Roughly one year in the making, I’m happy to announce the release of my latest album, “I Might Be Praying.”
I invite listeners to disengage from our TikTok world for 40 minutes and join me on a meditative journey. This classical ambient composition merges the ancient and the modern, blending Gregorian Chant motifs with mesmerizing textures and echoes of urban England.
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Inspiration For The Album – I Might Be Praying
At the end of 2022, I was reading the morning news while sitting down to breakfast. I came upon a story of a woman in England, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who was arrested for the unforgivable offense of standing on a sidewalk and silently praying in her head.
Regardless of one’s personal and political convictions, I had a tough time grasping the idea that a government could imprison or charge an individual with unlawful activity for the act of thinking a thought. I kept thinking about the dystopian science fiction novels I read in my youth. As extreme as George Orwell’s worlds might have seemed decades ago, I fast-forwarded into a reality where “thought police” genuinely exist.
The news story stayed in my mind, fermenting into inspiration for a musical work.
Musical Development of I Might Be Praying
The concept for the album was simple. I envisioned traditional Catholic musical motifs surrounded by atmospheric sounds and bookended by the sound of the streets in England. My aim was to create a musical experience where the listener could close their eyes and imagine praying in their mind while cars and people passed by.
I recorded the piano motifs heard on the album in a single piano session that spanned just about two hours. The motifs include segments of Gregorian Chant settings, including Credo, Pater Noster, Ave Maria, and a common Psalm Tone. I also recorded repetitive segments on the piano designed to mimic prayer on rosary and seven-sorrows beads.
After a couple of months, I took a trip to England in 2023. During that summer trip, I used my portable recorder to capture the sounds of the streets. All of the urban sounds on the album are sourced from Britain, providing authenticity to the environment I wanted to present.
Lastly, the atmospheric sounds came after a few more months. I pulled in a variety of elements to create the soundscape, including traditional orchestral instruments, processed strings, a few vocal elements, and a variety of synthesizers. This final process of the composition took roughly three months.
I Might Be Praying – Composed and Performed by Arthur Dobrucki
Track Listing – I Might Be Praying
Morning At Erdington Abbey – We hear footsteps approaching a church for morning prayer. The door opens. We hear an individual settle into a pew as the church bell rings and listen to a piano prelude. Sheet music is available for Morning At Erdington Abbey.
Seven Sorrows (For The Innocents) – Our first prayer includes a seven-fold motif to echo the prayer of the Seven Sorrows.
Standing Silent – This piece places us on the streets of Birmingham, England, where the soundtrack for our silent prayer is underway.
Decade 1 (Saint Gianna Beretta Molla) – In this selection, we hear a ten-fold repeating motif, bringing to mind a decade of prayer on a rosary. Saint Gianna Beretta Molla is a patron saint of mothers, physicians, and unborn children.
Ave Maria (For Silent Thoughts) – A setting of the Ave Maria chant on a modern soundscape.
Decade 2 (Saint Catherine Labouré) – We hear a second ten-fold repeating motif, for another decade prayed on the rosary. Catherine Labouré is known as the saint of silence and confidence.
Salve Regina (For Isabel) – A setting of the Salve Regina chant supplemented with a modern soundscape. The dedication is to Isabel Vaughan-Spruce.
I Might Be Praying – In the final moments of standing in prayer, we hear the sound of sirens approaching and interrupting a decade of the rosary. The police are coming. The thought crime must be stopped.
Birmingham Vigil – A final piano piece provides a slow, steady, and calm melody as we close to reflect and end our prayer.
You can experience “I Might Be Praying” on Spotify, Amazon Music, and all major music streaming services.
Where To Listen To “I Might Be Praying”
Dedication
This album is dedicated to Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, the prayer warriors of March For Life UK.
Instruments Used on I Might Be Praying
Action Strikes (Native Instruments)
Albion One (Spitfire Audio)
Albion Solstice (Spitfire Audio)
Arkhis (Native Instruments)
Ashlight (Native Instruments)
Augmented Voice (Arturia)
Church Bells (PMI)
Emulator II (Arturia)
Kawai RX6 Grand Piano
Kontakt Orchstral Library (Native Instruments)
LABS (Spitfire Audio)
Logic Pro – Sample Library select orchestral sounds
Lores (Native Instruments)
Mellotron (Arturia)
Olympus Choir
Pharlight (Native Instruments)
Polaris (Spitfire Audio)
Voices of Gaia
Yamaha CS80 (Arturia)
Yamaha DX7 (Arturia)
Street Sounds – All street sounds were recorded on location in England
Mastering chain includes Ozone 10 and TR5 Tape Machine 80 (IK Multimedia)
Closing Thoughts – I Might Be Praying
The album features nine instrumental tracks inspired by the story of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who was arrested in Birmingham for silently praying. Her words, “Silent prayer is never criminal,” resonate deeply within the album, offering a profound message of reflection and solace.
“I Might Be Praying” aims to honor the rich heritage of sacred music while pushing musical boundaries. Listeners are invited to immerse themselves in the transcendent soundscape, finding peace and contemplation in each track.
Arthur Dobrucki
#marchforlifeuk #marchforlife #isabelvaughanspruce #dystopia #thoughtpolice