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Posted on by Adam Bartlett

Simple Propers for the Season of Easter

Download Simple Propers for the Season of Easter:

As you can see, the Simple Propers Project is swiftly moving along! Somehow we skipped Holy Week in our eagerness to get to the Easter Season–you can expect this and the Solemnities at the conclusion of the Easter Season by the end of the week.

A special thanks to all of those who have been reporting errors in the early drafts that have been posted. This is the beauty of the “beta” process. It will help ensure a reliable collection when it is completed.

Posted on by Jeffrey Tucker

Sing Compline for Lent

What do average Catholics know of the Divine Office? Virtually nothing, I’m sorry to say. And what do Catholics know of the Psalms? Very little apart from the paraphrases one hears in pop songs at Mass. Indeed, Mass is pretty much the only liturgical experience that Catholics know now, and they are completely unaware of the full range of the history of Christianity prayer as embodied in what is now called the Liturgy of the Hours.

The Second Vatican Council hoped to inspire a new movement in parishes the world over that would embrace the Divine Office. Chalk that up to yet another unfulfilled aspiration of a Council nearly swept away in a cultural tidal wave after it closed. Today the office is so unknown that parishes with limited access to a priest invent new services just to receive the Eucharist in the absence of a priest. It never occurs to anyone that a gathering to say the Office might be just the thing.

Well, rather than making this yet another long complaint about what might have been that didn’t happened to come to be, let’s turn this in a positive direction. A resource has become available for Catholics that has not previously been available in modern times. It is a simple and inexpensive book that allows any individual, family, or group to pray Compline or Night Prayer in a manner very close to the way it has been prayed since the 4th century.

It strikes me that it would be a wonderful thing for Catholics to get this book and start using it during Lent this year. The book is called Compline and it is published by Ignatius Press, as prepared by Fr. Samuel Weber, O.S.B., in parallel English and Latin, each with musical staff and completely pointed Psalms for singing. It is a small and very beautiful book. Ignatius should be commended for publishing it, for there are far too few Catholic music publishers putting out quality work like this.

Compline can be sung by the family after dinner or before bedtime. Or it can be sung by just one person alone. It is not necessary that a priest be present to receive the graces that come from singing compline. It might feel strange at first but after forty days, it will become a normal part of life, the Psalms beginning to become part of your daily routine and the hymns associated with the Office part of the music that enters your daily spiritual reflections.

The idea of compline is to complete the day with final prayers in hope of a peaceful sleep. It includes beautiful words that remind us of eternal life, with sleep as a kind of metaphor for mortality. All told, singing these night prayers takes about 10 minutes but it is very valuable use of time, a way to remember what is important at the end of a busy day and before we close our eyes. In the monastery, compline often signals the beginning of the great silence that lasts the remainder of the evening until morning prayer.

Sometimes people are reluctant to begin something like this because it is an unfamiliar routine. We do not know the songs and we do not know the drill and how it works. We find ourselves turning here and there in the books, confused about what to do next. I know of several enthusiastic converts to Catholicism who bought the multi-volume set of the Liturgy of the Hours with every good intention of developing a daily prayer life. But then confusion sets in and the person bails out before getting the hang of it.

This is why Compline is really the best beginning for saying the Office. Its structure is more simple than Lauds or Vespers, with fewer changing parts. It seems easier to approach, and this is especially true with Fr. Weber’s book.

For those with a musical inclination, it has been very difficult to find notated versions of anything in the Liturgy of the Hours. Thankfully, this has started to change. An English book came out a few years ago called the Mundelein Psalter. Then last year, Solesmes released its Vespers book for Sundays and Feasts. More are coming out in the years ahead.

But truly, this Compline book from Ignatius is a blessing. It has Latin on the left and English on the right throughout. Where the antiphons and Pslam tones could be maintained and fit with the English, they are maintained. Where this is too awkward, Fr. Weber uses special tones designed to make the terminations work in English while maintaining the feel of the Latin. This approach is in keeping with the hermeneutic of continuity emphasized in this pontificate, helping everyone to see the relationship between the old and new.

Learning the music is a snap. The clef is a C clef so you can easily go to the piano to learn to navigate the pitches — or, for that matter, you can download a piano key application for the iPhone or go to anyone website that gives pitches. This way you can learn the hymns and the prayers. After just a few nights, it will become easy and be a wonderful part of your evening.

I’m sorry that it has taken forty years for such a book to appear and be made accessible to laypeople, but we are blessed to live in times when such resources are now available to us. We should not take this for granted. We should snap up these books and use them, integrating them into our lives and helping to revive the sound and feel of Catholic liturgy as it has always been known to Christians – and that means more than just weekly attendance at Mass.

It is not just Muslims who face an obligation to turn to the Lord throughout the day. They got this idea from us. Lent is a great time to begin to revive this beautiful tradition.

Posted on by Mr. C

One from column A, one from….oh nevermind!

In the commentary section of Jeffrey Tucker’s provocative post, “Catholicism Grows Up,” one of our faithful UK friends, Ian W. amplifies one of Jeffrey’s own comments, stating “Nor does a cathedral musician’s claim that all is right with the world mean that it is. One only needs to inspect the Cathedral music lists to realize this.” As much as I can understand the sentiment of Ian’s contention, I am also startled over how easily any of us might overlook the potential injury our words may let loose upon our colleagues and peers with a sardonic slight, or a disparaging word based upon a one-dimensional perspective.

I remember visiting a brand new cathedral whose exterior architectural design dismayed me upon my initial viewing. But entering the interior enabled me to re-assess the skepticism and prejudice that lurked in my mind as result of that first glance and reaction. And while taking in the whole of the “house” with interest and energy, I was able to apply a sense of understanding and empathy as I perused the previous Sunday’s worship aide and musical selections, aka “the music list.”

Who among us that has been charged with administering repertoire choices for congregational singing hasn’t had some sort of cognitive dissonance, or cosmic collision with the reality that implementing our own tastes, visions and praxes will necessitate a nascent, starting-from-scratch reformation from the disparate remnant elements of previous “shot callers?”

But what I call into question is the merit of free associating what is “wrong” by the mere inspection of “music lists” that presupposes no other criteria than those choices. Can we literally be assured that our convictions about adherence to standards of art, legislation of styles, sources of texts, primacy of options are the only factors at play for the soul(s) that make these choices daily, weekly and according to seasons? A cliché is a cliché for a reason. “All politics are local.” Now, if an informed observer such as Ian, is privy to the vagaries and specifics of the local cathedral music ministry where the weekly repertoire reflects a particularly stagnant or egregious attitude towards liturgical proprieties, I would hope that the observer would consult with local parishioners, clergy or musicians to inquire as to their assessment, rather than manifest dissatisfaction in that most catholic of manners, the ubiquitous, inarticulate complaint.

In framing this post, I originally thought it would be best to display one of my lists (we’re not a cathedral, but we would qualify as a megaparish) and then conduct an autopsy this afternoon after the fact. But as the thought came to mind, an autopsy isn’t an appropriate term to describe looking at these choices. One should forensically approach these choices as they were intended, to provide living worship from living worshippers to the One Living God.

Even among our own CMAA adherents, it is proven fact that we are all on various degrees of maturation towards the paradigm of worship practice that Dr. Mahrt and his precursors have unflaggingly championed. Think about it- even in parishes and cathedrals where the EF is offered, there are options among the forms of the ritual which require specific and sometimes different types of music, chant and polyphony to be sure, and occasionally hymns. In the OF, should a parish striving to discern RotR, directors have a panopoly of vernacular chant and proper options that weren’t even dreamt of a decade ago, not to mention the S.O.P. of whatever is in the pulp or hardbound hymnal in the pews. Furthermore, to presume that even full-time, professional and experienced directors of music have no other personal, hierarchical or other aspects that inform their weekly deliberations is unrealistic, and perhaps mean spirited if wholesale condemnation is the objective.

So, I offer my music “list” for this, the Seventh Sunday of Ordered Time for your consideration and deliberation.

Read these bones, these tea leaves, this menu and offer your snapshot of “how the world is” in just one parish in California. Your reflections will be respected, or moreso, reflect the respect the level of criticism that is provided. As we were reminded last week, speak as if “your yes means yes, and your no means no.” And I will try to remember to respond by going one more mile to understand our “failings.”

The “S” Mass is our “traditional choral” Mass, the “E” is our contemporary “ensemble” Mass.

Introit: S “Lord, Your mercy in my hope…” Simple Choral Gradual/R.Rice E The American Gradual/B.Ford

Entrance: S O FATHER, ALL CREATING (Aurelia) E STAND BY ME (Kendzia)

Opening Rites: S Kyrie-plainsong/Oecumenica-Culbreth E Kyrie(Sleeth)/Dancing Day Gloria-P.Ford

Responsorial: SE Respond & Acclaim

Gospel Accl.: S plainsong “Alleluia”modeVI E Sleeth setting

Offertory: S CHRIST BEFORE US (Suo gan) E THE SUMMONS (Kelvingrove)

Eucharistic Accl.: S Oecumenica/Agnus Dei (plainsong) E Holy/Christ/ Amen /Lamb (Sleeth)

Communion Procession: S “I will tell all…” Simple Choral Gradual/R.Rice E The American Gradual/B.Ford S JESU, JOY OF OUR DESIRING (Bach arr.)  E PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS/ORACIÓN( Temple )

Communion Anthem: S PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS (Mark Hayes arr.) E DWELLING PLACE (Foley)

Recessional: S organ postlude E IF GOD IS FOR US  (Brown)

Posted on by Jeffrey Tucker

Report on Polyphony Weekend

The Chant Cafe is pleased to offer this report on the Renaissance Weekend in Dallas, Texas, written by Gregory Hamilton:

The Renaissance polyphony Weekend under the direction of Dr. William Mahrt celebrated its twentieth anniversary on February 18-20th.

Each year, lovers of great polyphony gather together in Dallas for a full weekend of singing music of the great European polyphonic masters. This year, in honor of the 400th anniversary of the Vespers of 1610 by the Venetian master Claudio Monteverdi, director William Mahrt chose late a mass setting of Monteverdi, a motet by his forerunner Luca Marenzio, motets by other less-know but fine composers including, Sebastian de Vivanco (1550-1622), Jacobo Gallus (1550 – 1591), and the proper chants for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary time.

The value of such a weekend intensive lies in the opportunity to learn and know the music of the great polyphonic masters from the inside out. To understand this music, to experience it fully, it music be sung. This, year, we were able to experience a mass by a master of both the prima prattica and the seconda prattica, terms as Dr. Mahrt pointed out, were coined by Monteverdi himself. The mass is a fascinating amalgamation of the two styles, both the ‘old’ polyphonic species counterpoint, and the ‘new’ homophonic/basso continuo style where text painting was key. Although the Nuove Musiche originated in the development of the solo song and madrigal, by such composers as Caccini and Marenzio (represented this weekend by his motet “O Sacrum Convivium”), It is clear that Monteverdi was the most important representative of this style, and truly innovative in bringing it into church music.

Fr. Ralph March, O.Cist, chant scholar and long-time professor of music at the University of Dallas, celebrated the Novus Ordo in Latin at Holy Trinity Seminary, on the campus of the University of Dallas. Fr. March presented a thought provoking homily of the nature of God reflected in beauty and music for the liturgy, and our response and participation in this mystery.

The choir, from all over Texas and the Southern United States, numbered about 50. Thanks go to the organizers of the weekend, and especially the seminarians of Holy Trinity Seminary.

Dr. Gregory Hamilton
Holy Trinity Seminary, Diocese of Dallas.
http://www.holytrinityseminary.com
http://www.gregoryhamilton.org

Posted on by Jeffrey Tucker

More on Q

The Record offers more detail on the wonderful group Q, which will soon release its album of Victoria Responsories. I’m particularly excited because our own schola has begun to explore this music for the first time this season, and I’m startled by so many aspects of it. These pieces are not motets in the way that we’ve come to know them over the last ten years of singing.

It seems more evident that the structure is all designed for textual declamation as a first priority. Unlike texts such as O Sacrum or or Cantate Domino, these are not familiar to us, and it seems that Victoria understood this point and structured the pieces to make the communicative purpose more evident. It really is a different world for polyphony.

The singers who are members of Q come out of long experience as Church musicians at Trinity College, and it is clear from interviews that they have done extensive study of the music with an eye to making it come to life with only one singer per part. We can only hope that this CD will reveal the music in a way that has never been done before.

Their CD, Tenebrae Reflections, is their first under their group name Q and will be launched at a performance at St Joseph’s Church in Subiaco on 19 March at 7.30pm, and is available from The Record Bookshop.
The music of Q – which stands for Quartessence – is not just for concertgoers, Cichy said.

“We try to engage, to show the music in all its beauty for what it is. It’s also an evangelising act – faith through art,” Cichy said. “The most eloquent arguments or apologetics for our faith are made through art, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) said, it’s in these brief encounters that we have a depth of experience that we wouldn’t gain from reading a whole library of books.
“The function of music in church, apart from worship of God, is to make the Word flesh.

“Christ came in the Incarnation; music draws us into the mystery – it’s our way of seeking the face of God in this life before we’re perfectly united with Him in the next.”

LeCoultre, Francesco and van Reyk have been singing responses since they were in primary school at Trinity College under the expert guidance of Annette Goerke, famed Cathedral organist for 40 years and director of music for some 25 years who first took organ lessons from Fr Albert Lynch, who revolutionised the music culture in the Archdiocese.

She is also one of the few people in the Archdiocese to have been awarded the Holy Cross Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice (“For Church and Pope”), the award given to lay people and clergy for distinguished service to the Church.
The trio was also part of the Cathedral choir as Trinity also supplied choirboys for the Cathedral since 1938 when Fr Lynch, who established the choir, approached the Christian Brothers for assistance.

The quartet’s repertoire has evolved according to each other’s strengths and interests which converged when they returned to the works of 16th century Spanish composer Tomas Luis de Victoria, plus many items that LeCoultre, Francesco and van Reyk sang in the Cathedral choir and realised with sadness that none of them were sung anywhere in the Archdiocese.

Posted on by Jeffrey Tucker

Strange Radio Experience

I had a few minutes in the car and, though I rarely listen to radio, I turned it on today and landed on some random channel. The girl was singing with one of these wheezy helpless voices, gasping pathetically about her love for her guy and how badly she wants to be alone with him. The words — which I would not repeat here — and the sensibility were lurid, tacky, and embarrassing.

It struck me how much more provocative teenage music had become since I was young. What was once disguised is now out the open, the sexuality overt rather than implied. It was depressing. The song ended, and then came the shock: the announcer said that this was a Christian praise music station. It was supposed to be a religious song, and I suppose the listener is free to interpret it as the listener chooses: the teenager hearing what he or she wants to hear and the parents doing the same.