The Discovery Of The Rosslyn Motet

[SiLVa]

The Rosslyn Motet

A Symbolic Symphony in Stone - 'Frozen Music'


Rosslyn Chapel (from the DaVinci Code) holds a musical mystery in its architecture and design. At one end of the chapel, on the ceiling are 4 cross-sections of arches containing elaborate symbolic designs on each array of cubes (in actual fact they are rectangles mostly). The 'cubes' are attached to the arches in a musically sequential way. And to confirm this, at the ends of each arch there is an angel playing a musical instrument of a different kind. After 27 years of study and research by Stuart's father Thomas.J.Mitchell, we believe he has found the pitches and tonality that match the symbols on each cube, revealing its melodic and harmonic progressions. It is what we could call 'frozen music', a little like cryogenics. The music has been frozen in time by symbolism, it was only a matter of time before the symbolism began to 'thaw out' and begin to make sense to scientific and musical perception.
Tommy Mitchell (Stuart's father) unravelled the music from the symbolism and Stuart has produced the music using authentic instrumentation in the 1400's.
Tommy began work on this amazing project over 25 years ago and the Rosslyn Motet is the culmination of a wonderful collaboration with his son Stuart who is the production manager of the project.


What does it sound like?

This is the most important aspect of the entire project for most people and is best explained by listening to the music. The unusual combination of instruments, their dynamics, tunings and textures re-create a sound long forgotten from the past. The melodies are simple but harmonically develops and unfolds in the most simplistic but charming way. The sequential arrangement of the cubes at many times is a series of repeated notes/symbols signifying a more functional than aesthetic sense to the music. Sometimes it sounds a bit like a 'nursery rhyme' and there is also a feeling of a 'Celtic air' about the music, possibly connected to Orkney where the Sinclair's home once was. We will be recording the piece as authentically as possible using instruments and the correct Pythagorean medieval tunings of the 1400's.

Concealed Music?

Why would anyone want to hide music? Could it be threatening or dangerous to someone or something? Unless it was very special piece that contained magical, harmonic and resonant properties that resonated in sympathy with spiritual beliefs. Was this music 'outlawed' by the Catholic church for some reason?

Or perhaps the music was not concealed at all and it is simply a musical language awaiting a musician to understand its meaning.

These are some of the questions Tommy has approached in his research and has discovered some fascinating and historical aspects to this elusive musical enigma.
Tommy's new book describes the research and findings he has made within the symbolism of the cubes and will be available in Autumn 2006.The book explains in detail how he discovered the pitches to the cubes and its symbolic musical significance through the law of resonance and sacred geometry.

The text of it is adapted from Ut Queant Laxis (which is a hymn in honour of St. John the Baptist). The piece also features such ancient instruments as an Organetto and Lowland Bagpipes. It is the most unusual and beautiful combination of sound and melody.

The first movement is called The Apprentice Pillar (beauty) and the music covers the entire amount of arches and cubes emanating from the top of the pillar. The next movement moves to The Master Mason Pillar (wisdom) and we finally end up singing the music toward the central Journeyman's Pillar (strength).

The sequence of cubes comes alive for the first time in 500 years.
Listen to an except here http://www.tjmitchell.com/stuart/audio/rossexc.mp3

and a video demonstration of the patterns and the tones and how this was figured out...here.

picture of all three pillars

T.J.Mitchell - Composer and Pianist

Source

Musicians unlock mystery melody in Scottish chapel (Reuters)


Thats some pretty crazy sh*t, I wonder what the esoteric meaning of it is. anyone hear this?

[neWt]

thats a pretty glorious tune, regardless of its purpose.

[Beerdwarf]

I went to Rosslyn chapel twice last year and its a very strange place. So much symbolism, mainly pagan, and the place has a wierd atmosphere that hits you as soon as you walk in.