Saturday, August 14, 2010

SCT Summer School: Liturgy and Chant

Update: I've added a couple of videos to this post - see another six on my Gloria TV page.

For more posts see here: lessons and activities; outings and evenings; the service of the altar.

Gradual and Alleluia from the Feast of the Transfiguration


Communion on the Feast of the Transfiguration


As well as altar servers, the Church's more solemn services require singing. Gregorian Chant needs explanation, training, and practice, and we endeavour to provide these to the extent possible at the Summer School.
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First of all, we have Sung Mass every day, Sung Compline every evening, and Rosary every morning. We also have Benediction a couple of times during the week. The necessary music is provided for the students to follow and join in, but the basis is provided at Mass by a four-strong vested liturgical schola, who get together each day for a 40-minute practice. The means that the Propers are always sung, and the Ordinary always led, competently; two these are also vested cantors for Compline.
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Having a vested schola means that the singers can be identified as such; the students can see exactly what they are doing, and when, and what the chant can and should sound like. I took some videos so readers will be able to judge for themselves what the standard was like. This year for the first time we sang both Communion psalm verses and the Offertory Verses written for the more ancient Offertories; these are complex but very beautiful.

A small number of students are taught some of the propers for the final Sunday during the course of the week; this year we were able to have them vested and join the schola.

Those students not doing the polyphonic motet are taught chant, mainly using the Ordinary of the Mass; we used Mass XI most of the week, to enable them to get used to it. (The exception was the Mass of Our Lady of the Snows, which took place in Arundel, for which we used Mass IX.)

Compline and singing at Mass became more and more confident as the week wore on. I always think that Compline is on of the most consoling services, and it is wonderful to be able to end each day with it.
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1 comment:

  1. Anonymous7:17 pm

     whats up good my wavy gangstas

    ReplyDelete