I encourage you to browse to the English-language Vatican Radio program that interviews Charles Cole, director of the Cardinal Vaughan Schola in Kensington, England. He also serves as the “duty organist” at the Westminster Cathedral, among many other positions in England. He directed the brass during the Pope’s Mass at Westminster and played organ later that day at the Hyde Park prayer vigil.
In this interview, which you can find about halfway through the program, he speaks about the direction that music has taken under Benedict, and provides outstanding arguments for the sacred music tradition. It was interesting for me to listen to this because he says precisely what so many of us have been saying in the United States. It’s like the development of a truly international movement of chant and polyphony under the leadership of the Pope himself. It’s all very inspiring.
From personal observation, there's no question that sacred music had taken a leap forward under Pope Benedict, who is a talented musician himself, with a brother who is a KapellMeister. As a Church musician I can honestly say I prefer no music at Mass when it's the same-old, same-old 1970s drivel. When the Mass incorporates chant (whether Latin or English) and the best of contemporary music is used, it's fine. But when the music program also reaches back into our treasury of sacred music, and incorporates some of that, that is when the Mass soars and becomes a foretaste of Heaven!!
When true sacred music is performed (there's that dreaded "p" word), it has a calming and edifying effect on the faithful. Suddenly, even at Christmas and Easter, which is loaded with visitors and non-Catholics, a jammed church is recollected and behaving in a pious manner. And, I've observed the babies stop crying during Gregorian chant (we think the non-metical rhythm combined with unexpected intervals does this). Let's throw some Grace into the mix too!
Beautiful singing and solid remarks by Charles Cole. Considering the emphasis he gave Gregorian chant, though, it was odd that we did not hear the boys sing a note of it.
Post hoc is not necessarily propter hoc, but at the Vatican in December 2005, for the Second Study Day on the Anniversary of Sacrosanctum Concilium, papers were presented on the topic of "Musica Sacra: Music at Mass: A Liturgical and Pastoral Challenge". Most of them are available now in English in the volume by the same title published by Ignatius Press.
William Mahrt:
As a back-row member of the Schola I can tell you why you didn't hear us sing a note of chant…
We would consider it improper to record chant. It is music for the liturgy, and should have no place anywhere else. Vatican Radio also chose which track to play in consultation with our Record Label. The choir and it's managing network had no involvement in that choice.
Let me also add this. In the four or five times I've been on national radio on the subject of chant, each time I send tons of links that include chant and other things. Every time, they choose others things besides chant, probably just because the producers like the complexity of polyphony or the upbeat sounds of hymns. They must believe that it makes better radio. Every time I'm a bit embarrassed that the interviewer and I are going on about chant and then it turns out that the audio has none. Every time!
I am sympathetic to such a view; chant is not successful concert music; perhaps it would not have been successful video music either.
Still there are reasons to perform and hear chant outside the liturgy: rehearsals, study exercises, scholarly commentary which includes hearing the chant studied.
Recordings can be a most fruitful means of studying chant, particularly various styles of performance, though I would concede that this is probably not the motivation of those making, or at least selling, the recordings.