Song Without Borders Shining Night - A Portrait of Composer Morten Lauridsen Misc Series DVD Written by Michael Stillwater DVD

It is hard to put into words what I experienced in this film. (that is why we have music after all). There are so many levels of excellence here. First of all, this first time filmmaker has made a lovely documentary. It has the qualities one looks for in a documentary. He allows us to get to know his subject, informing and inspiring us. But the style of filmmaking is a work of art comparable to the artistry of Morten Lauridsen. The film feels like a symphony, weaving in and out of musical/visual motifs. This is perhaps not surprising, because the Michael Stillwater is a talented musical composer in his own right, which is why I was first drawn to the film. And maybe it took another musician to bring the enchanting music of Mr. Lauridsen into a visual work of art.Morten Lauridsen is one of America's treasures. The Wall St. Journal called him the "best composer you've never heard of" and describes his music as "radiantly beautiful". He has been described as a mystic, but the film shows him also as a man, a nature lover, an artist, a teacher, conductor, performer, and lover of poetry, art, and all things beautiful. This music, that if I had to find words describe, I would use, mystical, transcendent, romantic, sumptuous, moving, even inspiring, is interwoven in the film with pictures of the life of Mr. Lauridsen, many interviews with him and other musicians. There are beautiful shots of Scotland and his stark home on a tiny island off the coast of Washington, where he lives for the half of the year that he is not teaching at USC.I always find it fascinating to watch documentaries about artists. I am a musician, and getting a little bit inside the head of a creative genius is always inspiring to me.I was lucky enough to see a screening of the film which preceded a concert of Lauridsen's music sung by the USC Chamber singers and accompanied on two songs by the composer on the piano. I was left speechless for days, swimming in the ecstasy of the kind of music that you are sure comes from angelic realms. If you have an opportunity to hear Mr Lauridsen's music performed live, do indeed rush to do so. But don't miss out on the experience of this film. It will allow you to bathe all of your senses in a work of art, and learn about a really fascinating genius composer at the same time.

I have been a great lover of Morton Lauridsen's music for about 6 years now and own about 6 CDs containing all or some of his music. I found this to be overall just a good documentary of the man. What I liked about it is hearing Morton Lauridsen himself talk about his life and his work and seeing where he did his composing and how he contemplates and researches the lyrics a long time before he starts setting the texts to music. I also found interesting what music influenced and inspired him. I also liked the rehearsal sessions showing the composer advising the choir. However, what I found a little self-advertising and self-marketing was the comments made by people that know him constantly praising his work. The music speaks for itself, I don't need singers telling how they like his work, I decided for myself how I liked his work. Then we have Morton himself telling us that he liked his work and it is good and that his compositions are being sung by choirs around the world. Other people tell us how much of a genius he is. I just wanted to hear more about Morton's life details because this is a portrait of the composer. I just felt that this was a little too much of a self-advertising video which also includes pictures of four of his CDs for sale on the inside digipak DVD folder and as a "bonus featurette" on the DVD. Also, full live performances of his works would have been nice without any commentary during the music, unfortunately, we only get excerpts with voice commentary interrupting the music which forces one to spend more money to buy the CDs to get full uninterrupted performances. They could have at least featured 3 full uninterrupted performances of his shorter compositions. Overall, I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

In June I attended a lunchtime concert by the choir of Lincoln Cathedral, visiting from England, at Trinity Church in Boston. As their encore they performed Lauridsen's Magnum Mysterium. I was utterly moved that humans can create such beauty and left the church in tears. That night I researched Morten Lauridsen on Amazon. I had heard his Magnum Mysterium sung in church before, but it had sounded as if it had existed for centuries (as when a contemporary songwriter writes a song that sounds like a folk song that has been passed down for ages); I had not realized before that it was written by a contemporary American composer.The film is hauntingly beautiful and as inspirational as anything I have seen. I am thinking especially of the scenes of Waldron Island in the Pacific Northwest, Lauridsen's beloved place, when the camera pans over the darkening sea and sky as "Shining Night" is sung. These seascapes remind me of my own beloved place, coastal Maine, where I also feel connected to the cosmic happenings over the bay, day and night, sunrise and sunset and moonrise, the daily and the eternal.This music reaches into my soul, as it seems to do for people all around the world. I will watch this film over and over. It corrects the perspective and puts one in touch with what is really important. If the world is too much with you, watch it and feel uplifted to a higher plane. I have already shown it and lent the DVD to others I care about.I will add that, although the film has Morten Lauridsen talking about composing his music and shows him sitting at the piano and in his composing cabin working, it is still a mystery how he actually does it--the moment of creation. He seems to reach high and deep into the mysteries of human life in this world, the cosmos even. I am in awe, and I am so glad I discovered this film.

As a new Lauridsen fan this was an excellent insight into the man and his music. There is a blend of remote island photography, interview tributes and behind the scenes work with some of the worlds' finest choirs. This provides a really engaging backdrop to Lauridsen's own explanation of his love of poetry and his musical journey. All interspersed with exerpts of his finest choral pieces. Brilliant !

An amazingly beautiful film of a remarkable composer - his work, island environment and friends

Stillwater,s film for me is in a league of its own.. Beautiful and sensitively filmed at a pace that suits the composer... Highly recommend...

absolutely wonderful insight into this composer and his work, a joy to watch.His music is so moving and uplifting, a sorely needed tonic in these troubled times.

a little piece of heaven