Gregorian Chant: Songs of the Spirit (1995)

This disc (currently available for viewing online) makes a worthwhile introduction to Gregorian chant for newcomers as well as a beautiful audiovisual album for aficionados to watch and listen. The music is rich, textured, and inspiring. A slide show of beautiful church and monastery scenes (architectural as well as decorative) dating back to the 1200s lends visual anchors to the aural flow. Between pieces, de la Cuesta offers several explanatory sentences about the art form and his lifelong appreciation for chant. He closes by citing chant's spiritual and emotional power, which I for one found evident throughout the lay and monastic choirs' selections but esp. in the final piece. The words may blur together unless you know Latin but I suspect this disc can imbue relaxation and peace anytime you are prepared to listen. 3.5 stars.