Music of and about the Camino

[etoilepolaire]

So here's a curious question, is there any music out there about the camino? The only song I know of is Santiago by Loreena McKennit (probably my favorite song of her's from before I even knew anything about the Camino). Do others know more? Also what songs remind you of the camino even if they aren't directly about it?

I'm really curious!

Danielle

 

[lynnejohn]

Hi Danielle -

Try this:

Luar na Lubre: O Cabo do Mundo

Contains songs from Galicia - haunting and beautiful.

You can order it from Amazon. This CD, along with a lovely Rioja, keeps me going between caminos.

lynne

 

[KiwiNomad06]

"Climb Every Mountain" from Sound of Music will always be my song for climbing the pass over the Pyrenees.
Margaret

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Luar na Lubre: O Cabo do Mundo Contains songs from Galicia - haunting and beautiful. You can order it from Amazon. lynne

Thanks Lynne. For those who use iTunes, a search there also easily turned up this group (Luar na Lubre) with quite a selection of their albums. I shouldn't have been in the least surprised- but I was- to find that the music was quite similar to some of the Irish Celtic music that I have.
Margaret

 

[sillydoll]

In case you are a music buff I have attached a music sheet for the two most famous medieval pilgrim songs - Dum Paterfamilas (aka the Ultreia! song) and the Ad Honorem Regis Sumi (both from the Codex Calixtinus)
Also the French Ultreia! song.

The music on Sue Kenney's dvd "Las Peregrinas" is haunting an beautiful. Bob has never walked the Camino but through her stories and other Camino stories he has composed this work.
http://www.bobderkachmusic.com Go to films, click on Las Peregrinas and then sit back and enjoy!

I have a beautiful CD by The Anonymous 4 called the Miracles of Santiago. Based on the music of the Codex Calixtinus it includes a small booklet with the words of the songs in different languages, including the original Latin. Sounds like the nun singing in the Santiago cathedral.

I also have a CD by the award winning Chieftans called Santiago.

There are numerous Gregorian Chant CDs.

This website discusses Gregorian's chant music to Santiago: http://home.global.co.za/~jvd/gregorian/bio.htm

Wind Band Regional Poitou-Charentes. Sound during a rehearsal before the concert of winners. 2nd Prize: El camino de Santiago, by Pascal Favre
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xarprn ... iago_music
http://www.dailymotion.com/related/xarp ... oge_dating
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/se ... e+santiago

 

[lverlackt]

I was a little bit smashed when I heard a live version of Jody Talbots "Path of miracles", performed by the British choir Tenebrae.
It's modern music, but based on Codex Callixtinus. Makes you feel part of something very old and yet very nowadays.
http://www.signumrecords.com/catalogue/ ... ndex.shtml tells you anything about the record. Had it on my cellphone on my camino del Norte last year.

Chao!

Lucas

 

[nellpilgrim]

Hi
I enjoy listening to 'Pilgrimage to Santiago' featuring music from the 12th to the 16th centuries inspired by the Camino-John Elliot Gardiner and The Monteverdi Choir.
My husband gave this to me as a birthday gift last summer and the music is so evocative and inspiring that I'll definitely take it on my next Camino.
...........also when walking there is nothing like the Pretenders 'I would walk 500 miles' really loud (when singing along I'd change the 500 miles to our relevant distance but it's really great marching music!) This was a life saver for me on the approach into Burgos.
Nell

 

[lynnejohn]

Nell -
The Pretenders' 500 miles - One of my favorite songs, and was often in my head while I was walking. Less often on my lips if there were others nearby!

lynne

 

[Bridget and Peter]

Somebody recently recommended to me The Road to Santiago by Oysterband. Don't know it myself - does anyone here?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Road-To-San ... 607&sr=8-2


B
x

 

[ramble-on]

The chorus lyrics are food for thought:

ON THE ROAD - ON THE ROAD - ON THE ROAD
TO SANTIAGO
The wind can howl, waters roar
Night come down & feet get sore
[a priest goes dancing with a whore /
you won't be who you were before]
We'll walk that wild Atlantic shore
The devil walks behind us -
ON THE ROAD TO SANTIAGO

I'm putting it on our ipod.

 

[Theo]

Hi,

On this web site -- click HERE -- you have the choice.

Théo

 

[pilgrimeliz]

The CD`s I return to again and again are:
The Chieftains Santiago; Ao Aure Do Camino Hacia Compostela; Anonymous 4 Miracles of Santiago and The Moneverdi Choir with John Gardiner Pigrimage to Santiago
Happy listening!

 

[sillydoll]

The Chieftains and Ry Cooder Celebrate the Musical bonds Between Ireland and Mexico

Six-time Grammy winners The Chieftains are the most celebrated Irish traditional music group in the world. The group includes founder and leader Paddy Moloney (Uilleann pipes, tin whistle), Matt Molloy (flute), Sean Keane (fiddle) and Kevin Conneff (bodhrán, vocals). Over the years, they have collaborated with some of the biggest names in rock, pop and traditional music in the world.

The Chieftains previously collaborated on a song with Ry Cooder on the breakthrough 1995 album, ‘The Long Black Veil,’ a Grammy winner for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, which also featured their first pairings with pop/rock superstars Mick Jagger, Van Morrison, Sting, Sinead O’Connor and the Rolling Stones.

The Chieftains featured Cooder and came together again for the Grammy-winning 1997 album, ‘Santiago,’ celebrating the legendary Medieval pilgrimage route that leads to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

more:
http://worldmusiccentral.org/article.ph ... n_patricio

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I love to go a-wandering,
Along the mountain track,
And as I go, I love to sing,
My knapsack on my back.

Chorus:
Val-deri,Val-dera,
Val-deri,
Val-dera-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha
Val-deri,Val-dera.
My knapsack on my back.

I love to wander by the stream
That dances in the sun,
So joyously it calls to me,
"Come! Join my happy song!"

I wave my hat to all I meet,
And they wave back to me,
And blackbirds call so loud and sweet
From ev'ry green wood tree.

High overhead, the skylarks wing,
They never rest at home
But just like me, they love to sing,
As o'er the world we roam.

Oh, may I go a-wandering
Until the day I die!
Oh, may I always laugh and sing,
Beneath God's clear blue sky!

 

[etoilepolaire]

This is really awesome everyone! So much music and so many varied responses too. If I come up with a final playlist I'll have to share it. <3

Keep em coming!

 

[sillydoll]

We can't exclude the music of the late Oliver Schroer

http://www.oliverschroer.com/camino.htm

 

[Bridget and Peter]

If I come up with a final playlist I'll have to share it. <3

Please do! Then I will have to learn how to do all this uploading/downloading stuff and how to keep earphones in my ears!

Seriously, I would like to hear from people about walking with music in your ears. I have never done so but wonder if it would be a stilling influence for my flittering mind and stop me saying to Peter 'What are you thinking about?' when I notice that we are not talking!

B

 

[etoilepolaire]

We can't exclude the music of the late Oliver Schroer

http://www.oliverschroer.com/camino.htm

Oh my. I just listened to Field of Stars. It gave me the shivers. How gorgeous! (I love fiddle music, but there's something special about that tune)

Thank's Sil!

 

[crackmrmac]

http://www.oneleft.com/ol/Wayfaring.html


Reason for edit: original page not found.

 

[Sagalouts]

the song to my Camino last year was "This is the life" by Amy Macdonald
"And you're singing the songs
Thinking this is the life
And you wake up in the morning and you're head feels twice the size
Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna sleep tonight?"
Ian

 

[sillydoll]

http://www.emusic.com/album/Oldarra-San ... 47981.html

Downloand MP3 tunes: Santiago de Compostela: Mélodie du silence

 

[KiwiNomad06]

I just found a beautiful version of Ultreia sung at Conques. http://www.amis-st-jacques.org/pages/chants_pelerins.php
You can download the music to listen to, and also the lyrics as an adobe pdf. Plus there are two other pilgrim songs in French on the same page.
Margaret

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Several hundred pilgrims this summer heard guitar music played by master musicians along the Camino Frances in Palencia´s monumental churches, courtesy the Guitars on the Camino Project. One of the biggest hits was American guitarist Peter Blanchette, whose 11-string archguitar instrument can play repertoire for the guitar as well as the lute, giving listeners a uniquely medieval Camino experience.

Blanchette has released a CD called "Caminar con los Peregrinos," featuring tunes useful to both contemporary hikers and pilgrims of old. Tunes were chosen for their "walking rhythm," and as Peter says in the liner notes:

"the music begins slowly, without a driving beat, but it gathers determination. Soon your feet and breath are joined in the steady counterpoint you learned before anything you can remember. You pass by fields, over hills and through villages until, after days, you finally enter the city. The music then is in you, your steps are sustained by the music´s breath. You realize the Way here was what you were looking for -- not the destination."

Music featured was written by Domenico Scarlatti, John Dowland, and the "Bosinensis Lute Book of 1511."

For information on how to get a copy, see http://www.archguitar.com .

Rebekah

 

[+@^^]

the sound of the cow bells
the hooter/horn on the bread trucks
the snoring of pilgrims at night
.
in Zamora they'd erected this huge marquee in one of the squares, using an 11th C church as a side wall, and they were sound testing for this rapper dude called Toxic Crow - the sheer volume seemed to be loosening some of the "cement" between the stone slabs - not sure that this counts as Camino music?

 

[chrisinvermont]

A few weeks ago, we attended a performance by The Rose Ensemble," an excellent ancient music group. When I went on line to look at their CD's, I found one entitled "The Road to Compostela," subtitled "Vocal Music for th4 Pilgrimage to the Ancient City of Santiago de Compostela." Much of the music is taken from the Codex Calixtinus. You can hear these folks on YouTube and/or preview their CD's on Amazon. I am making a "slide show" of my camino photos and this is great background music.
Joy..
Chris (in Vermont)

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for posing such interesting questions Danielle. Below I list some of my favourite songs that - for me - have special meaning as a pilgrim.

Charles Ives – The Unanswered Question

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trkFgIMC-Ks

Spem in Alium – Thomas Tallis

English translation:
‘I have never put my hope in any other but in You,
O God of Israel
who can show both anger and graciousness,
and who absolves all the sins of suffering man
Lord God, Creator of Heaven and Earth
be mindful of our lowliness’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT8vmrWhBvM

Jisas yu holem hand blong mi (Jesus you hold my hand) – Melanesian choirs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEslvVk7hcU

O Son Do Ar – Luar na Lubre

Earthly Paradise in Galicia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO7bUhJlAek

Faure’s Requiem - In Paradisum

English translation:
‘May the angels receive them in Paradise,
at their coming may the martyrs receive thee and bring thee into the holy city Jerusalem.
Jerusalem.
There may the chorus of angels receive thee,
and with Lazarus, once a beggar,
may thou have eternal rest.
May thou have eternal rest.’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82L8AaqA-Dc

Cheers,

Neil

 

[William Max]

Hi - I have written a song about the Camino. You can hear it here.

http://web.me.com/william.max/Camino/Welcome.html

Will

 

[Rebekah Scott]

the most comprehensive Camino playlist ever was assembled by Grant Spangler, a techie and camino-head from way back. He loaded it onto my Ipod. It goes on for HOURS, pulling music from many of the above-mentioned albums as well as George Thorogood, Ike Turner, Allman Brothers... He´s got it all. And he´ll send you the files if you just Google him and ask.

Reb.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

A nice YouTube violin piece:

http://ricochet.com/main-feed/Good-Frid ... rs-of-Mary

You would be in France if you were at Navarrenx, by the way.

 

[CaminoGen]

Here is a video of a family walking the Camino set to a song from a French singer, Anne Sylvestre. The song is basically her asking why does she want to do the Camino, the heartaches and fears of walking the Camino. That song was played when 80 pilgrims from Montréal got our credential in february during a blessing of pilgrims.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrG2FSB7 ... 6EB9A19688

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I have trekked with children, and I have trekked with burros. I have never trekked with children AND burros. My admiration suddenly knows no bounds!

 

[ConnachtRambler]

Entering a bar/cafe in Fonfria last year we were immediately struck by the music coming from a CD player. That was out first exposure to the traditional Galician group Milladoiro - the album being played was the group's 25th anniversary compilation album, released in 2005.

When we reached Santiago I purchased a copy and that has become my Camino music - there are tunes for the first kilometre of the day when you think 40 km will be be no problem and tunes for late in the day when you are wishing you hadn't attempted 25 km and wondering what you will do if the albergue is full - tunes for when you are happy and tunes for when you are pensive, tunes that will give you a lift and tunes that will make you sad.

I play it often and will forever associate it with the Camino.

 

[Theo]

Hi,

The Breton Association of the friends of St-James of Compostela Choir recorded a CD with sacred musics and traditional and popular songs linked to the St James traditions.

By clicking HERE you can watch the CD's presentation (in French) and listen to some music extracts.

More information through a message to me.

Théo

 

[Chacharm]

I am shocked that no one mentioned Serrat's Cantares! Inspired by a beautiful poem by Antonio Machado.

Todo pasa y todo queda,
pero lo nuestro es pasar,
pasar haciendo caminos,
caminos sobre el mar.

Nunca persequí la gloria,
ni dejar en la memoria
de los hombres mi canción;
yo amo los mundos sutiles,
ingrávidos y gentiles,
como pompas de jabón.

Me gusta verlos pintarse
de sol y grana, volar
bajo el cielo azul, temblar
súbitamente y quebrarse...

Nunca perseguí la gloria.

Caminante son tus huellas
el camino y nada más;
caminante, no hay camino
se hace camino al andar.

Al andar se hace camino
y al volver la vista atrás
se ve la senda que nunca
se ha de volver a pisar.
Caminante no hay camino
sino estelas en la mar.

Hace algún tiempo en ese lugar
donde hoy los bosques se visten de espinos
se oyó la voz de un poeta gritar
"Caminante no hay camino,
se hace camino al andar..."

Golpe a golpe, verso a verso.

Murió el poeta lejos del hogar.
Le cubre el polvo de un país vecino.
Al alejarse le vieron llorar.
"Caminante no hay camino,
se hace camino al andar..."

Golpe a golpe, verso a verso.

Cuando el jilguero no puede cantar
cuando el poeta es un peregrino,
cuando de nada nos sirve rezar.

"Caminante no hay camino,
se hace camino al andar..."

Golpe a golpe, verso a verso.


Read more: SERRAT JOAN MANUEL - CANTARES LYRICS http://www.metrolyrics.com/cantares-lyr ... z1nhVJ0ahX
Copied from MetroLyrics.com

 

[Sam R Gibson]

I would like to share the lyrics of my Camino song The Way Out Of Leon .

The Way Out Of Leon

I was walking the Camino when a pilgrim whispered near
It was rumoured you were leaving me to hang on dreaming here
Take this letter to her please Sir while I press ahead today
Tell her Santiago’s just a few more nights away

Tell her that this road’s a place where no-one walks alone
Tell her someone walked with me on The Way out of Leon

The stars are falling on the fields Sir , the saints are rising from their tombs
Spanish lovers now are casting all their robes off in their rooms
The horizon’s getting nearer I can see it after prayer
If I step a little further I will reach Cape Finisterre

Tell her that this road’s a place where no-one walks alone
Tell her someone spoke to me on The Way out of Leon

The cathedral has its pilgrim cloaked serenely there in peace
High on horseback he’s a warrior cutting down his enemies
In between we stood together like we’d never stand again
While the streets of Santiago shimmered silver in the rain

Tell her that this road’s a place where no-one walks alone
Tell her someone walked with me on The Way out of Leon


Sam R Gibson samrgibson323@hotmail.com

 

[WanderingChristian]

I haven't yet made my pilgrimage to Santiago, but one song that strikes me as appropriate for the Camino would be an old Spanish folk song called "De Colores" (The Colors). It's a very easy song to learn, you can practice your Spanish with it and it gives you a little spring in your step.

Spanish Version
De colores, de colores
Se visten los campos en la primavera.
De colores, de colores
Son los pajaritos que vienen de afuera.
De colores, de colores
Es el arco iris que vemos lucir.

Y por eso los grandes amores
De muchos colores me gustan a mí.
Y por eso los grandes amores
De muchos colores me gustan a mí.

De colores, de colores
Brillantes y finos se viste la aurora.
De colores, de colores
Son los mil reflejos que el sol atesora.
De colores, de colores
Se viste el diamante que vemos lucir.

Y por eso los grandes amores
De muchos colores me gustan a mí.
Y por eso los grandes amores
De muchos colores me gustan a mí.

Canta el gallo, canta el gallo
Con el quiri, quiri, quiri, quiri, quiri.
La gallina, la gallina
Con el cara, cara, cara, cara, cara.
Los pollitos/polluelos, los pollitos/polluelos
Con el pío, pío, pío, pío, pí.

Y por eso los grandes amores
De muchos colores me gustan a mí.
Y por eso los grandes amores
De muchos colores me gustan a mí.

Jubilosos, jubilosos
Vivamos en gracia puesto que se puede.
Saciaremos, saciaremos
La sed ardorosa del Rey que no muere.
Jubilosos, jubilosos
Llevemos a Cristo un alma y mil más.

Difundiendo la luz que ilumina
La gracia divina del gran ideal.
Difundiendo la luz que ilumina
La gracia divina del gran ideal.

English Version[citation needed]
In colors, in colors
The fields are dressed in the spring.
In colors, in colors
Are the little birds that come from outside.
In colors, in colors
Is the rainbow that we see shining.

And that is why I love
The great loves of many colors
And that is why I love
The great loves of many colors.

In colors, in colors
Brilliant and delicate is dressed the dawn.
In colors, in colors
Are the thousand gleams the sun treasures.
In colors, in colors
Is dressed the diamond we see shining.

And that is why I love
The great loves of many colors.
And that is why I love
The great loves of many colors.

The rooster sings, the rooster sings
With a cock-a-doodle, cock-a-doodle-doo.
The hen, the hen
With a cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck.
The chicks, the chicks
With a cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep.

And that is why I love
The great loves of many colors.
And that is why I love
The great loves of many colors.

Joyous, joyous
Let us live in grace since we can.
Let us quench, let us quench
The burning thirst of the King who does not die.
Joyous, joyous
Let us bring to Christ a soul and thousand more.

Spreading the light that illuminates
The divine grace from the great ideal.
Spreading the light that illuminates
The divine grace from the great ideal.

Okay, so it takes a little bit of practice. If you need the music and meter, I'll include a link to a version recorded by Joan Baez. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48vNfKUHWRw&feature=fvst

De Colores y Buen Camino,
8) Wandering "singing all the Way" Christian :arrow:

 

[yukonchick]

Music recorded right in Camino churches (link provided)

In 2004, a Canadian violinist, Oliver Schroere, walked the Camino with his violin in his backpack, stopping in churches and cathedrals en route to play. Without audiences - just him, creating music, in historical and religious places, with the sound bouncing off walls. He later released a CD of his Music on the Camino.

CBC (Canada's national radio station) just featured an hour long special about his Camino trip, and I thought you would like the link. It's free, recorded right on the Camino, and features a lot of commentary from Oliver and his friend who did the walk with him. They discuss the walk, atmosphere, meaning, and their adventures in making music on the fly.

Oliver died in 2008 of leukemia, just 4 years after doing the Camino.

Enjoy music recorded right in the churches on the Camino!

http://music.cbc.ca/#/Inside-the-Music

After reading the front page, you can then click the AUDIO button (between the LATEST and ABOUT buttons under the big blue/black graphic). Go to the bottom of the list of programs, and the Oliver Schroere Camino program is listed. Click the grey right arrow.

Enjoy!

(I very, very rarely listen to CBC radio...but considering I am now planning to do the Camino, I thought it an interesting twist of fate that this show should air today and come into my life.)

Lynn (Yukon Chick)

 

[yukonchick]

We can't exclude the music of the late Oliver Schroer

http://www.oliverschroer.com/camino.htm

I note your post is 2 yrs old! But just today, CBC (Canada's national radio station) played a one hour special on Oliver's Camino walk, featuring the music he made and recorded himself in various churches (without audiences....) along the route.

Here's the link:
http://music.cbc.ca/#/Inside-the-Music
After you read the page, click on the AUDIO link between the LATEST and ABOUT links underneath the blue/black graphic. Go to bottom of list and Oliver's show is listed - click right grey arrow, and the hour long show, featuring his commentary on the Camino and their experiences creating music en route.

Enjoy!

 

[Susan hopes]

Heather Dale's "Road to Santiago."

A townsman's life is even like the dust upon the road
Not changing with the seasons, just fortune's fickle load
While sitting on my step and taking awl and thread to task,
I saw the first man walking
I saw the first man walking
I saw the first of many walking past.

In ones and twos they traveled
The first hint of the wave
with hat, and stick and scallop
they had gone to see the grave

of the saint who dwelled among us,
the one who'd come to save us
they walked along the road to Santiago.

Look up Heather Dale and download this song. If you like it, you will probably like her other music too.

 

[kathrynwb]

"El Camino" by Amos Lee
Not specifically about they Spanish camino but makes me think about it.

 

[Pamb]

My absolute favourite is "Camino de Santiago" by Carlos Nunez. It makes me feel as though I am back there walking again.

 

[Kanga]

Pilgrimage - 9 Songs of Ecstasy - my absolute favourite. Here's the description:
" 9 Songs of Ecstasy is an evocative and frequently haunting album that offers a musical interpretation of the travels of the medieval pilgrims who roamed northwestern Spain in the 13th century. Composers/arrangers/producers Simon Cloquet and Eric Calvi based much of their music on traditional melodies and brought these timeless tunes into the 20th century. Alternating their stylistic approach between contemporary instrumental, space rock, ambient, and trip-hop, Cloquet and Calvi create a hypnotic array of soundscapes with the assistance of such collaborators as Phil Manzanera, DJ Spooky, and Ben Neill, but what holds 9 Songs of Ecstasy together is the lovely singing of Catherine Bott, who gives the music a spiritual, human core with her wonderful voice. The end result is a record unlike any other. ~ Rodney Batdorf"

I bought the CD years ago - this seems to be another version of the same thing (and downloadable)

https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/the-p ... d263088347

 

[Daxzentzu]

My track in the Camino top 100 would be

Ramble On
By Led Zeppelin

Dax

 

[Daxzentzu]

Or Little Black Sandals by Sia

Dax

 

[miguel_gp]

A little bit of history about this song "Chove en Santiago" on Peter Robins website.

 

[musicagl]

In case you are a music buff I have attached a music sheet for the two most famous medieval pilgrim songs - Dum Paterfamilas (aka the Ultreia! song) and the Ad Honorem Regis Sumi (both from the Codex Calixtinus)

I know I'm responding to a very old post -- But thank you for the sheet music. I'm a huge medieval music fan and purchased two CDs at the cathedral in Santiago this past June. The Dum Paterfamilas is haunting me day in and out.

 

[miguel_gp]

I'm not sure this song is specifically about the Camino but I'm sure its beauty, lyrics and simplicity will resonate with those that have walked.