Thesis on Sacred Music

[thesmellypocket 1859]

 

On True Liturgical MUSIC

A CALL FOR SOLEMNITY; A REBUKE OF CERTAIN INNOVATIONS

 

 

I.A Word on Other Traditions (Akritians, Ruskans, etc.)

 

A short note is necessary before I proceed. When I refer to the music of the Liturgy, I am referring to the main Pontifical Rites of the Church, and not to that of Ruskan Orthodoxy, or the Liturgy in Akritian and other languages. I recognise that these have their own solemnity and beauty, and do not mean to denigrate them when I speak of Chant and Polyphony as the one benefitting music for the Sacred Liturgy.

 

This will concern itself solely with the main Liturgy in Flexio and Common.

 

II.On the Two Permissible Forms

 

Tradition, both of the High Pontiffs and of the Saints, has handed down to us two main forms of liturgical music, which I call the Two Permissible Forms: namely, Chant and Polyphony.

 

Chant, also known as Judite Chant (Although it did not originate with Saint Jude, it has been his followers that have perfected the art) or Plainsong, is simple, solemn and beautiful. It remains the main form of Liturgical music, and I would say it may even date back to the time of the Prophet Owyn, if not the Prophet Siegmund. The rich variety of Chants which have been composed to match dozens of Psalms and antiphons, make it a deep liturgical treasure. It can be called truly, easy to learn and hard to master, in that there have been masterful specialists of Chant that have explored its true form in an ever more sharp manner, but that most Chants can be picked up and sung by ordinary people. They require no specialist roles, except a Cantor. This makes them exceedingly simple, and yet at once profoundly beautiful. They are thus fit for the Sacred Liturgy, since they show that seriousness that would befit the Altar of God and public Liturgical celebration. 

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JN9Sdv_uXQ [!]Attached is the Plainsong notation for ‘Vidi Aquam’, ‘composed by unknown, but this refined by Father Humbert, O.S.J.’

 

Now the second form is Polyphony; that is to say music textured with two or more lines of simultaneous but different music. A range of liturgical pieces have been masterfully composed into Polyphony, which seems to vary more, and be more glorious, than Chant. It also often requires a professional choir, or a very good amateur one, since the specialist roles and complex layers make it much harder to sing than Chant; indeed, whilst Chant is usually sung without an organ, Polyphonic music almost demands one be played. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yT0kLA6DHA[!]Attached is the musical notation for a composition of the ‘Kyrie.’ This is ‘composed by Father Humbert, O.S.J.’

 

Now the advantage of Chant is comprehensibility: some have felt Polyphony to obscure hard to follow in terms of words, thus obscuring the meaning of the hymn. Which is more, they say that such innovation is impious, but that we should rather keep to the traditions of our forefathers. But I would count it as perfectly valid, owing to its sheer glory, and the fact that it is more than fitting for Sacred Liturgy, not being the music of the common world. So long as Polyphony is composed and sung well, it can be so glorious as to out-shine Chant entirely, owing to the range of tones and complexity which Plainsong cannot hope to match. 

 

III.Rejection of Certain Innovations 

 

Having upheld these two, I will not falter in proclaiming those common instruments of the day utterly bankrupt when used in the Liturgy. I will not cease from condemning the use of lutes, guitars, pianos, lyras and other common and base instruments in churches. These would make the music of the Church worldly music, when in fact I should think that we should make the music other-worldly; we are talking of the Altar of God, and only the utmost solemnity and seriousness is permissible. 

 

If we allow popular music to enter into the Liturgy, we swiftly become a laughing stock, subject to the whims of the general public, and lifts not the heart of man to God, but brings it down to the level of the world. Therefore, if any man should enter these instruments onto the Church, let him be thrown into the sea, let his damnable guitars be cast into the fire, and let his pianos be crushed into dust. And of his flutes and lutes and whatsoever else I will not even begin!