GREGORIAN CHANTS

Exultate Choir likes singing gregorian songs for liturgical services. Here we post an article about another side of gregorian chants. Happy reading.

Gregorian Chants: Refreshing the Human Spirit

By Helen Russell

"Hear, O my son, the words of the Lord, and incline thy heart's ear"
-The Rule of St Benedict

True Gregorian chants, such as those of the Benedictine monks of Santo Domingo De Silos in Spain, have no musical accompaniment and are monophonic - ie every monk sings the same line. As David Steindl-Rast says "What matters is not the singer but the song."

Gregorian chants seem to enclose the listener within a sacred and deeply calming space, perhaps an abbey, monastery, chapel or our own vast empty space within - the cathedral of the heart.

According to Campbell the rhythm in Gregorian chants is "organic, based on the natural flow of the text, breathing, and tonal patterns of prolonged vowel sounds" The text he refers to is Biblical, most especially the Psalms. There are few notes and no overriding melody to push the listener towards a future conclusion.

Those "glorious ooooo's and serene eeeee's" that Campbell finds in Gregorian chants ground us in the here and now and are deliciously restful. They have a calming, enlivening, cleansing and refreshing quality. The elongated vowels seem to rise and fall like a gentle wave that cleanses and calms as it washes over and through us.

Because of the regenerative nature of the sound it is possible to listen to Gregorian chant in the car, home or office. It is beneficial also to use it to denote a sacred time within our day, much like the Cistercian monks who divide their day into "canonical hours" that respond to the various qualities inherent in each hour of the day.

This allows us to attune to what David Steindl-Rast calls "the message of a particular hour's angel". We become more present; more attentive now to the way the morning light falls on our curtains or the shadow a piece of furniture throws on our wall. Listening to chant allows us to celebrate those fleeting qualities of the moment that we would normally rush by in our restless flight into the future. Gregorian chants bring us into an attitude of appreciation and humility and attune us to the sacred rhythm here in our everyday world.

Our daily routines here in the Western world pay little heed to our deep human need for intimacy with spirit. Gregorian chant is one way we can do that. We draw from spirit in this way and return to our everyday lives refreshed and replenished and able to cope with the trials, stresses and burdens of modern life.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

The Tradition of Singing in the Catholic Church

Executive summary by Peter Ruppert

Singing within the Catholic Church has enjoyed a long and varied history. Therefore, it should come as little surprise that The Priests, a group of three Irish priests, have signed a recording contract and will be releasing a debut album in November that is set to include a number of liturgical pieces as well as hymns. 

While early traditions of the church are sometimes seen as far different from modern practices, congregational singing was always an important element in the early church. From the earliest days of the church, the practice of singing psalms has taken place. To a large degree, psalm singing is a carry-over from synagogues. The elementary form grew from the practice of morning and evening prayers. 

Over the years, the styles of psalm singing have changed as cultures as well as musical tastes have evolved throughout time. In the last few years, the practice of singing has experienced a strong resurgence. One of the primary events that led to this resurgence occurred when Latin gave way to vernacular within the church. That tradition of singing has carried over into modern times. Today, singing within the church is considered to be a favored part of worship. Depending on the nature of the hymn, singing within the church can allow the congregation to express the various moods of worship.

The Pope has said that singing in choir and receiving choir training can provide an education in peace as well as in life. The group, which had already sung together for many years, was chosen by the private secretary of the Pope to perform for him. They then went on to perform in the Vatican choir. Although the group later returned to Ireland to serve in different parishes, they have continued their love of singing and have continued to perform together.

Today, the Priests are continuing the long tradition of singing in the Catholic Church. Their ability to share their amazing combined talent and their unique expression of favorite hymns will be greatly broadened when their debut album is released this coming fall. Although the tradition has not historically included seeing priests become recording artists, this move will no doubt provide great benefit to the church.