The Clancy Brothers • Grainne Hambly—harpist • Chris Norman Ensemle • Bela Fleck and the Flecktones Asterisk indicates a band especially recommended.
CLASSICAL: Ensembles: La Reverdie • Speculum Amoris • Laude di Sancta Maria • Legenda Aurea • Early Music Consort of London: Music of the Gothic Era • Hesperion XX and XXI (esp. Llibre Vermell de Montserrat—outstanding medieval music) • Spotify: “The Essence of the Renaissance” playlist • Jordi Savall • Arianna Savall • Rolf Lislevand • Wiener Hofburgkapelle (for Gregorian chant: sublime!) • Sequentia (music of Hildegard of Bingen) • Shining Light: Music from Aquitanian Monasteries • Martin Best Mediaeval Ensemble (for medieval troubadour music) • International Theological Institute: if you go here, you will find a great Byzantine chant playlist
COMPOSERS:
Josquin des Pres
Palestrina—Missa Papae Marcelli
William Byrd (try Ave Verum co Antonio
Vivaldi—Four Seasons
G. F. Handel
J. S. Bach
Sylvius Leopold Weiss—lute music
W. A. Mozart L
udwig Beethoven
Piotr Tchaikovsky
Rachmaninoff—Vespers
Gustav Holst—The Planets
Maurice Duruflé—Requiem
Henryk Górecki—Symphony No. 3
Arvo Pärt—Te Deum, Berliner Messe, Da Pacem, etc.
Prayer, Music, Dating — Advice for Young Catholics