Salve Regina
October 7, 2022 - 10:33am — Sherri Matthew
I'd like to introduce you to one track I recorded and released in 2014: an arrangement of Salve Regina (p. 279 in the 1934 Liber Usualis).
Although I play Irish wire-strung harp, this track is unique in that it did not feature any harp!
It was modelled after Irish musician Enya's multitracked vocal recordings and has many layers of synthesizer.
The photo to the right shows my harmonic planning for the recorded layers.
For reference, here is the original Gregorian chant in the Liber Usualis.
Here is a photo of my recording studio and my harp. Currently I am working on another set of Gregorian chant selections for a new release for early next year. This is primarily an analog recording studio (read: reel to reel 1/2" tape, not computer-based), and it is maintained by three separate service firms in the Burlington, Vermont area. The workflow is slower than on computer but also the way of thinking and constructing music is different as well. There is also a pronounced difference in sound... it has a much softer, warmer quality. It can be difficult to maintain this presence when outputting the final version to digital for online distribution, but professional mastering has been helpful here.
And last, but certainly not least, meet Jasmine!
Jasmine was adopted in 2008 as a kitten abandoned by her mother (stepped on by cows in the barn where she was born and squished flat by careless hooves) and entered foster care and then put up for adoption. She became my 2008 Christmas kitten, adopted 12/23/2008.
At four months she entered a professional musicians' household and was exposed to both my husband George playing Bach and ragtime on the piano and me playing my harp in the studio. Now going on 14, she's a little musician herself, with her very own harp that she got for her 10th birthday (a cardboard DIY kit) and numerous popcorn tins throughout the house with 8" rubberbands that she likes to pluck. She can keep time to just about any genre you play, or make up little melodies of her own! (and yes, we do have videos!)
MP3 Music Playlist:
- 30-second clip of Salve Regina from Vox Celeste (2014)
I'd like to introduce you to one track I recorded and released in 2014: an arrangement of Salve Regina (p. 279 in the 1934 Liber Usualis).Although I play Irish wire-strung harp, this track is unique in that it did not feature any harp!
It was modelled after Irish musician Enya's multitracked vocal recordings and has many layers of synthesizer.
The photo to the right shows my harmonic planning for the recorded layers.
For reference, here is the original Gregorian chant in the Liber Usualis.Here is a photo of my recording studio and my harp. Currently I am working on another set of Gregorian chant selections for a new release for early next year. This is primarily an analog recording studio (read: reel to reel 1/2" tape, not computer-based), and it is maintained by three separate service firms in the Burlington, Vermont area. The workflow is slower than on computer but also the way of thinking and constructing music is different as well. There is also a pronounced difference in sound... it has a much softer, warmer quality. It can be difficult to maintain this presence when outputting the final version to digital for online distribution, but professional mastering has been helpful here.
And last, but certainly not least, meet Jasmine!
Jasmine was adopted in 2008 as a kitten abandoned by her mother (stepped on by cows in the barn where she was born and squished flat by careless hooves) and entered foster care and then put up for adoption. She became my 2008 Christmas kitten, adopted 12/23/2008.
At four months she entered a professional musicians' household and was exposed to both my husband George playing Bach and ragtime on the piano and me playing my harp in the studio. Now going on 14, she's a little musician herself, with her very own harp that she got for her 10th birthday (a cardboard DIY kit) and numerous popcorn tins throughout the house with 8" rubberbands that she likes to pluck. She can keep time to just about any genre you play, or make up little melodies of her own! (and yes, we do have videos!)
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Salve Regina Vox Celeste paper arrangement.jpg | 93.09 KB |
| Salve Regina Liber Usualis page.jpg | 89.58 KB |
| Sherri's recording studio - sm.jpg | 119.33 KB |
| Jasmine plays George's piano! .jpg | 367.59 KB |
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Comments
An analog recording studio!
First of all, welcome to TopCatholicSongs.com.
It is awesome that you have an old-school analog recording studio. I have my old reel-to-reel in the attic and am now inspired to bring it down to my basement studio and dust it off. There is a warmth and fullness that analog tape offers over digital recording methods.
Your 30-second clip of Salve Regina sounds lush – like an Enya production, as you say. I am looking forward to exploring your music, especially your addtional instrument overlays.
Richard Schletty | Schletty Design and Music | www.schletty.com
Still running analog! :-)
Thanks for listening and I'm happy to hear I've inspired you to dust off your old r2r :-) What make and track width is it? If it's been sitting around for a while you may need to take it in for touch-up servicing... the main drive belt slipped off the capstan motor on one of my Tascam TSR-8s, plus the other machine needed a new (actually used part) reel table. And of course, they both had to be re-calibrated, head alignment, etc., etc. My 16 channel analog mixer console spent the winter of 2020 on the repair bench in Burlington. A major job restoring it to like new, one channel was out completely but it was $$ well spent. Finding people to do this kind of analog work is getting harder these days... I got referrals from the AV Dept. at Middlebury College where my husband works (in the Music Dept.) and those led to other referrals. Eventually got my restoration team lined up. Was not planning on shipping everything from Vermont to NYC!! It weighs a ton. We moved it all back in the spring after the ice on the ground melted.
www.SherriMatthew.com
www.SherriMatthew.com/wordpress
A delightful glimpse into creativity (and a cute cat!)
Thank you for your compliments! Meet Jasmine Kitty, she's fun!
I am so glad you liked reading about my working methods. I always figured people would find it quite boring, so I try not to get into that in too much detail. I usually hear the "I don't understand technology!" followed by a giggle, so that's taught me not to discuss my recording work in depth. I just say I'm a harpist and a recording engineer and quickly change the subject.
In the meantime, here's a bit more about little Jasmine Kitty!! Here is a photo of her plucking her cardboard harp :-)
I've posted (or tried to, anyway) a video of her and me playing our harps together. (I cannot seem to post any of my music here from BandCamp, ReverbNation etc. so you can hear it. The players don't show up, just the iframe code. :-(
Anyway, the text link should do. I have my camera set up so I can take more video of her when she's in the mood to play, which is usually when she's a bit hungry LOL! When I first got her as a kitten she used to like to sneak up into the sound hole on the bottom of my Paraguayan harp and stay in there. One day she had a bit of time getting herself out, as she was growing quickly. At that point I stuffed a rag in so she couldn't get back in. She was very disappointed when she found her way was blocked, so she hopped on the chair next to it and started playing it! She's been playing ever since.
Sherri and Jasmine Kitty Improvise on Harp!
(YouTube link)
www.SherriMatthew.com
www.SherriMatthew.com/wordpress