Immortal Memory

"I asked for peace/My sins arose/And bound me close/I could not find release/I asked for truth/my doubts came in/And with their din/They wearied all my youth/I asked for love/My lovers failed/And griefs assailed/Around, beneath, above/I asked for thee/And thou didst come/To take me home/Within thy heart to be"
—from "I Asked for Love"

Lisa Gerrard came to musical fame with Dead Can Dance, an Australian band that performed a mix of world music, medieval chants, folk ballads, baroque stylings and Celtic-flavored music.

Since then, she has branched out on her own, recording solo albums and writing the scores for a variety of films, including Gladiator, Ali, Whale Rider and The Insider.

Her collaborator, Patrick Cassidy, is an Irish classical composer, now living in Los Angeles, whom she met while working on the Gladiator score. Cassidy received critical acclaim for writing "Vide Cor Meum" for the opera scene in Hannibal. We searched for information on Cassidy's spiritual background, but found nothing.

We were able to find more information on Gerrard's spiritual leanings, even as we listened to her latest album, Immortal Voice, where her otherworldly contralto soars to the steepest heights and drops to the darkest depths. In parts, the Middle Eastern sound on this album is reminiscent of the Ali score, and much of it resembles the new-age Whale Rider score.

It's evident from this album that Gerrard has some religious inclination. On the accompanying lyric sheets, Gerrard writes, "Who better to counterpoint the pseudo-religious rhetoric of the western leaders than Christ, the prince of peace, with his words of love and forgiveness in his native tongue, the language of the Middle East?"

A January 2000 article in Who magazine calls Gerrard a "spirit filled Christian," though no details are given. She gave her personal testimony to Revival Centres International (RCI) a few years ago, noting that she was "baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit" in 1996, and that God miraculously cured her of hepatitis. Some evangelical Christian organizations regard RCI as a cult. Gerrard's website also includes an interesting message board thread where fans speculate on Gerrard's faith, including whether she's a Christian. In one posting, Gerrard's husband says his wife "has a few questions regarding religions," and in another, that he and Gerrard "are not part of any (religious) organizations!"

At any rate, it's hard not to notice the spiritual qualities in Immortal Memory, though Gerrard doesn't look at it that way: "I'm not sure I know what [spiritual] means in music," she said on her website. "But it's definitely soulful. I don't analyze music. I respond to it on an emotional level and I hope that's what people will hear."

Nonetheless, spiritual themes permeate this sometimes dark and somber work, sung in Gaelic, Latin and Aramaic. In recent interviews, Gerrard said Immortal Memory grew out of the desire to bring things from the ancient world into the contemporary world.

Pieces like "Maranatha (Come Lord)" and "Abwoon (Our Father)," both sung in Aramaic, resemble monastic chants, making it easy to imagine this music accompanying a film about the medieval church. Hearing The Lord's Prayer sung in the language that Jesus spoke adds a mystical element to the familiar words.

Mel Gibson initially slated Gerrard to score The Passion of the Christ, but the job went to John Debney and Lisbeth Scott; we also featured Scott's work here. Sonically and lyrically, Gerrard's latest album could have accompanied Gibson's film.

Much of Immortal Memory contains no singing, but when present, the lyrics often come from ancient texts and poems. The spiritual dimension is strong here.

A song with Christian leanings is "Paradise Lost," which includes these lines: "Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit/Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste/Brought death into the world, and all our woe."

"Psallit in Aure Dei," written by Thomas of Celano, a disciple of St. Francis of Assisi, is sung in Latin. It says, "Not a clamor, but love/Not talking, but a pledge/Not flagellation, but heart/Make music in the ear of God."

"The Song of Amergin," an ancient poem sung in Gaelic, asks listeners, "Who made the trails through stone mountains?/Who knows the age of the moon?/Who knows where the setting sun rests?"

This collection may not appeal to those whose tastes stay within the realm of typical pop, rock or hip-hop music. Yet, for those whose musical preferences run outside the ordinary, spirituality can be found here.

Unless specified clearly, we are not implying whether this artist is or is not a Christian. The views expressed are simply the author's. For a more complete description of our Glimpses of God articles, click here.