Chant Café

I have sinusitus…and a sore throat. I’m not singing at a dress rehearsal for the Rutter “MAGNIFICAT” among 150 other singers tonight. What to do….what to do?
I know! Let’s visit the Big Three and do a “meet and greet” with their newly proffered preview Ordinaries (well, to be honest, the segments that each decided would put the best foot forward) which they anticipate and have obviously banked upon as their thoroughbreds when first we take up the Holy in Advent I, ’11 and the Gloria at either Guadalupe or Christmas Vigil thereafter.

Yes, I pushed “play” for each “newly composed” setting movement from each of  the OCP/GIA/WLP preview pages. And I listened with a purpose founded upon hope. Alas, it was somewhat like Hannibal Lecter commanding Clarice Starling to “Thrill me with your acumen.”

So, this might be the shortest post for CC I’ve ever written. And so it should be. Out of all twenty or so new settings that I, the bait fish, actually looked for the hook, there was nothing but Popeil Pocket Fisherman implements, compositionally speaking. Pale, as advertized on TV clever amusements. Not gonna name names here. I respect all of these folk for their effort and tenures of service. But, not but one setting, to this reviewer, contained a baker’s dozen of thought-through innovation and invention that would capture the attention of both musicians and congregations sufficiently enough to compel them to desire repeating the experience the next Sunday.

So, before I unleash this heresy upon you, I ask you to consider stepping outside of the comfort zone of the WIZARD OF OZ’s pleas and pitches, and consider: the chants for crying out loud to heaven on high! If you ignored JUBILATE DEO, then, out of penance alone, obligate yourself to programming, teaching and, of most difficulty, selling the ICEL chant ordinary. If you long for more, then do some homework, and if you are gifted or know someone who is, compose a worthy setting that either celebrates chant in an obvious, unique and artful manner, or is otherwise worthy of more consideration than a Tinker Toy or Lego formulated setting.

The Heresy: the only major publisher Mass setting excerpts that I thought measured up to those minimal standards- “MASS FOR A NEW WORLD,” David Haas.

I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what else to say.

Directed by Dana Perry (HBO’s “Boy Interrupted”), the documentary Top Ten Monks takes an unprecedented look at the daily lives of these unlikely celebrities, who rarely allow cameras inside their walls, when it debuts Wednesday, DEC. 22 (8:00-8:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO2.

Other HBO2 playdates: Dec. 25 (6:30 p.m.) and Jan. 2 (8:00 a.m.), 7 (6:00 a.m.), 19 (9:00 p.m.), 22 (8:00 a.m.) and 31 (11:30 a.m.)

The story of the monks’ success began when Universal Music noticed an increase in back catalogue sales of Gregorian chant, and placed ads in notable Catholic newspapers searching for the most beautiful sacred voices.

Father Karl of Stift Heiligenkreuz Abbey, a 12th-century monastery near Vienna, sent the company a link to a website and a YouTube video of the monks’ singing, which Tom Lewis, artist development manager at Universal, calls “some of the most beautiful Gregorian chant we heard.”

“Chant” was a perfect opportunity for the monks to gather the financial means needed for a new recording project – something they had wanted to do for years.

Sung in Latin, the official language of the Roman Catholic Church, Gregorian chant is composed in a free musical rhythm that rises and falls in accord with the inner meaning of each piece. The peaceful and otherworldly – to some ears “eerie” – tonality of Gregorian chant, and its free rhythm, make it the perfect musical form for unfolding the meaning of the sacred texts that are sung in it.

While a monk’s primary activity is prayer, which the monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz have engaged in for 900 years, this documentary dives deeply into their everyday lives, dispelling misconceptions about life in a monastery.

Rather than a place of constriction and monotony, Stift Heiligenkreuz Abbey enables the monks to strive for lives that are open and calm, healthy and happy. These monks are fully engaged in the modern world, using technologies such as cell phones and the Internet, as well as running a number of businesses, including a gas station and a sawmill.

Their sudden celebrity finds them in the headlines and on TV, but the monks are not inspired by money or fame, believing that for many people, Gregorian chant are an escape from and an answer to the pressures of modern life. Father Karl explains, “The music not only calms, it also gives strength. It has an emotional dimension. It is joy and fear, praise and mourning, jubilation and thanksgiving.” He also believes that many people “find it interesting, cool and exotic when they see monks in long white robes, praying together and singing in Latin.”

Explaining the monks’ popularity, Tom Lewis says, “There’s a lot of people out there whose musical appetites aren’t necessarily being served by popular culture. And when something fresh comes along, the appetite for it is incredibly strong.”

Roma locuta est has begun a series that explains the new translation, beginning with the Confiteor.

Here is a special contribution from Jeffrey Ostrowski:

As evidence that Gregorian accompaniment is a legitimate part of our Catholic musical tradition, Corpus Christi Watershed has posted more than 15,000 pages of chant accompaniments, which you can freely download at the Lalande Library Website. I have been advised to keep this article rather short, so I will (alas!) only be including a handful of examples.

The opinions expressed below correspond solely to my own ideas about what a “standard” Gregorian accompaniment should be. In general, my perspective is the same as the Lemmens Institute, which produced the Nova Organi Harmonia. For more on this, please read the Preface to our new Chabanel Psalms Publication. I do not consider “improvised” harmonizations or those that use special registrations, as this would require a separate article.

Let’s start with an example by the legendary Gregorianist, Dr. Peter Wagner. He churned out literally thousands of pages of Gregorian accompaniments, but I have serious issues with his approach. The below (part of a melisma on the syllable “num” of Dominum) is a typical example:

Frankly, I think his accompaniment is just awful. The entire thing is basically just one, long, boring, root-position C chord. It doesn’t “go” anywhere, harmonically. Then, too, I don’t like how he uses an incomplete chord (marked as no. 1), something Wagner does constantly. This example also displays something I loathe in Gregorian accompaniments: it leaves a chord, then immediately returns to that same chord (marked as 2-3-4). When I see an accompaniment like this (which, by the way, he obviously liked, because he repeats it each time this melody occurs), I cannot help but wonder why he didn’t do something like this:

That was the first harmonization that popped into my head (which probably means I’ll hate it tomorrow morning). Granted, I’m not saying it’s perfect, but it uses structural changes of chords (in other words, it “goes” somewhere), uses a variety of different chords (to avoid ear fatigue), employs plenty of common tones, starts with a nice “walking” bass line (which, in Grad school, you have to call “stepwise,” just like you have to call a “pick up” note an “anacrusis”), and “consistent” harmonic rhythm (i.e. subtle chord changes at regular intervals).

Next is an example by Achille P. Bragers:

To me, the first half is decent. But in the second half:

(A) He “camps out” on a chord I dislike for a long time (blue bar). Were I to use such a chord, I certainly would not sit on it for such a long time.
(B) I find one spot in particular (red bar) quite “stagnant.” I would prefer some kind of motion or progression there.
(C) Just as Wagner did, he falls into the age-old trap (pink bar): he leaves a chord, then immediately returns to it. Some might argue that it’s not exactly the same chord, but my ear certainly hears it as (essentially) a root-position, D-Major chord.

Now for an excerpt by Rev. Fr. Michael Horn, O.S.B., a Gregorianist from the Monastery of Seckau. Of all the books we’ve added to the Lalande Library, his Kyriale accompaniment is certainly one of the rarest.

Marked by a red bar is a spot my composition teachers would say has a bad case of “Wanderitis.” His accompaniment simply wanders around. It doesn’t “go” anywhere (again, a common defect in so many Gregorian accompaniments).

This example, by Max Springer (a famous Gregorianist), has some really nice moments:

However, I find many places quite disturbing. For instance, at the red line, he employs a Dominant 7th chord (which is pretty much the chord you must avoid at all costs), and then adds insult to injury by resolving to an incomplete F Major chord. Mozart would be proud, but those of us who adhere to the “Lemmens school” cringe. Then, too, note how he leaves and then returns to the same exact chord three times in a row (marked by orange stars)!

This next example is very painful for me, as I’m forced to criticize the predecessor to the Nova Organi Harmonia:

It would seem the Desmet brothers and Depuydt still had a lot to learn. Their accompaniment is quite stagnant (purple bar). Then it suddenly harmonizes each note (red bar), just like they did in the nineteenth century!

We are offering a special, brand new collection of Gregorian accompaniments for Responsorial Psalms, wherein I’ve attempted to avoid every pitfall, presenting (hopefully) a true representation of the Lemmens school of accompaniment. If you value the resources offered by Corpus Christi Watershed, such as the Lalande Library, I would ask you to please send your friends to this link. Sales of books will help us continue our work for the Church.

Here is a typical example of a Chabanel Psalm. There are hundreds more like it in the 180 page organist book, and all feature: 100% modal purity, harmonizations that “go” somewhere, counterpoint appropriate to Gregorian accompaniments (i.e. contrary motion, correct voice leading, abundant common tones, and pedal tones in all voices), and numerous varied harmonizations of each Refrain that work well in any conceivable circumstance or acoustic. At all times, jarring chord changes are avoided.

By the way, the Chabanel Psalms don’t require organ accompaniment. Here’s an example of how they sound a cappella:

I just received this question:

I was wondering what your thoughts were on Christmas Caroling, before Christmas. I find it strange (not the Caroling, but the Christmas part) as it’s not Christmastide yet. And, in fact it is Advent a time of preparation and removing hindrances from our life for Christ, a time of joyful penance.

It seems to me that American tradition and commercialization of the Christmas holiday has pushed Christmas Caroling before Christmas and out of the time of Christmastide. However, I prefer to do it correctly, follow the rules if you will especially when it comes to Catholicism. So, I was curious as to if you knew anything about the history of Christmas Caroling and the correct time of the year to do it.

Here’s my answer. I would be curious about yours:

This is a subject that vexes every Catholic this time of year: to what extent do we participate in popular Christmas activities? We can of course boycott all such things, even parties and shopping and house decorating, and waiting to do all these things until Christmas Day, when everyone else stops doing these things. That’s one way, but introduces its own sort of dangers, that of using the season as a reason to boycott and make a protest-based point, which we certainly don’t want to do.

What I’ve eventually settled into is a kind of moderate position, participating where possible, decorating when possible, but saving super special things for Christmas Day, like tree decorating and putting the Christ child in the manger. Then I leave this up for weeks after.

This strikes me as a reasonable way to go about things. I do not know the history but I do think it is unlikely that no one ever did anything to anticipate the birth of Jesus in the years prior to the cultural loss of the liturgical calender.

Now, none of the means that carols should be permitted in Mass before Christmas. They absolutely should not be allowed.