I spent the day cleaning and painting, so I had lot of time to listen to my recordings in iTunes. A lot of them are chant.

I was reminded several times of how differently the Schola at the Saint Meinrad Archabbey sings than the other recordings. The difference in is the expressiveness in accent of the syllables.

This is Fr. Columba Kelly's influence and conducting. They are singing from the Graduale Triplex notation.

BUT, even St. Meinrad singers are still locked into that measured square-note orientation, in which each square note lasts for one or two of whatever the basic measure is. Yes, they start phrases more slowly, speed up a little toward the center, and slow down again towards the end, but it's still measured.

Dom Turco does the same thing. He SAYS that the chant has no relationship to measured notes, but he sings it that way. (We had a fifteen minute conversation on the subject, but I dropped it when we were just getting frustrated.) Great man--Dom Turco. I appreciate his knowledge and enjoy his enthusiasm and love for the music and the prayer.

I did hear, ONCE, on a recording, a monastery schola sing an antiphon in which the last phrase of the antiphon was sung exactly as I would sing it. Probably it was something like do-re-mi--re-do-re-re--do--. That one tiny ending of a phrase, and DID IT SPARKLE.

So, I keep listening for someone else to interpret the Semiology as I do, and as the teachers (Kelly, Turco) teach in their classes.

And I keep hoping for a situation in which I can experience singing Latin and English chant at regular liturgy. I think it would be WONDERFUL at weekday masses. We could sing a little of the chant (Latin antiphon and English psalm), chant the acclamations in English or in Latin, and still sing a familiar hymn or song.

I found this statement on the Gregorian Chant page of the Abbey of Solesmes. It said: "At first hearing, Gregorian chant might seem monotonous. Undoubtedly it disconcerts our modern ears, accustomed to more contrasted music, but often less profound. In reality the Gregorian repertory is a complex world which unites several centuries of musical history. It is in fact a world of astonishing variety which mysteriously approaches nearly delirious enthusiasm as well as the most delicate interior things. It is a paradoxical world where music blooms in silence."

Is there any way to enter that world? I'm married. I have children and responsibilities. There's no monastery in my future, not even seminary. But I am drawn to enter that world.

Also never hear another television crime show as long as I live. That would be ok.

pax,
maggie