Catholic liturgical music is serious, solemn, transcendent, but Catholic musicians are never more fun and inspiring than when they are talking about what they love most. This is what happens at sacred music events around the world: the social and intellectual are critically important elements. The musicians (and music enthusiasts) at the Chant Café, a project of the
Church Music Association of America, bring that sense of life and love to the digital world. As St. Augustine said, "Cantare amantis est."
Among the contributors:
Also past contributors:
Jeffrey Tucker, writer, editor, entrepreneur, musician |
archiveNick Gale (1975-2015), organist, choral director, for 13 years Master of the Music at the Cathedral of St. George in Southwark |
archiveBen, schola director and organ student |
archive
e-mail:
contact@chantcafe.com
So where are "singing too quickly" and "pitching the chant too high"? Or "old eyes missing a quilisma"?
"Getting the notes right" is of course an Extremely Serious Issue, but it hasn't been much of an issue in the groups I've sung with. I wonder if some people answered theoretically instead of experientially.
Our parish was really stuck for a musician that would/could play for the liturgy and would follow the pastor's wishes to integrate chant into our masses. The drawback is this piano player is a jazz musician by career and has no sense of liturgical music. He has a great talent for taking any antiphon/psalm from "by flowing waters" and playing spontaneously as if in a hotel piano bar ("don't forget to tip your waitress"). Ironically, he has no sense of the "organic flow" that chant has. Thus making it sound mechanical. Couldnt take it.
Anonymous says "the parish was really stuck for a musician . . .", ". . . this piano player is a jazz musician. . .", etc.
Why are so many churches hiring pianists? Why are organists not being hired in so many parishes? Does the parish and the pastor deem music important enough to pay a decent salary to the musician? If not, for the latter question, I guess one gets what one pays for.
Amongst church musicians, much criticism is leveled at the RC church for the quality, or lack thereof, of its music. Perhaps music needs to be taken more seriously and by having trained organist-choir directors much could be achieved in this direction.
Of course, in this forum I'm preaching to the choir. : )
I once complained about all of the above deficiencies (and then some) in a new singer, to a confidant of good judgment.
I was told to shut up. More singers just sound better.
As an AGO certified organist/choir director (currently working on the completion of the Associates certificate), I can assure you that good organists are hard to find. Many are pianists turned organists who don't have a clue how to register, play pedal properly or employ finger legato. In my experience, Catholic parishes hire what they can get, not paying well enough to get a certified organist. Also, many churches don't have an organ these days! The good ol' piano is the cheaper and more easily played instrument of choice, preferred by the "keyboard" composers of the post-Vatican II era. When I sub at a Protestant church, the music is better quality, the organ is good, and the pay is better. Parishes need to provide for good music at our liturgies. Advertise on your parish website for a qualified organist. Let the piano collect dust. Have the Choir sing real four-part hymnody and chant.