The album's tracklist, with the exception of the first track, follows the order of the ecclesiastical year's liturgy.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The choice of arrangements for the album was based on the texts of the chants, with Martin Grubinger brushing up his Latin to ensure his music complemented the sung prayers.
Interpretation
The album combines Gregorian chant with percussion, with up to 50 individual tracks of percussion instruments, electric bass, oboe, and flugelhorn superimposed on the chanting.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Martin Grubinger, the percussionist, views Gregorian chant as the "elemental cosmos of music" and percussion as a global sound world, aiming to show this breadth through diverse instruments.
Recording & Production
The Gregorian chants on this album were recorded in 1981 by the Benedictine Abbey Münsterschwarzach and re-used for this project.
Cultural Impact
This album aims to promote a broader ecumenism by combining Islamic mysticism, through the poetry of Yunus Emre, with Gregorian chant, and to counter racism and xenophobia.
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