Gregorian chant, anyone?

[elmonitis]

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Nice gyud kaayo ning Gregorian Chant songs para sa mass. I sung these when i was still in the seminary years ago (24 yrs ago to be precise). Solemn gyud kaayo ang pag celebrate sa mass...

Amen! Di ko mopalag kay tinuod gyud, as in 101%. To add to that, Gregorian chant is not just nice for Mass — it is "specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place (principem locum obtineat) in liturgical services" (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 116).

According to several Latin experts, the Latin "principem locum obtineat" was weakly translated as "given pride of place." A more accurate translation, they say, would be "given first/primary place," which undoubtedly means that Gregorian chant should be the first choice. Somehow, I wonder why most Catholics today would rather give God just the second or third choices instead of the first and the best.

[lloyd_joy]

Main reason would be that the liturgy, the Holy Mass in particular is no longer celebtrated in Latin. If Latin lang gihapon ang pag celebrate sa mass, for sure, Gregorian Chant songs would still be the common songs...

Anyhow, grats TS and to all members sa ani na choir. If naa pa lang ko dha sa atoa then ok akoang time, i would be one of the volunteer for this Gregorian Chant choir...

[elmonitis]

That's true. Most Catholics think that the vernacular is the preferred way to offer Mass. Truth is, the Second Vatican Council called for the preservation of the use of Latin in the Liturgy.

[keen]

Thank you, @keen. Apil namo, @keen, aron makatabang ka preserve and promote sa Gregorian chant. It's actually fun to learn, it helps in spiritual growth, it gives authentic worship to God, it helps the Church, and you get to meet other Roman Catholics who are rediscovering the Sense of the Sacred.

thanks for the invitation.

asa mo tig-hold sa rehearsals?

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That's true. Most Catholics think that the vernacular is the preferred way to offer Mass. Truth is, the Second Vatican Council called for the preservation of the use of Latin in the Liturgy.

i'm not abreast with the goings-on ani.. may i ask why gregorian chants aren't widely used today?

[elmonitis]

thanks for the invitation.

asa mo tig-hold sa rehearsals?

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i'm not abreast with the goings-on ani.. may i ask why gregorian chants aren't widely used today?

Variable ang among venues, @keen, kay gamay pa man ang grupo and we're still scouting for a suitable place. If you can recommend one within the city, we'd be most grateful.

As for your other question. Gregorian chants are no longer widely used these days because after the Second Vatican Council, which was a very turbulent and confusing time, many bishops and priests thought (wrongly) that the Liturgy should be shifted to the vernacular. But, the Council never mandated such shift. It only gave permission for Liturgy in the vernacular, but also insisted that Latin be preserved and that Gregorian chant be made first choice in the few options for Sacred Music. Thankfully, many among the clergy (especially the young ones) and many lay people (again, many young ones) are starting to rediscover the beauty of Sacred Liturgy and Sacred Music. Many Catholics today are thirsting for authentic Catholic worship.

[keen]

Variable ang among venues, @keen, kay gamay pa man ang grupo and we're still scouting for a suitable place. If you can recommend one within the city, we'd be most grateful.

As for your other question. Gregorian chants are no longer widely used these days because after the Second Vatican Council, which was a very turbulent and confusing time, many bishops and priests thought (wrongly) that the Liturgy should be shifted to the vernacular. But, the Council never mandated such shift. It only gave permission for Liturgy in the vernacular, but also insisted that Latin be preserved and that Gregorian chant be made first choice in the few options for Sacred Music. Thankfully, many among the clergy (especially the young ones) and many lay people (again, many young ones) are starting to rediscover the beauty of Sacred Liturgy and Sacred Music. Many Catholics today are thirsting for authentic Catholic worship.

ah okay. dili kaayo ko familiar kung asa ang ideal places ra ba. what about sa inyo parish?

sayang nahunong but it's nice to know that it's slowly coming back. i do hope it flourishes. nindot baya mosabay sa gregorian chants. if many sa clergy and the laypeople are interested in bringing it back, maybe they can start sa ilang choir?

[elmonitis]

ah okay. dili kaayo ko familiar kung asa ang ideal places ra ba. what about sa inyo parish?

sayang nahunong but it's nice to know that it's slowly coming back. i do hope it flourishes. nindot baya mosabay sa gregorian chants. if many sa clergy and the laypeople are interested in bringing it back, maybe they can start sa ilang choir?

Mao lagi. I hope it flourishes. By the way, we are not attached to any parish. That's why we don't have a regular venue for our rehearsals. But, we intend to help introduce Gregorian chant in the parishes. I do hope it flourishes again. Please pray for us because we have huge obstacles to overcome, one of which is the secular mindset that has creeped so deeply into the hearts of many volunteer choirs.

[keen]

Mao lagi. I hope it flourishes. By the way, we are not attached to any parish. That's why we don't have a regular venue for our rehearsals. But, we intend to help introduce Gregorian chant in the parishes. I do hope it flourishes again. Please pray for us because we have huge obstacles to overcome, one of which is the secular mindset that has creeped so deeply into the hearts of many volunteer choirs.

really. i'm not understanding that kind of reaction from those volunteer choirs. made me look things up:

Why Gregorian Chant? And Why Sung by the People?

These qualities [of holiness, good artistic form, and universality] are to be found in the highest degree in Gregorian chant, which is consequently the chant proper to the Roman Church … The ancient traditional Gregorian chant must, therefore, in a large measure be restored to the functions of public worship … Special efforts are to be made to restore the use of the Gregorian chant by the people, so that the faithful may again take a more active part in the ecclesiastical offices, as was the case in ancient times.

In order that the faithful may more actively participate in divine worship, let them be made once more to sing the Gregorian Chant, so far as it belongs to them to take part in it. It is most important that when the faithful assist at the sacred ceremonies … they should not be merely detached and silent spectators, but, filled with a deep sense of the beauty of the Liturgy, they should sing alternately with the clergy or the choir, as it is prescribed. If this is done, then it will no longer happen that the people either make no answer at all to the public prayers … or at best utter the responses in a low and subdued manner.

[elmonitis]

Well, in large part, volunteer choirs often go unsupervised by the parish priests or by someone knowledgeable in liturgy and Sacred Music.

[keen]

Well, in large part, volunteer choirs often go unsupervised by the parish priests or by someone knowledgeable in liturgy and Sacred Music.

i see. maybe they just need a kickstart and some education. i'm genuinely hoping that you'll succeed because you have your work cut out for you. i'll try to ask a relative of mine who's part of this choir who sometimes sings on tv. i'll ask if they're open to performing Gregorian chants.