OUR MISSION
Defining American Neo-Renaissance Polyphony
In a certain respect, great sacred art, such as Michelangelo's paintings in the Sistine Chapel, Palestrina's musical setting of the Salve Regina, and the architecture of the Spanish mission churches along the Pacific coast of North America, is universal. Yet concurrently, in another respect, sacred art always uniquely speaks of the time and place in which it was created, providing a beautiful touchstone in Church history that the society of its birth can truly call its own.
The mission of Angelico Sacred Music is to help build such an artistic touchstone by creating beautiful, Renaissance-inspired musical art specifically for English-speaking Catholics of the 21st century. Further, we hope that when people listen to ASM compositions, their minds will be drawn away from the unedifying distractions of our age that constantly disappoint our deeper longings, and toward the eternal, peace-giving, and beautiful glory of the one, true, Trinitarian God, so that they may grow in loving yearning and anticipation for meeting Christ the King of Heaven, with all His saints and angelic choirs, in the life to come.
FILLING A GAP
The Catholic tradition has a rich treasury of recited prayers that millions of Catholics lovingly know by heart, including beautiful prayers straight from Sacred Scripture. We also have a wonderful tradition of artists, including brilliant and creative composers.
But sadly, the artistry of those composers, and this rich treasury of prayers, have not yet joined each other to create beautiful sacred polyphony in the English language.
Compositions from Angelico Sacred Music strive to fill this gap, creating beautiful, Renaissance-inspired music with English lyrics that you can easily understand. This is done by drawing from the compositional styles of renowned Catholic Renaissance composers such as Palestrina (1525 - 1594), Thomas Tallis (1505 - 1585), and Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548 - 1611), and blending them with the styles of contemporary composers who are rooted in more classical schools of composition, such as Henryk Górecki (1933 - 2010) and Ola Gjeilo (1978 - present).
OUR STYLE
Moving from the subject of tonality to compositional structure, ASM compositions are highly rhapsodic in form. This means that unlike sonatas, hymns, or praise and worship songs, the music has no verses, no repeat signs, no refrains, and nothing that resembles any of those features.
Consequently, every second of music provides fresh material for the listener's ear, and if a theme or melody is reintroduced, it is done so in a different key, in different vocal parts, with different chord progressions and harmonies, etc. This style is much more engaging for our present age, when nearly all encounters of musical listening are through digital recordings, rather than live performances.
The Angelico Philosophy
FIVE PILLARS THAT DISTINGUISH ASM'S
MISSION AND MINISTRY
American Catholic Patrimony
We strive to craft beautiful musical art that is truly Catholic, yet distinctly American with its English lyrics and innovative spirit.
Cathedral
in
Sound
Our works are not merely a random collection of pieces, but works of art that belong together, as pieces of stained glass within a cathedral clearly match each other.
We strive to craft beautiful musical art that is truly Catholic, yet distinctly American with its English lyrics and innovative spirit.
Primacy
of
Grace
Our ministry is built upon a generous moment of Divine Providence. Accordingly, we desire to put prayer first in all we do.
New
Horizons
We are filling a gap in the sacred music landscape to add a newfound beauty to the Church’s sacred music treasury!
Maximal
Beauty
Our primary goal is to present the most beautiful piece of musical art possible.
The Angelico Style
THREE ELEMENTS THAT MAKE AN ASM COMPOSITION UNIQUE
Rhapsody Form
In our music, there are no verses, refrains, or repeats of any kind, so every second provides fresh material for the listener's ear.
Beethoven 5 Method
Like Beethoven's 5th Symphony, each Angelico composition has its own distinct "motif."
Text Painting
This technique creates a musical effect that matches the meaning of the lyrical text.