I sometimes like to meditate upon waking 🧘

At the beginning, I really enjoy listening to sounds of nature
Today I want to introduce a song that has been on repeat for about a week
"Molde Canticle" is an instrumental piece composed by the renowned Norwegian saxophonist and composer Jan Garbarek (later with vocal versions)
It belongs to the contemporary Nordic jazz/ambient music style.
Historical Background
Origin of Composition: This piece was commissioned by Jan Garbarek for the Molde Jazz Festival in Norway (Moldejazz).
Molde is a small coastal town in western Norway, known for hosting one of Europe's oldest jazz festivals.
The name "Molde" directly refers to this city, and "Canticle" in Latin means "little song" or "hymn," carrying religious or meditative connotations.
Popular Spread: Around the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, Norwegian soprano Sissel Kyrkjebø recorded a vocal version (without lyrics, only pure humming/singing).
She also performed this piece at the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics closing ceremony (dressed as a princess sitting on an Arctic bear prop).
Sissel's version helped it reach a broader audience beyond jazz circles—I am one of them.
This piece has no traditional lyrics, relying entirely on melody and vocals/instruments to convey emotion:
Melody Style: Slow, long, ethereal, with a sense of Nordic coldness and vastness. Garbarek's saxophone version leans toward jazz improvisation and ambient sounds, while Sissel's version resembles a heavenly female hum, pure and clear yet filled with sadness and profundity.
Emotional Core: It is often described as a "soul song" or "celestial music that penetrates the soul."
It expresses a sense of peaceful meditation, eternal reflection, solitude, and praise for nature, history, and shared human emotions.
Listeners often feel an atmosphere of "cosmic vastness and human loneliness," or as if immersed in the tranquility and reverence of Norwegian fjords and mountains.
I think many people use it to relax, meditate, or as background music, evoking inner peace and emotional resonance, blending Nordic folk melancholy and spirituality.
In my view, "Molde Canticle" is Jan Garbarek's musical tribute to his hometown Molde, which later, through Sissel's interpretation, became a timeless "wordless hymn" beyond jazz.
It embodies the Nordic music's unique minimalism, ethereal quality, and deep emotion, suitable for savoring in a quiet environment.
Sissel's "ah" sound is as tranquil as a gentle orchid, like soft spring afternoon sunlight;
It also resembles a rare breeze in a deep valley: without scars, desires, yet always hiding the intense heat deep in the heart, and possessing a soothing power that penetrates the soul.