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January 1998 |
For the briefest moments, I thought I might get through a modern interpretation of the Latin mass without sinking to seductive finkiness. On “Kyrie” (Lord Have Mercy), the male Gregorian chant begins as plainsong; then voices overlap and loop while female voices call angelically from the distance. Then we are entertained with dancehall/African rhythms and wah-wah bass. The point here is what? and its relationship to “mercy” is...what? To be fair, Davidson, a graduate of Berklee College of Music, sings all voices. His vocal harmonics and progressions are intriguing and rhythmic loops lessen as the album progresses. “Laudamus te: (We praise you) reminds me of Indian devotional chanting and was appropriately celebratory, as fit the lyrics. “Domine” (Lord God) eventually grew to vocals that seemed to stretch to the heavens. In most masses, “Qui tollis” (You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us) is an emotional gutwrencher. Here, Davidson seems to have reached the mark. The ambient sounds bring up the images of a mean, metallic world, while the voices plaintively beg for mercy. “Quoniam” (You alone are holy) is also in the groove of a mantra, that is. Its quiet, circular chanting is quite meditative and comforting. “Credo” (I believe) is where the church really lays out what you SHOULD believe. A perfect opportunity to turn on your heel. Here, Davidson has a woman’s voice read the length text; this is followed by a Swingle Singers interpretation, a cappella. Intriguing. “Sanctus” (Holy, holy) is typically the roof raiser of most masses. Davidson begins it as a deep Tibetan chant followed by high voices. Percussion and bass seem appropriate here, adding a buoyant atmosphere. “Benedictus” (Blessed is he who comes) finishes the mass with a meditation for sting ensemble. The mass is capped off with the choir singing in tight, but simple harmony. Davidson admitted in the promo material that he had no interest in the religious beliefs or in “stepping in dogma.” What might he compose if he spiritually “owned” the material? Compare to Bach’s B minor Mass. He’ll make a believer out of you-and he’s not even Catholic. |
