Chant Café

October 17, 2011 by Revd Fr Christopher Smith

Church as Hospital for Sinners and the Hermeneutic of Suspicion in the Blogosphere

The past ten years have been a constant Calvary for the Catholic Church. One revelation after another of abuse, manipulation and cover-ups by priests, religious and bishops have made us a punchline for third-rate comedians. And even though we can point out rightly that we share our problems with other groups and institutions all over the world and throughout history, that message does not seem to convince anyone. Faithful Catholics and self-described “recovering” Catholics alike are disappointed, angry, and tried in their devotion to the Church. It seems like every time a man with a collar opens his mouth, it just makes it worse. The Catholic Church’s witness as the most powerful moral authority in the world has been disastrously compromised. The ongoing revelations of the problems that some of the most well-known voices of that authority have had, have done nothing to make the situation any better.

So why are people so angry? Why is there so much attention to the sins of the Fathers? Why can people not seem to distinguish between belief in Jesus and His Church on the one hand and the failures of the members of the Church on the other?

Because we want to believe. Man was made for truth, tends towards truth like a dry weary land without water. The Catholic Church, the pillar of truth, shines as a beacon for that truth which she has received from her LORD. So whenever the face of the Church is marred by weakness, sin and dysfunction, it is harder for the children of God and men to see that Truth which the Church reflects from her Divine Teacher. They despair of the Truth, of the very thing for which they are made.

There is not a man alive who does not believe with every molecule of his being, The truth shall set you free. The entire world is demanding the truth, and nothing but the truth, from the Catholic Church. The entire world demands that the Church be coherent with the truth that she teaches.

Part of that search for truth has gotten caught up in the continuing revelations of wrong-doing by members of the Church. And when that wrong-doing is wrought by a man we all call “Father”, then the damage is immense. So when it turns out that the Fathers who have lent their voice to the Truth also have their own struggle to be freed by truth, everyone from daily Massgoers to anti-religious pagans feel the need to bring everything to light, in a desperate search for that freedom that comes from truth.

Yet there are two things that come to mind which cause me to reflect. First, it is a truth of our Faith that the Church is spotless, yet made up of sinning members. My favorite image of the Church is that it is a hospital for sinners. Her doors are open to all who, like the publican, strike their breast and say, Have mercy on me, a sinner. Her doors are also open to those who, like the Pharisee, are convinced of their own righteousness and their mission to point out the fault of the sinner. But her Table is not. And her clergy are not gurus, models of spiritual perfection upon which their fans are to model their lives. Instead, they are like the angels God sends with a message, angels with the fallible and dirty feet of men. It is for that reason that St Augustine said, “I am a Bishop for you, and a Christian with you.” Not because he wanted in his clericalist arrogance to excuse his past and his present faults, but to point away from himself to the One who can change the lives of us all.

Second, the heart of man is a deep mystery which nothing can adequately fathom. None of us can know the whole story, even with the tools of the best objective reporting. The Church is full of those who want to blame for the obfuscation of the Truth. But, given that the Church is a hospital for sinners, it is like the patients are all self-diagnosing, prescribing medications for others, and slinging blood, guts and infected pus all around.

We must remind ourselves that Ideas must be engaged, challenged and discussed, especially when they threaten to darken the apprehension of Truth by men. But we must be careful when we speak of those who formulate those Ideas. For there will always be a discrepancy between the value of the Ideas and those who put them forward. The Church is a scandal to the world because it is full of people who are sick and dying of sin, and still loudly sings a hymn of hope that all will be well. Because Our LORD is the Divine Physician and He is working His purpose out in the publican and in the Pharisee that both dwell in all of us.

How easy it is to think we have the whole story, and make value judgments, not about the Ideas before us, about the Image and Likeness of God who lay before us on his sickbed. We take what we see and hear and make presumptions, extrapolate based on them, and then reject people because of the carefully constructed hermeneutic of suspicion we have built around them.

I often tell my penitents, “As soon as you say the name of another person, you have to ask yourself, ‘Why am I saying this?’!” The virtue of discretion is one which has been caricatured as an obstacle to the pursuit of that truth which frees. Yet, as Christians, all in the hospital for sinners as we are, we depend on each other more than we can know. The bonds of Baptism which unite us as members of One Body are so strong that we are all saved together in the One Faith and the One LORD. It takes little effort to point out the faults and failings of another man who is ill, especially if they are true. But it is much harder, in fact it belongs to the long road of Calvary, to walk with another man on the way and encourage him to virtue. It is much harder to climb to Mount Tabor with him, to bear his burden, and to share with him the secret places of the human heart that God alone can make well and fill with joy.

I have been on the receiving end of misunderstanding, of calumny, of detraction. I also have taken the parts of another Christian and made out of them a whole according to my understanding, a whole which revealed more about myself than the one I sought to dissect and analyze. The name of other people has passed my lips, not in reverence for the Image and Likeness of God that they are, but for other reasons, some that I am not sure I understand myself.

One of the most powerful books I have ever read was Ian McEwan’s Atonement. In it, a bright young girl named Briony sees and reads into a situation. She is morally certain, and also scared, that what she has seen and read could destroy the life of her sister, Cecilia. Out of love, she presents what she has seen and read to the proper authorities. She seeks for the Truth which will free her sister. But her hermenutic of suspicion also happens to be wrong. And it results in a chain of events in which her sister’s lover is exiled and the two live out the rest of their lives frustrated by the absence of their true love, and each one ends in tragedy. The young girl realizes far too late that her perception was not reality, that her partial truth had compromised the whole truth. And so she spends her life in one grand act of atonement for her error.

Now, of course, we know as Christians, that we do not make atonement for our sins. But we have hope, for Jesus Christ was offered as The Atonement to make us at one again, not with the partial truth of our own understanding, but with the whole truth which liberates and alone empowers. It is because of that act of atonement of the God-Man Jesus Christ, it is on account of our praise to Him for that fact, that we do penance and offer, insomuch as we can, reparation for our sins.

We live in an angry world. We live in an angry Church. Those of us who participate in the Blogosphere who love the Church must recognize that there are deep spaces in the heart of each one of us, that we cannot fully understand, and that, often, in our search for that truth which frees, we set into motion events which hurt, mutilate and destroy. There is a lot of naming names and calling out demons in the Blogosphere right now, and a lot of moral certitude as to the justness of causes. May the example of Briony illuminate us as to the reparation we need to make for our own hermeneutic of suspicion and want of discretion and compassion. And more importantly, may the grace of Christ help us to look at the other patients in the hospital of sinners with love, and recognize our own inability to be freed by truth, except by Him.

The Litany of Humility

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved… 

From the desire of being extolled … 

From the desire of being honored … 

From the desire of being praised … 

From the desire of being preferred to others… 

From the desire of being consulted … 

From the desire of being approved … 

From the fear of being humiliated … 

From the fear of being despised… 

From the fear of suffering rebukes … 

From the fear of being calumniated … 

From the fear of being forgotten … 

From the fear of being ridiculed … 

From the fear of being wronged … 

From the fear of being suspected …

That others may be loved more than I, 

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I … 

That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease … 

That others may be chosen and I set aside … 

That others may be praised and I unnoticed … 

That others may be preferred to me in everything… 

That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

Amen.

October 17, 2011 by Arlene Oost-Zinner

Zwingli! on Music

For reasons unknown to me I found myself reading the Wikipedia article on Huldrych Zwingli (Swiss Reformer). Maybe it was because conversation over brunch today centered on my son’s freshman history class and his professor’s well balanced look at the influences and events of the time. Might also be because I was in Zurich three weeks ago, where all things “church” are all Zwingli, all the time.

Cut to the chase: I about fell off my chair when I read the paragraph on Zwingli’s view toward liturgical music, below. As Willa Cather said, “There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before.”

Zwingli criticised the practice of priestly chanting and monastic choirs. The criticism dates from 1523 when he attacked certain worship practices. He associated music with images and vestments, all of which he felt diverted people’s attention from true spiritual worship. It is not known what he thought of the musical practices in early Lutheran churches. Zwingli, however eliminated music from worship in the church, stating that God had not commanded musical worship. The organist of the People’s Church in Zurich is recorded as weeping upon seeing the great organ broken up. Although Zwingli did not express an opinion on congregational singing, he made no effort to encourage it. Nevertheless, scholars have found that Zwingli was supportive of a role for music in the church. Gottfried W. Locher writes, “The old assertion ‘Zwingli was against church singing’ holds good no longer…. Zwingli’s polemic is concerned exclusively with the medieval Latin choral and priestly chanting and not with the hymns of evangelical congregations or choirs”. Locher goes on to say that “Zwingli freely allowed vernacular psalm or choral singing. In addition, he even seems to have striven for lively, antiphonal, unison recitative”. Locher then summaries his comments on Zwingli’s view of church music as follows: “The chief thought in his conception of worship was always ‘conscious attendance and understanding’ — ‘devotion’, yet with the lively participation of all concerned”.

October 16, 2011 by Mr. C

They don’t teach “pom poms” at the Madeline School

A couple of colloquia ago, Duquesne I (as it were), the first person we happened upon in the dorm was a young lady, Miss Jessica Happold, dispatched post-haste to her first CMAA event after just one month’s tenure as the new Choir Director for the noted bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln Nebraska. Wendy and Jessica have shared a few FBook exchanges, but as I don’t “social network” I hadn’t heard from our lovely friend from 2010.
But in my office email I received this email below, and have included subsequent messages from one of Jessica’s young charges. We’ve had a lot of good news about our “kids” of late, particularly through the work of David Hughes, Kathy Pluth and MaryAnn Carr. And it’s a privilege to anticipate being able to take in the acclaimed Madeline experience started by Msgr. Mannion next summer. Just thought it might brighten the day to share this.

Hello Charles Culbreth,
My name is Seán Coffey, and I am an 8th grade student at Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln Nebraska. I am currently working on a project in “Sacred Music” with my teacher, Miss Happold, speaking of Chant. I would like you to answer this question, what do you think about Gregorian Chant. Do you think it is the right decision for it to return it after such a long disappearance and why? I would love to hear what you reply and please share your true thoughts, no limits what so ever.
Thank You so much.

Hello back, Seán.
I apologize that my response has been delayed, but I assure you that your interest has not been far from my mind. Please say hello to your teacher from both my wife and myself. You are quite fortunate to have such a caring and talented teacher.
“What do I think of chant?”
What I believe about Gregorian Chant is that it is the most refined, perfected language that we humans can employ to thank God, worship God, pray to God, praise God and return to Him a beautiful expression that unlike any other way, joins the best of “words” to the best ideals of “music.” Gregorian Chant is not just the sum of its major two parts, sacred text and melody. As I said, it is a sacral language that reflects our appreciation for the mystery that is at the heart of all we believe in our faith.
I actually think that the resurgence of Gregorian Chant in our era is not a return, or an acknowledgment of something that “lived” only in the past. The elements of notation that unlock the secrets of how best to perform its aspects are now being “de-coded” for popular understanding, along with the principles of why believers relied upon chant both in Mass and in the marking of the Liturgy of the Hours, so that virtually any interested Catholic, Christian or other person could learn to enact.
Recovering chant is not just about whether it is a “right decision” to help the Church spread the Gospel. Chant is the gospel, chant is our right, in fact our Catholic birthright. The decision we must face is whether to accept this God given right as being first among other equal ways to musically and poetically reflect our love for the Lord through the arts. Chant is first and foremost an action, an experience, something that cannot be fully understood or embraced by mere study or listening. It’s like swimming; you have to jump into its waters, take a breath and trust that you will move in a completely new manner .
Perhaps I can write you some more reflections later on.
Blessings.

Hello Charles,
My teacher says hi to both you and your wife. Thank you so much for your response. It is absolutely eye-opening and relevant for the church to know. This has strengthend my belief and has truly made me a much better Catholic member.
God Bless You So Much,
Seán Coffey

October 16, 2011 by Jeffrey Tucker

How To Learn Chant (Houston, Jan 4-6, 2012)

We live in a culture of instant everything. We get a new cellphone and expect it to work for us immediately and without reading the instructions. We get travel the world instantly in a mall food court: choosing between Indian, Chinese, Tex-Mex, Italian, or anything else. We scroll through our MP3s and listen to any and every style: rap, rock, country, opera, or chant. All things must be plug-and-play or they are not worth having. If something is boring, we multi-task.

But real learning takes time, and it is getting harder and harder for us to mentally commit to giving that. What if you still feeling a burning passion to learn something new? You have to make the effort, give the time, pay the fee – but consider it an investment. Hardly anything is really worth having it is costs you no time, no money, no effort. Things that truly makes a difference in this world and in our lives require something of us first.

What about singing at liturgy? Many people suppose that if you have a pretty voice, there is nothing else to learn. You just need a mic and a tune. But this is far from the case. The job of providing music at Mass or any Catholic liturgy is a substantial undertaking. You need to understand the Roman Rite. You need to learn to sing without accompaniment. You need to be able to make your way around the Church’s own music, which is Gregorian Chant above all else.

To be a singer at liturgy requires these things. The benefit of gaining these skills is that you now have a gift that you can give to the thing you love: the beautiful expression of the faith through its liturgical art. And now is the time. The Church desperately needs singers as never before. The talent pool has shrunk over the years, but now there is a renewed push to make the music right again. The call is for all people who are able to begin the training, to approach and eventually master the material, and to become a valuable asset to the parish and to the faith. Then you also enter into a proud heritage that dates back to the earliest years of Christianity: you become a singer for the Christian liturgy.

Can you give three days? It will change your life and change your parish.

Presenting the 2012 Winter Chant Intensive at St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston, Texas. January 4-6, 2012. Sponsored by CMAA Houston.

The Winter Chant Intensive is intended for beginning and continuing students and all who love and appreciate the central role that chant plays as the prayerful song of the Roman Rite – not only at cathedrals and Basilicas but also in every parish. The conference will both train and inspire toward the goal of continuing the renaissance of sacred music in our time, both in the ordinary and extraordinary forms of the Mass.

The Chant Intensive lives up to its name: though no previous experience with chant is required, beginners and intermediate chanters should be prepared for full immersion from the get go. You will learn or review how to read and fully navigate all aspects of traditional Gregorian notation (square notes). The course will also address correct Latin pronunciation, the sound and mystery of the eight Church modes; Psalm tones and their application; questions concerning the rhythm of plainsong, and more.

The course will be offered in two sections, chant for men, taught by Jeffrey Ostrowski, and chant for women, with instructor Arlene Oost-Zinner. Classes will begin at 1:00pm on Wednesday, January 4, and conclude with a 4:00pm chanted Mass in the Ordinary Form on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, January 6th.

Jeffrey Mark Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004), where he also did graduate work in Musicology. A pianist and composer, Mr. Ostrowski was elected President of Corpus Christi Watershed in February of 2011. His scholarship has focused on the historical performance of plainsong and polyphony of the High Renaissance, resulting in several early music CDs and an internationally broadcast television documentary.

Arlene Oost-Zinner is conductor of the chant schola at St. Michaels Catholic Church in Auburn, Alabama, composer of the popular English Responsorial Psalms, and director of programs for the Church Music Association of America. She has taught chant at all levels for the CMAA’s Sacred Music Colloquium and at workshops around the country, and has trained under several chant masters in a variety of traditions of thought and practice. She is also an accomplished pianist and translator, and has written for the Catholic Answer, Homiletic and Pastoral Review, Inside Catholic, among other places.

Tuition is $170 for all sessions and materials, including a copy of the Parish Book of Chant, compiled and edited by Richard Rice, as well as coffee breaks and lunch on Thursday and Friday. You will receive all course materials upon arrival. Class will be held in the seminary’s Bishop Nold Education Center. Mass on Friday will be in the chapel.

Now is the time!

October 15, 2011 by Jeffrey Tucker

At present I teach voice in my home studio and have a small schola of high school girls who have been with me for years. Recently, I was asked by the Friars at the Franciscan Monastery in D.C. if my schola – called “I Cantori” would sing once or twice a month at their 10 am Sunday liturgy and become the “regular” choir of the Monastery.

I accepted – of course – and consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to serve the liturgy in such a worthy setting with the acoustics of a (well-built) great Cathedral.

Here’ the point: Last night, in my living room, I took my new copy of the “Simple English Propers” in hand and had “my girls” (ages 12 -14) around me to prepare for Mass this Sunday — and began work on the Introit and Communio for the liturgy. At previous rehearsals I had explained that we would be starting to sing the Propers and provided them (via email) with brief instruction on why, what and how — along with a brief history of the place of the Propers in the liturgy. I had also sent them links to the Watershed tutorials on Youtube, and asked them to prepare the Introit and Communio for rehearsal last night – if possible.

However, I didn’t tell them that they’d have to quickly learn how to read neumes or give them any hint that they were going to read the chants in Gregorian notation. Now these girls are dedicated and they have been singing various chants of the liturgy with me for years. However, they are also incredibly silly, talkative, inattentive and all of that–AND, they are very busy, popular girls who are also athletes, actresses, big sisters, etc.

I didn’t have time to actually plan a detailed lesson for them – we had a good deal of music to rehearse; however, at the last minute I decided to read them the tutorial from the forward of the Simple English Propers as we carefully worked our way through the Introit.

The happy denouement is that even with my lack of preparation, the little introduction in the hymnal for the Simple English Propers was perfect. They were able to understand exactly what they were trying to decode, made notes right on their music (at my insistence) and sang the Introit with the purity of angels. Once I gave them a little direction on how to interpret the simple loveliness of the unison line, singing with reverence and care to shape the chant as if they were singing the waves of the ocean (arsis and thesis) – they totally understood their role. They quickly grasped the concept of the differences in the various neumes and remembered which notes had to be sung first and how to group the notes by twos and threes.

Then, unexpectedly – within 5 minutes and two iterations of the Introit, I witnessed something very beautiful as they became less of a “choir” and more of a “schola.” What do I mean by that? Well, to me, it is the submission of the ego in response to something more beautiful, creative and powerful than oneself — in service to the ultimate “art form” (for lack of a better phrase) — the Sacred Liturgy. The chant did what we know it is capable of: it introduced itself to them and taught them how to interpret it IN LIGHT OF THEIR FAITH.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that although these girls are already open to the power of the liturgy and they do – for the most part – take their faith seriously, interpreting the Introit somehow matured their faith. I could see it in their demeanor as they chanted and I could definitely hear it in their voices as they were careful not to overpower the delicacy of the “line” as they sang.

It wasn’t just that they performed the chants with clarity and a purity of sound – there was a humble honesty in their rendering – as if they were beholding an ancient, holy thing that they didn’t quite understand – yet compelled them in some silent corner of their faith.

I wasn’t surprised and yet, I have to say that I was a bit shocked- as one is shocked when one’s fervent but hopeless prayer is gently answered — at the same time that we become aware that – to our astonishment! — our prayer is in the process of being answered! It was the shock of innocent faith to the disillusioned (me) that a prayer I’ve held so deeply in my heart of hearts could actually be answered – even though I had “secretly” lost hope.

Because for a holy moment in my living room – my girls experienced a transcendence that had nothing to do with how beautiful they sounded and everything to do with how reverent and faithful they sounded. Does that make sense? It has to because it’s the truth.