Carmel and Music

by Simon Nolan, O.Carm. | Carmelite Media, 2020, 109 pp
reviewed by Gregory Houck, O.Carm.

Carmel and Music is a chronological survey of eight centuries of Carmelite liturgical music, along with notable composers who engaged Carmelite themes. Fr. Simon Nolan writes for a general audience, but the book will especially appeal to listeners of classical vocal music—Carmelites included.

In the opening chapter, “Carmel and Music in the Middle Ages and Renaissance,” I didn’t recognize most of the Carmelite composers mentioned, so I turned to Spotify, where, to my surprise, every single one had recordings available. The next two chapters spotlight individual Carmelites, Manuel Cardoso and Benedictus of Saint Joseph. I hadn’t heard of them either, yet their music is also easy to find on Spotify, evidence that these figures are well known in music circles. Nolan then treats famous composers and their connections to Carmel (George Frideric Handel, Felix Mendelssohn, Lennox Berkeley, and John Tavener), all of whom are well represented on streaming services. The only exception in my search was Hermann Cohen, who receives a full chapter but (so far) has no Spotify presence.

Overall, I learned a great deal about Carmel and music. Though I consider myself a fan of classical music (and a Carmelite), I realized how little I actually knew on the topic.

From the beginning the author takes on the seeming problem that music is auditory but a book is visual by saying, “but words can nudge us in the right direction and act as helpful signposts to assist us in our exploration of music.”  It does not have to ‘either or’ though. Having turned to Spotify again and again, I am pleased to learn that there is now one resource already available which address this matter and another currently in production.

In collaboration with the Carmelite Institute of North America (CINA), Fr. Nolan presented a webinar drawn from Carmel and Music, available at the CINA website. CINA and Fr. Nolan have also recorded a multi-part video series that includes samples of all the music discussed in the book. The series is expected in early 2026; consider joining CINA’s email list to be notified when it’s released.