5 Facts About Diamanda Galás’s Plague Mass Recording

Plague Mass was recorded live on October 12 and 13, 1990. The performances took place at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.

The album captures Galás’s response to the AIDS crisis. It is a raw, confrontational work that blends vocal extremism with liturgical and electronic elements.

The cathedral’s massive acoustics shape the recording. The reverberant space amplifies Galás’s unaccompanied vocals, creating an immersive, haunting atmosphere.

No overdubs or studio fixes were used. The album is a direct document of those two live performances, preserving their intensity and spontaneity.

The recording is considered a landmark of avant-garde vocal music. It remains one of Galás’s most acclaimed and emotionally devastating works.