How else can we sing chant?
  • Mark M.Mark M.
    Posts: 632
    A few weeks ago I started a thread regarding a chant course/ensemble I'm starting at my (public) university.

    My question now: How else can an ensemble sing chant, beyond what's indicated on the page -- in a manner that's still indicative of the possibilities of modern Roman Catholic liturgical practice?

    That is, I'm NOT looking to attempt Old Roman chant, or Cistercian chant, or other ancient (and beautiful) traditions that might be of a more historical interest. Instead, I'm curious what might realistically be done nowadays in a parish or cathedral with an excellent music program.

    Some initial ideas…

    * Accompanied (NOH) or not accompanied
    * Men only or women only on a given chant (I realize that both together is itself a rather modern phenomenon)
    * Alternatim/antiphonal… men vs. women, solo vs. ensemble, or different "halves" of the ensemble otherwise (e.g., this Gloria XV, but in Latin)
    * Faubourdon (I'm not really sure how that works, honestly, but I'm wiling to learn… now, do parishes really do that?)
    * Drone bass (sort of like this Orbis Factor Kyrie)
    * Replacing a given piece of Gregorian repertoire with a polyphonic setting of the same text

    Ideas appreciated, as always!
  • donr
    Posts: 971
    How about something like sing it in Latin and then one of the musical settings in English by Bartlett, Ford, or Rice, then switch back to Latin.
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,795
    I realize you're forming a mixed group, and having subsets sing certain chants will provide pleasing variety for the concert you're putting on. But here's nothing very new about organum at the octave (maybe women instead of boys was unusual at one time) or very old about squeamishness on the subject: Giacinto Scelsi for example left insistent unison-only performance instructions for Three Latin Prayers (1970).

    Faburden or falso bordone is a primitive non-decadent form of Anglican chant, not to be confused with the 14c type fauxbourdon associated with Dufay (New Grove has a good article on the distinctions). Our parish has used both: the former every week for Gospel Sentences in a version from the circle of Lassus, the latter to make a SAB anthem out of an antiphon to our patron St. David of Wales.
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    If you have a mix'd group: have a small group (S A&/orT B) sing the psalm verses in organum: S & B sing as written (in their respective octaves), and A/T sing a fifth up from B. This works well with parallel & oblique organum.

    I have also done a similar procedure with Kyrie XI, Kyrie XVIII, and Agnus Ad lib. II.

    Thanked by 1musiclover88
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    You can't have a chant course without Corsican Chant!
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Mark M.Mark M.
    Posts: 632
    Thanks, folks!

    donr: Love that idea, and would readily do so in a parish setting. For this, I'm trying to keep it all in Latin.

    Richard, and Salieri: Good to hear that falso bordone and organum are actually being done in parishes. I must say that these practices sound a bit exotic to my ear at first… but they're beautiful nonetheless!
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