Yes, They’ll know we are Catholics by our chants, by our chants!

I type as I’m listening to Jeffrey Tucker’s interview with Dr. Jennifer Pascual on Sirius Radio via Adam Bartlett’s link here at the Café.

There is no way to know how many folks actually listen to such joyful exhortations on the wires/wireless’. There’s no way to measure any sort of corporate conversion of the hearts of the clergy and laity who might happen upon the encouraging, informed common sense from the pen of Dr. William Mahrt in “Sacred Music.”

But I’d like to revisit an experience I’ve now shared with my own parishioners on this Holy Day, and on this same day last year, that is undeniable testimony to the principles that are espoused by CMAA and all champions of restoring chant to a place of principality in our liturgies.

Again, as I type, I’m listening the very same Introit for All Soul’s from the pen of Adam Bartlett that we actually enjoined an impromptu congregation at our district cemetery this afternoon. I literally printed the one sheet Order of Music from Adam’s post, along with Arlene’s Psalm 23 and they were handed out and sung at first reading by a completely diverse congregation of souls from all demographic points. A couple of members of our local garage schola (profiled in an earlier post,) myself and my lovely bride comprised an ersatz, but mighty schola, and we bolstered a gathering of about 200 folks who took up the English Propers with ease, as well as the Ordinary of the Requiem Mass commonly associated with the “Jubilate Deo” project.

There has been a great deal of reportage about various multicultural traditions that express a reverence or anamnesis for the souls of relatives that have passed. Here in the San Joaquin Valley we have embraced the traditions of Latinos, the tribal peoples of Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, the Filipinos and others. But, each of those ethnic subcultures were represented by folks this afternoon called to pray for the state of the souls of “all the faithful departed” in a catholic manner, one that transcends and unifies us all within the unity of the ritual. By the God-given language of chant, I not only wished afterward that such a witness to our rituals and faith traditions could have been such witness to our entire Christian community in our city, but that it could have been such witness to our own dis-enchanted Catholics who have, through no fault of their own, been kept at bay from their rightful inheritance.

I don’t know what else to say. I know that I’m whole and complete in the midst of colloquium liturgies, even at rehearsals. And I am likewise whole on this unique day by virtue of being presented the opportunity to exclusively “sing the Mass” on All Soul’s Day at our cemetery rather than the “brick by brick” pastiche at our magnificent church, and confident that I have empirical evidence in my own vineyard (where my grandparents rest) that St. Pius X called it correctly over a century ago; the Faithful can, will and do sing the chant when afforded the trust and opportunity by the powers that be.

Thank you, CMAA. Thank you, Jeffrey, AOZ, Dr. Mahrt et al. Thank you, Adam. All praise be to the Risen Christ, Lord of All. Soli Deo Gloria!