Posted on 09/04/2005 7:32:18 AM PDT by ninenot
For about $20.00, (shipping included,) I purchased Bill Tortolano's little book on Gregorian Chant. The publisher, GIA, suggested that it contained "everything you need to know" about the topic, in the utilitarian sense--that is, one could, after reading the book and with some preparation, actually sing and/or train and conduct singers in the use of Chant.
That's true. It's an easy, short read, and contains all the technical gobbledygook one needs; for that purpose, it's worth the money. Tortolano also includes a number of common Chants for the Mass, a few hymns, a Latin pronunciation guide, the Psalm-tones, etc.--enough to get you started.
He also provides some historical information about the history of various elements of the Chant--the Introit, Kyrie, Gloria, Gradual, etc., etc., which is interesting--but which does not necessarily comport with what others have said on the topic. For example, he states that the Introit was introduced around 422-432. Well, maybe. Other sources state that the Entrance procession was accompanied by a sung Psalm before those dates. It's entirely possible that the Introit, as known today, was emplaced in the early 420's--but he does not mention the "earlier version."
Tortolano does indicate that 'some' Chant is word-painting, and uses the Communio of Holy Thursday (Pater, si non potest) as an example--it is an excellent choice. However, he short-shrifts the concept. Even though he uses the Puer Natus Introit of Christmas Eve as an example of 'easy' Chant (true,) he does not mention that the piece clearly depicts a 'lullaby' rhythmic and melodic concept. While he points out that the Communio of Christmas Eve, In Splendoribus, word-paints the cooing of the doves, he does not mention the open-fourth trumpet calls of the Communio of Pentecost, Factus Est Repente.
Tortolano also off-handedly dismisses the Dies Irae as a 'Chant no longer used.' He's right, of course--but what he does NOT mention is that it is perfectly licit TO use the Dies Irae.
Perhaps most controversial is Tortolano's endorsement of English translations using Chant melodies. It's true that there have been a few serendipitous Anglicizations; but the "Anglicize" project has been the cause of many bloody fights (Schuler v. Schmitt--a spectacular 10-rounder, e.g.) It's dangerous territory, not in the least because English and Latin are very different languages--but also because inevitably, accurate translations which fit the melodic arsis/thesis of Chant are rare.
All-in-all, the book is worth the money for purchase. It's better for its purposes than the ultra-compact technical breakdown fashioned by Paul Salamunovich, an eminent practitioner. (Paul's work fits into two 8 1/2 X 11 pages.) If you take all Tortolano's obiter dicta as Gospel, however, you'll miss a great deal.
Tortolano also appends a long list of additional resources. It is an outstanding list, although there are many highly-educated Church musicians and musicologists who question some elements of the Dom Cardine theories; a couple of Cardine works are cited.
One could buy this and give it to the Parish choir-director as a hint; assuming that they have some intellectual curiosity and an interest in history before 1965, you could have a parish which "cum Angelis canere" glorifies God and sanctifies and edifies the Faithful.
(GIA: G-6471, 7404 S Mason, Chicago, 60638 ISBN 1-57999-539-X, www.giamusic.com)
[True confessions....]
I have an old copy of the Westminster Hymnal lying around somewhere. VERY English!
Look at A. Gregory Murray, O.S.B.'s tune for Caswall's transaltion "Joseph, pure spouse of that immortal Bride" -- I think it is straight from heaven.
Not as bad as some others. Practically all of the hymns in Leaflet Missal have been tinkered with, although there doesn't seem to be any political agenda behind it. (Copyright? Dumbing them down? Dunno ...)
The rest is a mishmash of what used to be called Negro spirituals, a few Spanish ones, and a slew of Leftist cant. "Sing a New Church", which we sang today, is so terrible I can't imagine it is Catholic in origin, but it actually was written by a nun!
It brought tears to my eyes to hear this leftist crap (pardon) sung to the majestic tune of Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.
Come to think of it - Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing is pretty orthodox, for all I know about Catholicism.
So how did the new words get in?
Raised in the spare polyphonic 17th c. English tradition, I have limited tolerance for it. But a little as sort of a spice is AOK with me.
Admitted, a few parishes I love use the Collegville Hymnal wisely. But the second part of this is who is in charge of selecting the hymns? A well-schooled director of music or a liturgical-terrorist? It makes a huge difference no matter what the resource is in the pews.
The new words got in because Oregan Catholic Press editors wanted to put those words in. There has been no higher authority to judge whether or not those words were acceptable. That is beginning to change.
Did some checking...2 of the Anglican Use Roman Catholic Churches have the Collegeville Hymnal alongside the Hymnal 1940.
Some people say it's due to copyright problems (but Come Thou Fount is old, old. It must be the arrangement that's copyrighted.)
I know three different tunes for "Come Thou Fount" -- Nettleton, Restoration, and one minor modal melody from the old Southern Harmony that I can't remember the name of.
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.
-- Robert Robinson, 1758
I'll say. Our choirmaster pointed out this morning during warmup that Benedict XVI is a fine musician, his brother is or is retired from the post of music director at a major cathedral, and they both are tradition-minded.
It WOULD be nice to see OCP get a slap down from On High, but I'm sure HH BXVI is more charitable than I would be . . . :-)
A mixture of queers, antinomians, feminazis, and dips*&s.
Seriously.
While English works well with Psalm-tones (how could it fail?) it's the Gregorian hymnody or melismatic Chants which pose problems.
Tortolano even printed a sample of 16th-Century English 4-part psalm-tone, with the "tune" in the tenor line.
That stuff works, well.
Ah, you "religion of peace" Irish.
You see, we Germans don't bother with the parlez-vous.
We just shoot the bozos on sight.
Heh.
I have an original. No reprints here...
It is the Gregorian hymnody in the hands of C.W. Douglas (the Anglo-Catholic Episcopalian) that I wanted to commend to you. The Anglicans have had an "English Gregorian Chant Project" for a long time located in Russell Square in London. It might have been called The English Plainsong and Chant Society. I regret that my books are not with me. But again that society in England, and C.W. Douglas, and John Mason Neale all did excellent work adapting the Gregorian chants (Sarum and Ambrosian as well) to English. Now I want all of this in Latin (because that's how I am), but if it is going to be in English, I would rather sing these versions than the demented ICEL-ized mini-chant pseudo-Gregorian stuff that I have seen.....
I just read this, ninenot. Lots of love to you!!!
But the choir needed FORTY of them.
Well, I'm a Latin-promoter, too. I've sung a bunch of English stuff, and like it; but watching WYD simply made it clearer to me: use Latin!! That way everybody can sing the Ordinary, at least.
Now the sermons--that's another problem.
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