Family in Feast and Feria - hymns_and_gregorian_chant

Some Music Notes

noreply@blogspirit.com (Jennifer Gregory Miller) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 22:39:55 -0400

I found this interview with Dr. Susan Treacy interesting. Well, it's personally interesting, because she was at Franciscan University of Steubenville while I attendeded. She formed and directed the Gregorian Schola, which I was a particpant. It was the beginnings of bringing Latin and Gregorian Chant to the campus, and she did a terrific job.

I've referred to the Ward Method many times. I just received the latest issue (Fall 2007, Volume 134.3) of Sacred Music Magazine, and there's a terrific article by Alise Brown entitled How the Ward Method Works. This is a great magazine, I encourage you to sign up for a subscription. I do hope this article goes online eventually, because it really explains the elements of the Ward Method, how it predates Orff and Kodaly methods, but also more well-rounded a music education than these other methods.

I am eager to implement the Ward method with my son. I think this fall I will start some of the Book 1 lessons and see how he responds. Justine Ward wrote it for the school-aged children, and some elements require reading skills, so I'll have to "tweak" to see what works for a preschooler who can recognize his letters and sounds, but still at pre-reading level.

Music Motto

noreply@blogspirit.com (Jennifer Gregory Miller) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 10:24:33 -0400

Restoring Sacred Music is one of my passions. I now have a motto from our beloved Pope Benedict XVI. Music Sacra has this wonderful poster. The quote bears repeating here:

An authentic updating of sacred music can take place only in the lineage of the great tradition of the past, of Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony.

Pope Benedict XVI,
June 24, 2006

I now have a few items on my shopping list: Stickers, notecards, and the poster.

Those who know me understand WHY I love St. Gregory the Great so much. So this combo of the quote and St. Gregory is so wonderful.

I have written before about Gregorian Chant and the Ward Method. I do think many people are thrown off by the idea of learning and singing chant. It seems so...well, Monastic. But chant is for everyone, and everyone can learn.

I have three great resources to share.

The first I received as a birthday gift from my mother. It's A Gregorian Chant Master Class which consists of a cd and book. The book is just gorgeous, very well done, 3 color printing, 82 pages. I think all Catholic book stores should carry this! There are snippets from the cd at the above link to get a taste of the class. There are ten instructions with very sound, practical advice. The book follows the cd, and then has some additional information.

Theodore Marier was a master, and this is such a gold mine to have his instructions to share. This class would be wonderful for the parents and older children to learn or refresh their knowledge in chant.

Just a side note, it took me a while to receive the order. My mother ordered it during Lent, and I think the sisters might not ship during that time? But it proved to be a nice Easter gift. At any rate, the shipping wasn't expedient.

To continue the beginning chant, St. Veronica Catholic Church has this wonderful cd, A Guide to Gregorian Chant.

I have mentioned the Ward Method, which was started by Justine Ward. The Church has always held that Gregorian Chant is for everyone, and so simple everyone can learn. She took that to heart and wrote a program to use in the Catholic schools so that even young children could learn chant.

The Ward Method training is offered every summer from Catholic University in Washington, DC. The books were slightly revised by Theodore Marier and there are all new materials (charts, tapes, etc.) to go along with the program, all available through Catholic University Press. The book covers are show in Barnes and Noble, although not available.

Not everyone has the luxury to take the courses and/or buy the expensive materials. Church Music Association of America has reprinted the four original works of the Ward Method (scroll down the page). There are also .pdf files of every reprinted book, found under "Teaching Aids" in the right hand column. Gregorian Chant for Church and School is another good resource. Since even FREE options are available, there's no excuse to NOT learn Gregorian Chant and become familiar with the Ward Method.

For further reading on learning and preserving our sacred treasure, see this excellent series of articles by Susan Benofy, Buried Treasure.

St. Gregory the Great, pray for us.
St. Cecilia, pray for us.

Rest In Peace

noreply@blogspirit.com (Jennifer Gregory Miller) — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 13:10:00 -0400

I was saddened to hear the news that Msgr. Richard Schuler died yesterday. He played a huge role in sacred music, especially in America, and founded the Church Music Association of America. You can read a short biography here.

I had a chance to meet him and listen to his talks at a Sacred Music Colloquim about 11 or 12 years ago. What a wonderful, humble, holy priest!

Eternal rest, grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Treasure Trove at Your Fingertips

noreply@blogspirit.com (Jennifer Gregory Miller) — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 12:15:02 -0400

Have you visited Musica Sacra -- Church Music Association of America (CMAA) lately? The wealth of information and resources they are providing for free are astounding, and every week there seems to be something new. For anyone who wants to enter more fully into the richness of our Catholic Faith and Liturgy, learning Gregorian Chant is one of the key components. Pope Benedict XVI's Apostolic Exhortation, Sacramentum Caritatis , specifically mentioned in these excerpts.

And CMAA is giving the tools to help learn and teach Gregorian Chant. One can either buy reprints of classic works , or download free .pdf files from the sidebar. Some highlights:

Gregorian Chant for Church and School, by Sister Mary Antonine Goodchild

The Spirit of Gregorian Chant by Marie Pierik

And of course, the Ward Method books, 1, 2, 3 and 4.

I've mentioned the Ward Method a few times here, and raved about it at the 4RealLearning Forums. Now you can read books 1, 2, 3, and 4 written by Justine Ward (see the sidebar for the .pdf files). I was happy to provide my copy of Book 3 so they could complete the set. The newer versions of the Ward Method taught at CUA is slightly different, but not much. Truly, if Gregorian Chant and Latin are the universal music and language of the Church, then EVERYONE should be able to learn. Justine Ward learned from the monks of Solesmes and then "translated it" so that every child can learn music through Gregorian Chant. Truly a gift, and CMAA has made sure this gift is made available to everyone again.

All Fired Up!

noreply@blogspirit.com (Jennifer Gregory Miller) — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 11:50:00 -0400

I'm back from my retreat. It was a marvelous 3 day silent retreat, out in the rolling hills of Virgina, overlooking the Hazel River. I'm very grateful to God for giving me the opportunity and grace to go, as I sorely needed a spiritual and physical break. He laid bare a small part of my soul that I could make some resolutions and ONLY with grace will I be able to follow through. I know I can only handle small bits at a time, and even the tiny bit is plenty enough to be disgusted at the sad state of my soul!

Besides be rejuvenated spiritually from the retreat, I'm all excited about the new Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis of Pope Benedict XVI, released today. I can't wait to read the entire text.

What excites me the most was highlighted by the Church Music Association of America and I repeat it here because it's so great:

42. In the ars celebrandi, liturgical song has a pre-eminent place. Saint Augustine rightly says in a famous sermon that "the new man sings a new song. Singing is an expression of joy and, if we consider the matter, an expression of love.". The People of God assembled for the liturgy sings the praises of God. In the course of her two-thousand-year history, the Church has created, and still creates, music and songs which represent a rich patrimony of faith and love. This heritage must not be lost. Certainly as far as the liturgy is concerned, we cannot say that one song is as good as another. Generic improvisation or the introduction of musical genres which fail to respect the meaning of the liturgy should be avoided. As an element of the liturgy, song should be well integrated into the overall celebration. Consequently everything – texts, music, execution – ought to correspond to the meaning of the mystery being celebrated, the structure of the rite and the liturgical seasons. Finally, while respecting various styles and different and highly praiseworthy traditions, I desire, in accordance with the request advanced by the Synod Fathers, that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and employed as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy....

62. ... I am thinking here particularly of celebrations at international gatherings, which nowadays are held with greater frequency. The most should be made of these occasions. In order to express more clearly the unity and universality of the Church, I wish to endorse the proposal made by the Synod of Bishops, in harmony with the directives of the Second Vatican Council, that, with the exception of the readings, the homily and the prayer of the faithful, such liturgies could be celebrated in Latin. Similarly, the better-known prayers of the Church's tradition should be recited in Latin and, if possible, selections of Gregorian chant should be sung. Speaking more generally, I ask that future priests, from their time in the seminary, receive the preparation needed to understand and to celebrate Mass in Latin, and also to use Latin texts and execute Gregorian chant; nor should we forget that the faithful can be taught to recite the more common prayers in Latin, and also to sing parts of the liturgy to Gregorian chant.

What does this mean for us in our Domestic Churches, as educators of our children? I'm sifting through my thoughts on that one. I have written before about Gregorian Chant and Sacred Music in the Home, particularly The Ward Method. I do only baby steps at home, but want to do more. It's obvious Latin and Gregorian Chant should definitely be part of our home environment, education, and prayer life. The Church Music Association of America is a treasure of information, education, and resources. I just need to work it into our Domestic Church. I have some more ideas...but that will be another post.

Impressive!

noreply@blogspirit.com (Jennifer Gregory Miller) — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 10:00:17 -0400

Don't miss Scott Turkington playing the organ. This is a video from the recently held Colloquium on Sacred Music. The final Mass was at the Franciscan Monastery in Washington, DC. If you have an aspiring keyboardist, this is definitely inspirational!

Pope urges recovery of traditional sacred music

noreply@blogspirit.com (Jennifer Gregory Miller) — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 08:30:00 -0400

Catholic World News reported yesterday that

Jun. 26 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI has called for preservation of the Church's heritage of sacred music.

Genuine renewal in Catholic music "cannot be achieved except by following the great traditions of the past, of Gregorian chants and sacred polyphony," said the Holy Father, speaking after a June 25 concert at the Vatican. This musical tradition, he said, is "a priceless spiritual, artistic, and cultural heritage."

The Pope spoke at the conclusion a concert that emphasized 16th- and 17th-century sacred music, held in the Sistine Chapel and presented by the Domenico Bartolucci Foundation, directed by Msgr. Domenico Bartolucci. The Pope saluted that foundation, especially for its commitment to promoting the "Roman School" of polyphony-- which, the Pontiff noted, "has always been characterized by its focus on the pure voice, without instrumental accompaniment." Msgr. Domenico Bartolucci was named director of the Sistine Chapel choir by Pope Pius XII in 1956, and served in that role until his retirement in 1997. Although he was over 80 years old at the time of his replacement, the appointment of a new choir director (Msgr. Giuseppe Liberto) by Pope John Paul II (bio - news) was widely interpreted as a sign of the Pope's decision to de-emphasize the music of the "Roman School" at papal ceremonies. At the time, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was openly saddened by Msgr. Bartolucci's departure.

Let's start the renewal. Bring on the chant and polyphony! St. Gregory the Great, pray for us!

Addendum: See this Chiesa article for more information. Thanks, Hans!

Singing and Praying...Rectifying a Misquote

noreply@blogspirit.com (Jennifer Gregory Miller) — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 11:10:00 -0400

I was just thrilled to read Fr. John T. Zuhlsdorf's entry on Who sings well prays twice… NOT! that rectifies the falsely attributed quote "He who sings, prays twice" to St. Augustine. He did not write it, and the actual phrase is orat qui bene cantat… "he who sings well prays twice."

He did write: "cantare amantis est… Singing belongs to one who loves."

AND he also wrote...I'm quoting completely from Father Z to be able to pull up the text often:

Qui enim cantat laudem, non solum laudat, sed etiam hilariter laudat; qui cantat laudem, non solum cantat, sed et amat eum quem cantat. In laude confitentis est praedicatio, in cantico amantis affectio…
For he who sings praise, does not only praise, but also praises joyously; he who sings praise, is not only singing, but also loving Him whom he is singing about/to/for. There is a praise-filled public proclamation (praedicatio) in the praise of someone who is confessing/acknowledging (God), in the song of the lover (there is) there is deep love.

The real quotes are even better than the attributed one!

Sacred Music 101

noreply@blogspirit.com (Jennifer Gregory Miller) — Sun, 07 May 2006 07:50:00 -0400

I'm very partial to Gregorian Chant. I could listen to recordings by Scholas for hours and never tire. But it's not just a matter of personal taste. The Church's teachings are very clear that all the faithful should be familiar with at least some basic Gregorian Chant, as suggested by the Jubilate Deo booklet that was published in 1974 under Paul VI. And within the Church's liturgy chant must have a prominent and permanent place.

If you have any part in music ministry and have the time, the Summer Music Colloquim (click on banner above) is a wonderful way to learn, practice and enhance your knowledge of chant. The Colloquium brings chant to life. It's not only for monasteries and convents. It should be everywhere in our Universal Church.

But that's the hardest part of teaching chant. The main reaction is that it's out-of-date and unusable.

Hattip to Amy Welborn pointing out the link to the awesome article in this month's Crisis Magazine entitled An Idiot's Guide to Square Notes by Arlene Oost-Zinner and Jeffrey Tucker. This will give you a taste of reading the little "neumes".

If you need some chant help from the Web, this Gregorian Schola has some wonderful links and resources.

Years ago I attended my first Summer Music Colloquium. Although my mother and I were not as experienced musicians as many in the group, the session was extremely uplifting, inspiring and educational....and fun. The next year I attended the Colloquium and took Book 1 and Book 4 of the Ward Method at Catholic University.

I taught young children through this method and it's fabulous. Now that I have my own little one, I'm trying to implement some of the method in our home.

Most of what I do now with my 2 1/2 year old is sing some simple chant phrase to him -- and he repeats it back to me in a response, matching pitch and tone and rhythm. Many times it's just a simple two note phrase, with words like "It's time for dinner, come to the table." and he'll respond "Okay, Mommy" with the last note going down. This was one of the exercises from the class, such as throwing a ball to a child, singing a phrase like "I throw the ball" and the child sings back, while catching the ball, "I catch it" repeating the melody pattern.

But I also incorporate the simple chant from the Mass parts and the Litany of the Saints in our prayer time. Ambrose loves it. We pray to our patron saints, such as "St. Joseph" and he sings "Pray for us." He likes to sing "A-men" when I sing the sign of the Cross.

His favorite is when we attend Mass and the priest chants the parts. His day is made if he hears: "The Mass is ended go in peace" and he belts out "Thanks be to God." I will hear that coming from his bedroom as he's settling down for bed.

Gregorian Chant is part of the living tradition of the Church. I'm just doing baby steps, but trying to find ways to live and breathe the chant in our home.

Mary the Dawn

noreply@blogspirit.com (Jennifer Gregory Miller) — Fri, 05 May 2006 09:00:00 -0400

I always thought I had a good basic knowledge of liturgical music. I studied Gregorian Chant, I'm familiar with traditional hymns, I've read the Church's teaching on the liturgy and Sacred Music. I know many Latin hymns. Well, pride goeth before a fall....

I pulled out my hymnals to play and sing Marian hymns during this month dedicated to Our Lady. I wanted my son to hear them and let them become second nature to him. As I was paging through my Pius X Hymnal, I was just wowed by this hymn. The words and music were so haunting.

Mary the Dawn

Medieval English text, Gregorian Tone 4, setting by Justin Mulcahy, C.F. (pen name Paul Cross)
Copyright 1949 by McLaughlin and Reilly Co. First appeared in 1953 The Pius X Hymnal:

Mary the Dawn, Christ the Perfect Day;
Mary the Gate, Christ the Heav'nly Way!

Mary the Root, Christ the Mystic Vine;
Mary the Grape, Christ the Sacred Wine!

Mary the Wheat-sheaf, Christ the Living Bread;
Mary the Rose-Tree, Christ the Rose Blood-red!

Mary the Font, Christ the Cleansing Flood;
Mary the Chalice, Christ the Saving Blood!

Mary the Temple, Christ the Temple's Lord;
Mary the Shrine, Christ the God adored!

Mary the Beacon, Christ the Haven's Rest;
Mary the Mirror, Christ the Vision Blest!

Mary the Mother, Christ the Mother's Son.
Both ever blest while endless ages run.

To Jesus, through Mary. The text is just beautiful. The words remind me of this time of year, both liturgical and seasonally: May for Mary, Mother's Day, Springtime, gardening, Easter and New Life, Holy Thursday, First Communions, the upcoming Feast of Corpus Christi.

I thought I had such a great find, but it turns out this hymn is very popular. In searching the Web, I find that this piece is even considered one of The Top Ten Catholic Hymns!

Besides the Pius X Hymnal, this hymn is also in The Adoremus Hymnal which is in print.

As an added bonus, I found this gorgeous arrangement of Mary the Dawn arranged for SSA and Chorus by Leo Nestor. This .pdf file also has a sound file, so you can listen while you preview the music. I listened to it all day yesterday...the melody is so haunting.

I can see I need to "hit the hymnals" to build up my sorely lacking repetoire of Marian hymns.