The Beautiful Persistence of Chant is a magnificent short essay by Jeffrey Tucker of the Chant Café on chant and deconstructionism.
In tracing briefly the history of setting music down in notation so that others could sing it even if they had not directly heard the music, he looks at the way in which digital media have now made it possible for us to hear (for example) a recording of monks from the 1950s singing chant. Even though most of the singers will probably now have gone to their eternal reward, we can imitate and interpret them, and build upon what they have left us.
In the second half of the essay, Jeffrey looks at the prevalent philosophy of deconstructionism and the claim that the meaning of any text is arbitrary, never-changing, and dictated by culture. He makes the point that even if we were to accept this in other fields (which of course we do not):
Liturgy is the great exception. It does not exist in time. It extends out of time into eternity. It touches a real outside of time and the material world. It points up and out of time. Through it we receive communication from God and find ourselves transported out of the limits of the physical and into communication to God to give praise. In sense this, and if this is true, the deconstructionist critique of the realm of time cannot touch it. We did not make up liturgy. The liturgy is a gift from all eternity to us.I recommend the essay to you: it is well worth reading.
3 comments:
Thanks. I have followed this blog but had not yet read this essay. It is great you pointed it out to us. There are some CDs which are named "Eternal Chant". Indeed, St. Gregory recognized both the simplicity and sublime nature of such. The epitaph of Pope Honorius only 40 years after the death of Gregory indicates the great Pope's importance in encouraging Chant:
"Gifted with divine harmony the shepherd leads his sheep to life . . . for while following the footsteps of holy Gregory you have won your reward."
Eternal music, indeed.
If you will permitt me to be a little controvesial I have been asking people there re-actions to the Tridentine Masses they have attended. There is a feeling that perhaps there is `too much` emphasis on Gregorian Chant, and there is a need to also introduce Tridentine Masses with the other polyphonic music and hymns which were around before the Vatican Council. Certainly although I love Gregorian Chant there must be some flexibility so that worshippers can feel part of it all.
John - I certainly agree that the use of polyphony is a great thing and would encourage it where possible. However in many places the problem is getting together a group of singers who can actually get the music together for the sung propers. Learning chant is a challenge; getting a 4-part choir together to sing polyphony is a step further. As the use of the usus antiquior grows, our resources will have to grow to match it.
Personally I agree with those who would allow the use of vernacular hymns in addition to the propers, for example after the Offertorium and before the Communio. The more purist approach is to insist that nothing be sung except in Latin.
At the present stage of things, I am not too keen on the idea of Low Mass with hymns except occasionally, perhaps for a group of children. This can be done well but if it is a regular thing, it will decrease the motivation to have sung Masses rather than Masses with some songs.
Where I would part company with you is in aiming to change things so that worshippers "feel part of it all." There be dragons. We need to aim at providing the best music that we can with the people available and helping people to feel part of what is given to us in the tradition of Church music. Adapting the music to make people feel part of it is an approach that has led to disaster in the past few decades.
Post a Comment