Sometimes some of the more unexpected days end up becoming some of the most memorable. A few weeks ago I wrote about our wonderful friends and being able to share time together is one of the most valuable commodities we have to show one and other how much we value them.
I have commented in the past about the level of marketing and sharing of information, and I know that posters placed around Barga are a form of notification. I usually miss these (as do a great many of other people too), but we were fortunate enough this time to have a personal invite to a “Gregorian Chanting Day” with the Bothers, Sisters and members of The Community of Jesus, where we would learn some of the Gregorian Chants and so much more.
Now I can see some of you rolling around the floor laughing (Tom, Richard and a few others) because as you know I am so tone deaf, singing is something that I just cannot do. I remember in early childhood being told by a music teacher, (after she boasted that she “could teach anyone to sing”), that “maybe there is an exception to every rule and that I really was unteachable”. My voice is beyond salvation.
But I wanted to go to spend the day with the Brothers and Sisters and share in their passion for the Gregorian chant, so after explaining my incompetence at singing and lots of reassurance and persuasion I went along just to be uplifted by the others and to see what it was all about.
What a surprise I think we all had, not only did we learn some of the chants, we were able to take part in their religious celebrations throughout the day and by Vespers I was singing of sorts., some of the notes in tune and together we all sounded great, no one would know really how bad I was and the beautiful voices of all of the others lifting me to a new level.
Gregorian chant a form of monophonic unaccompanied sacred song developed mainly in western and central Europe during the 9th and 10th centuries. Traditionally sung by choirs of men and boys in churches or like the Brothers and Sisters of religious orders in their chapels and it is the music of the Roman Rite, once considered obligatory, performed in the Mass and the monastic Office currently undergoing a musicological and popular resurgence and to this day the Roman Catholic Church still officially considers it the music most suitable for worship.
The precursor to Gregorian chant the plainchant is still being discussed by scholars today, information relating it back as early as the 5th century but there is little evidence from this period. Around 410, St Augustine described the responsorial singing of a Gradual psalm at Mass and in 520 the Rule of St Benedict laid out the protocol of the Divine Office for monastic use. In 678 Roman Chant was taught at York whilst other more local traditions of plainchant arose throughout Europe.
Early liturgical and musical manuscripts were unearthed, many monks were sent out to libraries throughout Europe to find relevant Chant manuscripts in 1889 the monks of Solesmes with increased effort and after decades of research released the first book the Paleographie Musciale.
We learnt how many of the early choirs would have been students of the monks, usually poor and illiterate people left in the care of the monks, so unable to read and thus understand musical notes they learnt by Empathetic Resonance (a subject I cover in great detail in my book Vanpires, Aliens and Humanoids Which one are you?). They would sit and listen, watch and listen and then they would imitate what they were seeing and hearing.
For me it is a way of learning that I really respond to and during the first chant we were told to put our books down, don’t read the words, just try and follow the radiant Sister Chris. We followed her hand movements, her facial expressions and it was really that simple, without knowing the words, somehow we were all singing along and it was easy, well easier than following the words, then trying to read music. It was really amazing how quickly we could imitate and follow her voice and her movements.
It wasn’t just a day of chanting, it was truly a day of learning, for the Italian guests there was an interpreter ( so we also had a free Italian lesson too!), we learnt so much, about the history of the Gregorian Chant, about the early monks and about music form and Gregorian Chant is as “chant” implies vocal music which falls into two broad categories of melody, the recitatives and free melodies.
The simplest kind of melody is the liturgical recitative which is dominated by a single pitch called the reciting tone, whilst other pitches appear in melodic formulae. These chants are primarily syllabic, for example the Collect for Easter consists of 127 syllables sung to 131 pitches with 108 of these pitches being the reciting note A and the other 23 pitches flexing down to G. (Information obtained from Wikipiedia – where there is a lot more information for the musically adept)
But for me it was a magical day, I learnt to sing at least some notes in tune (and I am assured that given time and practice it would be them all). I really enjoy the time that I spend with all of the Brothers and Sisters, but being at the Villa enjoying such a beautiful setting, meeting new friends and enjoying their company and as an added bonus the food was amazing. Compliments to Alex (as the prep chef, and the sisters who made such a feast.
Sunday morning we were up early, we were all to chant at Mass in the Church San Rocco. The service was uplifting and to sing with the Brothers and Sisters was an absolute honor – thank you. If I sang out of tune no one noticed we were thanked and praised for sharing the Gregorian Chant with the congregation.
The whole event was finished with coffee and cakes back at Villa Sacra, a time for cementing our newly formed friendships and to be thankful for such a wonderful opportunity.
I loved my weekend; I felt that I had been given something very special, the music, the teachings but most of all the friendships that I made. The Brothers and Sisters have from time to time events that they would like to share with all of us so for more information visit here
For anyone interested in reading more about Empathetic Resonance and many other subjects which I hope will help to understand both the Invisible Energy Forces and those we already know about then check out my book here (and don’t let the title put you off)
Article by Sensone