Nordic Chamber Choir - O Magnum Mysterium (M. Lauridsen)

[MichaelaMarie2012]

I'm in love with this <3 <3 <3 <3

[Mcguffeygirl1016]

My high school band is playing this. Our concert is tonight... this song is pretty but its definitely killer on my jaws...

[klous40]

@semon2327 Maybe you will eventually get some... Grinding to classical music isn't too much fun...

[DanTheJScott]

This reminds me of Chapel CHoir at my school, and how beautiful the song was. Everybody in that chapel was crying. Thank you Lauridsen.

[DanTheJScott]

Beautiful. just beautiful

[ninachkah]

Heavenly.

[MegaMetalDemon]

Are school band is playing this.

[sawbloodprincess]

i have sung this .. it just gives you goosebumps when ever the audience hear it

it an inspirational peice so tranquil

[Belle6110]

Wow this is amazing

[KatieRitson]

no words to describe just how stunning this piece of music is! Absolutely beautiful doesn't even begin to cover it! :)

[junevi2000]

This song is a Christmas song actually if you understand the lyrics

[jjkearne]

Absolutely beautiful piece of music. This is the kind of song you just close you eyes and enjoy.

[JilutheFang]

3:35 :D

[vanhalen1975]

A lot of stuff hasn't been going right for me lately and this song is what gets me through it all.

[RamaRendezvoo]

@vanhalen1975 Have a Happy New Year. I hope things go better for you!

[vanhalen1975]

@RamaRendezvoo Thank you. That means a lot.

[foghorn73]

awesome Scandinavian sound

[boomstik101]

balls its been like 5 years since ive sung this song. i still remember how much effort i put into this, and also the trance i was in while singing it.

[Stonehenge40]

there are no words to describe...

[circa1907czec]

You can take me now.

[mobtownblues]

This is really gorgeous.

[mcampeau11]

Those dissonant chords....this is beautiful. Thank you. I just heard this piece tonight for the first time...it's transcendent...thank you . '

[ph0b0ph0bia]

I just jizzed everywhere.....

[xxCrazyEights88xx]

Excuse my language but, HOLY FUCKING SHIT THAT'S GOOD, in fact it's like jizzing in a $ 1,000,000 fountain. The dynamics are great, the harmony, everything was just perfect for my ears. :)

[davidwrightblue09]

gives me chills :D

[bobolicious007]

come see the Seattle Men's Chorus perform this piece at Benaroya Hall during our "Cool Yule" concert. :)

[kathrynpage93]

I LOVE this peice so so much ... Beautiful :-)

[zEquilibrium]

only flaw, I CANT FIND A RECORDING THATS LOUD ENOUGH



[ideindigo]

@zEquilibrium Hello zEquilibrium; I reccomend you very much this version

recorded by CMP ( just search for CMP + Lauridsen) Great Volume, excellent performance. Simply amazing! =)

[elli4210]

@zEquilibrium So turn the volume up! I've sung it myself and it's supposed to be quiet esp at the beginning.

[piechocolatethedos]

I love this. I'm not even religious, but this is so breathtaking.

[semon2327]

my mom said to me today "shouldn't you be listening ghetto rap or something?"....no mom, i'd much rather be listening to this <3



[benny6555]

@semon2327

did she also tell you not to put bullshit comments on youtube?

[wrthgdrver710]

I wish this song never ended

[ebbbakariblues]

@wrthgdrver710 type replay after youtube and before .com and it won't ever end!

[LawLord2010]

I'm lost for words. Undeniably Magnificent. Praise God!!

[Cionaodh57]

Magnificent! Words fail. Absolutely an encounter with beauty itself.

[lovelystrings]

2nd violin has the best part in this piece!

[Appreciatornator]

If you get from 0:00 to 4:58 without losing your shit you're not listening right.

[mdgow]

This is a spectacular work of art. Crushingly, powerfully, emotionally beautiful.

[HfxTenor]

Simply transcendent. The slower tempo really brings out the meaning and the harmonies. Well done!

[EvanLividicus]

Unbelievable, we are doing this piece for our Concert Choir, a bit faster paced than this. But the over tones are beautiful!!

[mikewithglasses102]

I love this piece, and this is the first time I heard the recording.

[alexanderje1]

It truly pierces through to my soul; and I see I am not the only one!

Thank you all.

[mzluvable247]

my chorus sang this song and we were the first middle school of children to ever perfom this song we did an amazing job!

[Dontoffermeanything]

This version has pretty much ruined all over versions of this piece for me. Everyone else hearing that gorgeous spinning overtone at 4:32? So gorgeous.

[mbmaccin555555]

@Dontoffermeanything It's the words that count. :]

[MrPiano90]

Darn you Lauridsen! What are you trying to do,..melt my soul away to the High Heavens with your beautiful, celestial, music?!

[EricaRosemary]

i keep hitting replay because its just so beautiful it fills the room with such passion! and when u listen to it, the voices blend and float so well together it gives me chills!!!!

[musicman22035]

3:30-4:06 TOUCHES MY SOULLLLLLL

[piepiepie00092]

I'm Jewish and I don't even care that this is about the birth of Jesus, this song is probably the most gorgeous choral work I've ever heard! I did it in my school chamber choir as a tenor and I just could never get it out of my head. It's just so emotionally driven and there's so much tension in the chords!!! ughhhhhhh it's so good

[chopper84a]

made by man not 'god'. Proof of the existence of men who love to believe in 'god', not of the love of 'god'!

[XMissManoloX]

@mrclown1991 always

[XMissManoloX]

mrclown1991 always.

[mrclown1991]

anybody else tear up listening to this?

[piepiepie00092]

@mrclown1991 I do . . . js

[13Yeared]

My choir is doing this for our christmas concert, I'm excited :)

[crazeyjester]

i feel like im going to heaven when i listen to this song....truely amazing

[3robjones]

Just heard Eikanger Bjorsvik Musikklag perform this at Siddis. Was amazed first time I'd ever heard it.

[aaaydan]

@3robjones

I play with eikanger and I'm still here listening to it now :)

[MrPiano90]

10 dislikes? What the heck?

[pianosa1993]

@MrPiano90 but to the ratio of 1,211 likes, that's pretty darn good :)

[rekeorkanna]

wow. so stunning. playing this piece with a senior high honor band and our performance is tonight. we where supposed to listen to a coral version first and now i know why. simply incredible. I have an entirely new perspective on how to play this now!! wow. no words.

[Elixirmusiques]

Wow! This music is like a sunrise in the soul. Thank you so much.

[MrPiano90]

The best performance of this piece ever! One million thumbs up from me!

[EBE246]

;_; I love this song, and i've seen the kings college choir sing it, my God so many singers and what resonance. :) Yaw should check out the singer vids, they are awesome as hell.

[xxxfairymaryxxx]

SO so beautiful.... haven't had a piece of music that's made me feel like this since Whitacre's 'A Boy and a Girl'... my heart is bleeding <3

[ChlorineHeart]

so so so so so gooodddd I can't get over it

[deannalavalle]

English Translation:

O great mystery,

and wonderful sacrament,

that animals should see the new-born Lord,

lying in a manger!

Blessed is the Virgin whose womb

was worthy to bear

Christ the Lord.

Alleluia!

[SFsuperforte]

I can't get through that low D without crying

[aprilchick70]

This is my favorite version of O Magnum :)

[kaylahaus22]

My small choir group is going to attempt this..10 of us compared to this amazing choir? Uhhh ya..

[LoveStallion]

This is, without question, the zenith of versions of this piece. The Lauridsen arrangement is my favorite, but coupled with this choir and Nicol Matt, it's just outstanding. There's nothing like it.

[nicholson112358]

Mmmm...that low D at the climax is such a release...I love Lauridsen's use of Major 9 chords.

[drmikesnow]

Beautiful. God lives and He loves us all :)

[singingchickk8]

no words to describe the beauty <3

[xJAKExEDGEx]

are 9 people that musically challenged?

[amberdestiny18]

How can you listen to this song and not believe there's a God who created such beauty?

[dean84921]

@amberdestiny18 "Nature herself has imprinted on the minds of all the idea of god." Cicero

[elli4210]

@amberdestiny18 A composer created such beauty; whether God is indirectly responsible is a religious question.

[schneidyvids]

Favorite piece ever. Nothing makes me feel the way this piece feels.

[CaitlinDisc0]

This is so beautiful

[mbmaccin555555]

Even though this song is a happy song, I want this played at my funeral. 

[SarahDonovanMusic]

This is by far the most incredible piece of music I have ever gotten to sing

[anettehallstrom]

@MrKevinB: exactly my words 10 months ago. I still find it hard to sing, but must admit that practice makes it easier to avoid crying yourself. Now we shall sing it again, in December in a Danish Church in central Copenhagen. Cannot wait :)

[gaetanproductions]

Pour Fred... Bon voyage....

[Donna1785]

Every time I hear this, the holy spirit moves within me so strongly to praise God Our Father, and Our Lord Jesus Christ. And to give thanks for Mary who said yes to God so that the world could have the savior.

[Donna1785]

Every time I hear this, the holy spirit moves within me so strongly to praise God Our Father, and Our Lord Jesus Christ.

[xxCrazyEights88xx]

How could someone dislike this? IT'S UN HUMAN!

[blagster1234]

I still love this.

[rinkouen13]

We're singing this song for my choir and it's so pretty that I can't wait to start singing it.

[goldenecho]

sometimes, the words you need to hear aren't words.

[dkelleym]

The purest voices are needed to sing this piece. This is by far the best recording I've heard, and I've heard hundreds! Too many choirs have too many quivering, quavering sops, divas trying to be heard over all the others, and individual voices ruin potentially good choral groups.

[ChristianHinkle]

ugh...spelling horrible as l could not see my typing

[ChristianHinkle]

l reprsent 1101 likes on this and for tbe life of me cannot understand where thaere would be 8 dislikes....this pureness touch my soul and was the most beautiful 6 minutes of my life musically. and thats comong from a trumpeter

[karoljnilla895]

this is my favorite rendition of this masterpiece.

[tennotes]

This choir captures the very meaning of the words with their beautiful mastery of the music. It's all there; purity of tone, blend, dynamics, breath control, NUANCES few other groups feel. Perfect clarity. No words adequately describe this unbelievably exquisite performance.

[MELOVESTHETRUMPET]

um, can i get the lyrics to this?

[StopSocialismUSA]

O great mystery

and wondrous sacrament,

that animals should see the newborn Lord

lying in their manger.

Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy

to bear the Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia!

[tashaluvsherbuffy]

This is the kind of music that when you sing or play it... you poor out your soul and cry because it is so beautiful!

[UNevan]

We did this song a couple years ago in chorus. Unfortunately i am a bass, so it was hella boring me. i wanna be a tenor :(

[AadenIgnition]

I've only heard this song twice in my choir class, and it made my teacher want to come to school in Indiana. Well I really don't like her so curse this song! But it's so beautiful and amazing...

[blagster1234]

This absolutely fantastic.

[MisterSpazzy]

Absolutely flawless. That was amazing. Every dynamic marking, note, vowel, tempo, etc. was perfect.

[DMONSTRATIVEADJETIVE]

my eyes are closed the entire time, i sang this in choir last year and it was and is the most beautiful peice i have ever had the pleasure of singing, it makes me tear up hearing it

[malachitx]

I'm on my twelfth time through this song...

[Music3251]

I am getting to study Music Theory with Morten Lauridsen, he is incredible!!

[kailanikcmz]

I still love this song soo much. My select choir sang it. If u guys like this also check out by him: Ave Maria, and Winter by Z. Randall Stroope.

[ShaneDinan]

Inspirational



[zesky]

I can't get over this. Just amazing.

[funkmastergeto]

Beautiful

[KnucklesEchidna125]

We were going to sing this for our Winter Concert back in high school, but we didn't get the vowels right, so we chose to sing Renee Clausen's version of O Holy Night instead.

[uncatila]

Thanks Morten you hit this ball out of the park proving that Modal and tonal counterpoint still aught to be studied. 

[ourDC888]

beautiful! Thank you!

[Radiogirl711]

when was this sang, and by North Salem High School's Nordic Choir? in Oregon?

[tydydpony93]

@Radiogirl711 this is the Nordic Chamber Choir. I believe they're called the Chamber Choir of Europe now. They're a professional group haha :)

[angelastri]

Gives me indelible goosebumps from the beginning until the very end !! Beautiful.. So beautiful.. I wish I had choir like this. Hehehehe...

[EBE246]

I like this version better, i like the E natural more, the other Eb also sounds good.

[misterrabell]

this reminds me of high school choir. :(

all 126 members loved this song... we kicked ass... but this recording is beautiful!

[tomnpg717]

fantastic!

[JokerFace1989]

This might be the most beautiful Acapella composition ever written.

[moonbreaker94]

4:04 <3

[moonbreaker94]

i sang it in the amazingness of ely cathedral.. i nearly cried while doing so, it's so beautiful..

[SFsuperforte]

absolute best version. and it's the only one where you can hear that incredible low D

[MrAdulator]

8 people have lost their sense of what beauty is in its most pure form.

[ursulabpenharvel]

@MrAdulator

they might not know beauty....

[MattWeisherComposer]

I love this piece and my choir has had the privelige of working with Mr. Lauridsen. If you have any time, please visit my channel and listen to my own "O Magnum Mysterium". Thanks a lot.

[MattWeisherComposer]

I love this piece and my choir has had the privelige of working with Mr. Lauridsen.

[Mrmcghee57]

I love this song, it shows great usage of dynamic control. I t has been said to be the most beautiful songs in the world ! One day I hope to teach a middle school choir this song

[jchilds51]

i like the low basses on the allelujah chord. the notes that are like impossible to sing. im very impressed with this song :)

[spamodell]

8 people don't think "ut animalia viderent Dominum natum, jacentem in praesepio"

(that animals should see the new-born lord lying in a manger)

[MrFig1987]

@spamodell; Wow, that was original.

[spamodell]

5 people don't think "ut animalia viderent Dominum natum, jacentem in praesepio"

(that animals should see the new-born lord lying in a manger)

[keemez]

GOOD GRIEF that ending is incredible!!!!!!! Talk about DYNAMIC CONTROL!

[MorrisseyRT]

Latin text O magnum mysterium, et admirabile sacramentum, ut animalia viderent Dominum natum, jacentem in praesepio! Beata Virgo, cujus viscera meruerunt portare Dominum Christum. Alleluia. English translation O great mystery, and wonderful sacrament, that animals should see the new-born Lord, lying in a manger! Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy to bear Christ the Lord. Alleluia!

[Firebiird]

This song got me through the toughest times in my life.

[TheGhostMuse]

4:10-4:55 is amazing.

[MrKevinbratcher]

Hardest part about singing this is not breaking down or letting your voice shake. Best choral music EVER.

[TomH618]

Who is the Composer?? This is my favorite choral piece of all time. Stunning.

[celerysoup]

@TomH618 Composer is Morten Lauridsen.

[miamidefender]

O great mystery, and wonderful sacrament, that animals should see the new-born Lord, lying in a manger! Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy to bear Christ the Lord. Alleluia!

[MrPoog]

This and the King's College recording are simply incredible. However, if this chamber choir was singing in a cathedral as well, there would be no comparison. This is the very, very best, by a very large margin. Absolutely gorgeous.

[aseretkavon]

This song sounds so much like O Nata Lux (also by Lauridsen) it's bizarre. At least, all the way up until 3:30 it's practically the same. After that, Lauridsen throws in a couple more chord progressions. It'd be interesting to make a complete side-by-side analysis of the two works! Not just a music theory comparison, but also a historical comparison, when the two pieces were written, by whom they were commissioned, etc.

[bimmerboy87]

@aseretkavon o magnum mysterium was commissioned by the la master chorale and their conductor paul salamunovich in 1994. O Nata Lux is the 3rd song in the song cycle lux aeterna. Lux Aeterna & O Nata Lux were also written for and dedicated to the la master chorale and their conductor paul salamunovich while lauridsen was their composer in residence. It was completed and premiered by the chorale in 1997. Lauridsen has said that lux aeterna borrows motivic elements from o magnum mysterium

[aseretkavon]

@bimmerboy87 That's so cool to know! Thanks so much for sharing this information!

[bimmerboy87]

@aseretkavon ya no problem! if you like this recording you should check out the la master chorale's recording of this song on youtube. Its very different, but i feel its more true to lauridsen's intent. Lauridsen stated that every note he wrote in the works he composed for the la master chorale (including o magnum) were written to take advantage of the unique sound paul salamunovich (the master chorale's former conductor) is able to get out of his choirs.

[aseretkavon]

@bimmerboy87 That's very interesting to hear as well. I'll check out the recordings when I get a chance! (Probably now)

[Shadowbunnyjedi]

3:36 anyone?

[blessedalcuin]

@Shadowbunnyjedi Are you trying to sneer at an error? It's an amazingly clever bit of dissonance Lauridsen wrote into the piece just to wake you up.

[harmonyem]

This is chilling. Absolutely amazing!

[Aineloim]

Thank you so much for sharing this, it wasn't until today that I remembered singing this as a part of a chamber choir when I was younger. Singing music like this was the only thing that got me through my teens. I lived for that feeling of every hair on my body standing on end when singing music like this in a cathedral. I'm not even christian, and I can still feel the divinity in this piece!

[me2525]

People want this song at their funeral? It's about the birth of Jesus Christ! How...unfitting.

[escha239]

@me2525 Well yes. But the title is fairly neutral, and most people don't speak enough Latin to interpret the lyrics as the song is sung. I'm not religious and I love this song, because it reminds me of other mysteries - the mystery of our existence, the mystery of life, etc. Interpreting in that way would make it a nice contemplative piece for a funeral.

[Shadowbunnyjedi]

@me2525 yet it features dissonance more than once throughout... hmm

[MrWalt423]

that was funny ...omg ..lmao...however, this choir sounds really good

[Fhqwhgad410]

I feel bad for the 8 tone deaf people that disliked this

[blessedalcuin]

@Fhqwhgad410 They didn't even listen to it. They're just trolls looking for something to disagree with. Looking down your nose at something means you're ever so smart, don't ya know.

[KonekoTsukino]

A Gorgeous recording!

We sang this song my senior year of high school and I melted whenever I heard it. It's beautiful and to this day, I still get teary eyed when I hear it. I do not believe anyone can argue that this is not an amazing song, that it does not move a person in some way or form. It's because of gorgeous music like this that I know there is a God. Sounds lame, I know, but I cannot deny it when I listen to this song.

[chickenman136]

Victoria sucks a big one

[Cabose727]

I believe, though I may be incorrect, that the low D is around 4:22 and 4:42

[ChibbySu]

When I first heard this song, I closed my eyes and it took me to another place. It's probably one of the most beautiful masterpieces ever made. The way their voices just wash over you, it's like your falling into peacefulness and security. :3

[missydb3]

i just had a musical orgasm.

[DirectoresCortar]

the resonance of that note at 4:11!!! I want to run around the house!!!

[jrubenp]

Stunning performance

[MyKitkat32]

This seriously made me cry... ive been playing this in band everyday but have never gotten the same reaction i get from listening to the choir sing this

[scanthemelon]

when exactly is the low D?



[robwushu]

@scanthemelon

theres one at 4:23

and another at the end of the piece 6:44

[joyspinjodian]

@scanthemelon the low D is around 4:22

I'm pretty sure my choir did not have anyone able to sing that low when we performed it! I will say, having performed it, it does help me enjoy the piece more now, since now I recognize each part more intimately, especially with respect to dynamics.

what a marvelous mystery how Christ was born! (this is what the song is talking about, see wikipedia)

[stelladeneb1]

wonderful...