About the choirs in Bridges In The Sky

[Adami]

Well in this case, I would consider that to be less "insight" and more "imagination".

[Cranky]

Okay, so Angus Dei is translated to Lamb of God.

But, what about the Morte Et Dabo sample?

Morte Et Dabo roughly translates from Latin > English to Gift of Death, or Death, I will give.

Start some more speculations my good friends! 

[pogoowner]

I had been wondering if I was the only one who that the choir was saying "Agnus Dei."

[Rho d Berth]

eventhough I'm a daily visitor of this forum, I got to this post through google...
I was looking for the meaning of this song, especially b/c of the "agnus dei" intro and how that would connect to the rest of the song....

I'm quite a bit shocked by the fact that some appear to really believe it's there because it "sounds cool". (well, it of course does!)
With all due respect to these people... but did DT  or John Petrucci ever did something just b/c it sounds cool while ignoring the meaning?
It's 100% impossible that a devoted catholic would use the "agnus dei" intro just because it sounds cool.

It's about the most important aspect of the catholic faith, the lamb of god message. No one uses this b/c it's just plain cool. Neither would any non christian/non catholic use it just b/c it's sounds cool. It would be like putting a crusifix or a swasiska on the front of album image, just b/c looks cool.

John is known for writing lyrics with double meanings. Lyrics that both relate to his faith, and to something completely different. Lyrics that are both in line with his faith AND contradicting it. He writes the lyrics in such a way that they're not christian lyrics or gospel lyrics, while they still contain stuff that's important to him. Of course every lyricist will put stuff that's important to him in his lyrics.

Examples are the obvious I walk besides you or in the presence of enemies. Or of course ministry of lost souls. This must be another instance of these typical john petrucci lyrics, but to me it's hard to find the general double message...

It starts with the agnus dei intro...
It could of course have started with Jordan just liking the sound... then they were able to musically put it into the song (While no lyrics or lyrical theme was decided upon yet! ) (yet it of course was already nicknamed the shaman trance b/c of the shaman sound the first intro has). Then I imagine Petrucci to stand up and say: "leave that agnus dei part there, I'll work some lyrics around it".

Then I imagine that he used shaman-related lyrics to burry the agnus dei them into.
"Death survivor
Take me higher
Reunite my soul
Whisperer of truth
I trust in you
To make me whole"

Anyway, I can't figure it out so I wanted to post about it here.
It's at least impossible that the agnus dei is there solely b/c it sounds cool. (eventhough it does)

[hefdaddy42]

It's not impossible.

[Nihil-Morari]

The Flower Kings used a choir sample from the same Spectrasonics set on their track "Garden Of Dreams" (Dungeon Of The Deep  section).  I've always loved the Gregorian type chant samples used in songs. 

Strangely enough, The Flower Kings also used a (sort of) similar Aboriginal battle cry a few years later on "Last Minute On Earth".

I posted this too right after the album came out. Two of the intro-samples have been used by TFK, pretty strange, but they could be part of some stock-sound-library where spectrasonic took some from too.
BTW there has been a JLB sideproject with the Morte Et Dabo choir in a song. I believe it's Leonardo: The Absolute Man

[YtseJamittaja]

I got a crazy idea. Maybe they just thought it sounded cool.

Hmmm, interesting point of view. I could agree with you.

[Stonestef]

Some days ago I was listening to Tristania and I came upon this: https://youtu.be/5bfj1pUlx_M?t=4m22s

[YtseJamittaja]

Some days ago I was listening to Tristania and I came upon this: https://youtu.be/5bfj1pUlx_M?t=4m22s

Wow! The same sample! Almost at least. Interesting...