What an ironic twist .... the Episcopal Church discovers Gregorian Chant while the Catholic Church embraces 'Amazing Grace'.
I could use a change from "Christian top 40".
my Catholic parish has been incorporating some Latin and English chants for Lent. I honestly don't know if they would qualify as plainsong or Gregorian chant, though I'm guessing the former since the whole congregation sings it. Sometimes our choir sings in Gregorian chant after communion, and it is just beautiful. I adore Gregorian chant and other Latin church music, and hope more parishes around the country are able to use it.
I cannot understand why any bishop would be against singing in Latin. At a former, far less traditional parish, we often sang contemporary songs in Spanish, even though the congregation had almost no Hispanic members. I always thought, if we can sing in Spanish, a language almost no one here speaks, why the heck can't we sing in Latin? Sadly, not a word of Latin was heard in the parish, and the only times we sang songs older than 1970 were Christmas and the Marian feast days (hymns like "Immaculate Mary" and "Hail HOly Queen Enthroned Above")
Our Very Catholic Choirmaster is a big fan of chant. We sing a LOT of chant - at almost every service.
His S.O.P. (which I think is very good) is if we sing a polyphonic anthem with a traditional text, first we sing the chant then lead into the anthem. There are tons of pairs that work extremely well this way - Ubi Caritas, the Magnificat (with any number of anthem settings), etc. etc.
I actually had to learn to read the Solesmes notation. . . . we're reading it off the original texts from the Liber Usualis (or the short version, Chants of the Church). . . and I found a copy of the short version for sale on line cheap cheap cheap.
And yes this is a VERY orthodox parish. Praise the Lord!
I could almost stand the Novus Ordo if they'd just get rid of the chick "music minister" that always gets up at the lectern. You know, she also is the one that sings the "Responsorial Psalm" at the new Mass. I just can't get past the hand. Folks who attend Mass must know what I mean. She's up there, doing her little solo-part, then she does that little flick with the hand, that palm up sweeping motion. You know, the sign that says, "You peons may now join in the singing."
There is /nothing/ that drives me more nuts than "the hand". I can't hack it. I wind up walking out muttering, "The hand. The hand. Will you stop with the hand. In the name of God, quit it with the hand."
Thanks so much for posting...Hub and I love chant, we hear it at a nearby Trappist Abbey.
At one time, our then 2 yo granddaughter used to shush us when we played a tape of it for her; she still likes to play the tape at bedtime, after her prayers.
Lyle Cooney-Pead....there are some names that should never be hypenated.
Thanks.