Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception - Annual Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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A N N U A L l 9 3 6 ' ' ended with great swelling of chords and much holding of high notes, the priest may begin the Sanctus. There are other parts of the Mass also where we have the influence of modern music. It was my own experience to have listened one morning at Communion time to the accompanying organ music. While the priest was distributing communion, the tender and romantic strains of Listz's Liebstraurn floated throughout the church. The above are but a few of the examples of the influence of modern music in our Church liturgy. THE OFFICIAL MUSIC OF TI-IE CHURCH IS GREGO- RIAN CHANT. Pope Pius X in the MOTU PROPRIO enumerates the character- istics of liturgical music as Holiness, Beauty or Art, and Universality. The music must be Holy, it should be free from everything that savors of the world, hence the music of our churches at the present time is not in accord- ance with the expressed desires of Pope Pius X. The Music must be an Art since its primary function is to fill the listeners with devotion and reference. The music must be universal so that wherever and in whatever country it be sung it will have the same good effects upon the listeners, The Chant must be such that it can be adopted by any country and used in the Churches throughout. The next point of the MOTU PROPRIO which seems to be neg- lected in this age is the ruling in regard to the singers. The choirs are to be composed of men and the soprano or high parts are to be sung by boys, not by women. We have mentioned the above points merely to show that our present day Church music while in itself is inferior to Gregorian is also out of keeping with the expressed desires of our Holy Father. In fact, to foster the growth of Gre- gorian Chant as the only music for the Church, Pope Pius has decreed that it be taught in seminaries and other higher institutions of learning. Hence it is the duty of seminarians and clerics to propagate the use of Gregorian Chant in churches. It is a well-known fact that various pastors throughout the dio- cese of Brooklyn are beginning to recognize the worth of the Chant and are engaging organists trained in Gregorian. Let us glance for a moment at the other side of the question, what is the reaction of the laity? Many no doubt would approve of an all-Gregorian Mass merely for the fact that the Mass would be shorter. I believe that the greater number of people would appreciate the Chant for its artistic value. There is something in back of this type of music which is present but indefinable. Perhaps the Church when she appeared to Pope St. Gregory disguised as a Muse, instilled something into the divine music. At any rate there is something radically different in the Chant as compared to other types of music. The question is at the present time still unsettled. Let us hope that in the near future there may be some steps taken in regard to the matter. Music is the language of the soul and Gregorian Chant is the music of the Church. It is beyond a doubt the only music good enough for the Church. The music of the Church should be in keeping with the language and liturgy of the Church. GOD IS THE KING OF ALL EARTH, SING YE WlSELY. Ps. XLVI. Let us sing wisely indeed and let us also sing worthily, in a manner befitting the King of all the earth. FRANCIS WILLIAMS '36. 81

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00CATl-IEDRAI.. COLLEGE Gregorian Chant, the Musical Language of the Church N the language of the musician, Gregorian Chant is that type of music adopted by the Church which has archaic tonality and free rhythm. This awe-inspiring, technical definition sums up succinctly the meaning of Gre- gorian Chant. When we say that the Chant has free rhythm, we mean that, unlike our present day music, it does not have a specified number of beats to the measure so that the accompaniment is humdrum and monotonous. The rhythm of the Chant consists of two types, Simple and Composite. The first consists of single beats following each other with no divergence in time. Composite rhythm is composed however of combinations of beats, that is, its is synthe- sized simple rhythm or a combination of simple rhythms. The phrase archaic tonality refers to the sound of the melody. The modern scale is composed of notes arranged so that the octave consists of a complete series of tones, beginning with and ending with do, the primary or dominant note of the scale line. ln Gregorian however we do not have this scale line but rather a system of modes, eight in number, by means of which the Gregorian composers produced their beautiful, soaring melodies. A mode is a manner and in music means a manner of placing what we call half-steps in such a relation to each other that as a result we have the artistically simple Gregorian melodies. The composers of the present time are hampered by the fact that they have only two scales to work with, namely the Major and Minor. The monks who wrote according to the Gregorian system however had choice of eight scales from which they might draw. As a consequence they were not forced to rely upon the use of harmony or part music. Part music requires that several melodies be sung at the same time by different types of voices, thus producing a richer and more brilliant tonal effect. Gregorian Chant is essentially the music of the Church. The function of the music of the Church in the words of Pius X is completely set down in the phrase Uvivificare et fecundare, meaning literally to liven and to make rich. The music which is sung in our churches today adds life to the liturgy, but it is a life which belongs on the concert stage or the opera house. Certainly the duet sung by the gentleman tenor and lady soprano just before the Sanctus of the Mass does not provoke any prayers from the congregation, save may- hap prayers for the early completion of the hymn, or should we call it song ? Art is essentially simplicity and Gregorian Chant is' the very embodiment of simplicity, How spiritual and uplifting is the Gregorian SANCTUS which almost makes the congregation lift their gaze to heaven and say aloud to God, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY LORD GOD OF HOSTS, HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE FULL OE THY GLORYV' At the present time how different a scene we behold in our Churches. How often do we find the priest waiting patiently at the altar until the choir has completed an operatic rendition of the Offertory ? When the piece has 80

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