Cyprian Consiglio, OSB Cam

In this upbeat collection, Cyprian explores new themes from ballads to blues with captivating melodies sure to surprise and delight any listener. With an eclectic blend of styles, Behind and Before Me builds a bridge between contemporary Christian and liturgical music.

Also available as an MP3 playlist.

The 16-song CD features hymns, psalms and Gospel acclamations for liturgies throughout Lent, Easter and Pentecost–mixing Western chant, East Indian and Afro-Caribbean styles.

An extended setting of a religious libretto for vocal soloists, chorus and instruments, for performance either in concert or in church.

Contemplation through spirituality and the arts
Musician, composer, author, teacher and monk. Cyprian Consiglio is a man of many dimensions, but his music and teachings revolve around one central theme: answering the Universal Call to Contemplation through spirituality and the arts.

Music celebrates 25-year career
Echo of Your Peace gathers songs from a rich tapestry of music spanning 25 years. This diverse collection includes tracks from his first album (There Is a Light), all three of his projects with longtime collaborator John Pennington, as well as compositions recorded specifically for this compilation.

Amazing variety of musical styles
Full of tight harmonies, "There Is a Light" gives the album a soulful a cappella opening. "Echo of Your Peace" showcases Cyprian's incredible vocal range in a powerful, soaring plea. Text drawn from Harriet Kolfak's poem is beautifully brought to life in "Awakening." "Sab Bhole" features masterful acoustic guitar work that acts as extended meditations on the lovely mantras of this Hindi song. East meets west in "Spirit in the Cave of the Heart," as bluegrass acoustic guitar exists in harmony with chanting of the English translation of an Indian bhajan.

Reflection of love for comparative religion
This collection is a powerful reflection of Cyprian's great love for comparative religion. A distinct turn to the East, both musically and spiritually, can be heard halfway through the CD. Echo of Your Peace provides both new and longtime fans an album that captures the variety of musical styles Cyprian employs to sing of hope, peace and healing.

Tracks: There Is a Light | Echo of Your Peace | Behind and Before Me | Streams of Living Water | As One Unkown | Asato ma/Lead Me from Death Into Life | Awakening | For God Alone | Sab Bhole | Moon in My Body | He Prabhu | Compassionate and Wise | Spirit in the Cave of the Heart | Vedahametam

Join Cyprian and John for an exotic musical journey from the tropical coasts of Africa and Brazil to the heights and depths of the soul. Featuring a playful, richly layered world-music sound, Compassionate and Wise offers 12 new, original songs that explore mystical poetry from around the globe.

Songs exploring mystical poetry from around the world
At turns whimsical and philosophical, surreal and profound, the texts reflect a range of cultures and spiritual traditions, from Hindu to Christian. Poets include St. Thomas Aquinas, Maya Angelou, Frederico García Lorca and the Chinese Buddhist Metta Sutta. Three of the most enchanting songs are set to poems by Hafiz, the great Sufi mystic.

Texts from a variety of cultures and spiritual traditions
The Day Sky presents a striking image of humility, asking Let us be like/ Two falling stars in the day sky/ As we hold hands with God/ And burn. The title track touches on the healing power of unity: Because our hearts are one/ this world of pain turns into paradise./ May all become compassionate and wise.

The latest collaboration by Cyprian and John
Good friends and great musicians, Cyprian and John have worked together on six previous recordings, including Awakening and The Song of Luke. This collaboration features Cyprian on acoustic guitar, lead vocals and, on some tracks, the lute-like tambura. Bassist Bryan Kuban, vocalists John Mareineke and Shannon Frediani, and violinist Mikylah Myers McTeer provide accompaniment.

Features a mind-boggling array of percussion instruments
A percussion virtuoso, John plays a mind-boggling array of instruments here, from finger cymbals to bodhram (Celtic frame drum), from maracas to glockenspiel. Others include the riqq (like a tambourine, used in Arabic music), mbira (a wooden board with staggered metal keys, from Africa), cajón (a box drum, from Peru), crotales (antique cymbals), vibraphone, marimba, and wind chimes. Each adds its distinct voice, rhythm and musical color to the songs.

Toying with mysteries that have puzzled seekers from every age, the music of Compassionate and Wise leads listeners to a serene, otherworldly place, far from the mundane.

Another great collaborative recording by John and Cyprian
Built on buoyant, soaring melodies, sublime poetry and layers of intricate percussion, the 15 songs on Awakening capture the sweet innocence of morning, the welcome relief of spring, the joy and playfulness of childhood.

Texts drawn from the psalms, the saints and mystical poetry
The texts are wonderfully eclectic, drawn from the psalms, the saints and secular poets grounded in mysticism. John Pennington brings his usual masterful percussion, backing Cyprian's rich vocals with a mesmerizing array of bells, chimes, gongs, wood blocks, shakers, marimba and congas. It's an exotic sound, mirthful, tropical and calm, with warmth and depth added by well-arranged parts for cello, guitar, flute and other instruments.

A metaphor for the journey of the spiritual life
Cyprian and John put it best: "Could the length of a day be a metaphor for the journey of the spiritual life? The initial jubilance of first awakening giving way to the earnest work of enfleshing it in all our affairs, however mundane they may seem to be. The crossing through the noonday devil of the desert, when discipline must remember desire. The warm darkness of mystery, when facile answers fail and a new way of knowing beyond knowing comes to the fore. When our thinking fails, we are called to put love first. When words fail, we fall into the place where everything becomes music."

This is the MP3 playlist for Behind and Before Me, by Cyprian Consiglio, OSB Cam.

In this upbeat collection, Cyprian explores new themes from ballads to blues with captivating melodies sure to surprise and delight any listener. With an eclectic blend of styles, Behind and Before Me builds a bridge between contemporary Christian and liturgical music.

This MP3 Album contains the music found within Hermit, Preacher, Wanderer.

A journal containing musical, cultural and religious dialogues. Includes softcover book and corresponding MP3 Album.

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Instrumentation:	Oboe Clarinet Cello Harp
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Instrumentation:	Harp
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Voicing:	SATB
Instrumentation:	Clarinet Cello
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This guitar accompaniment features chords and vocal parts for the music album There Is a Light by Cyprian Consiglio, OSB Cam.