The Power of Gregorian Chant / 1,000 people silenced !
  • Paul_OnnonhoaratonPaul_Onnonhoaraton
    Posts: 434
    My friend, Richard, has written this article. Here is an excerpt:

    But then, amidst the cacophony the schola began to sing Resurrexi. By the time we got to the first “alleluia” there was a hush… The crowd slowly quieted down to a still silence. They listened through the antiphon, and the extraordinarily intimate verse from Psalm 139: “O Lord, you have searched me, and know me; you know when I sit and when I rise up.” At the end of the last antiphon one could hear nothing—nothing at all. A crowd of nearly 1,000 people, many who don’t come to mass, many who may not prefer Gregorian Chant, many who know nothing about chant—fell silent.
    Thanked by 6CHGiffen Adam Wood IanW Mark Husey Ruth Lapeyre Felicity
  • WendiWendi
    Posts: 638
    That is just cool.
    Thanked by 1Paul_Onnonhoaraton
  • mahrt
    Posts: 517
    I have observed this phenomenon particularly in the singing of the verses of the gradual and alleluia. When these are sung beautifully, there is an absolute still in the congregation; this week, one of my choir observed the congregation, saying that they sat wide-eyed rapt in attention. These Gregorian chants, whether the melismatic chants or such chants as the introit, have the ability to elicit recollection--the melismatic chants are rightly called meditation chants. I believe that these are a much better preparation to hearing the lessons than the responsorial psalms sung in most parishes. That recollection creates a sympathy and attentiveness which means each person is ready to hear the lessons.

    I also believe that singing just ONE Gregorian proper can make a substantial difference in the congregation's attitude toward the liturgy: these chants convey unambiguously an unambiguously sacred quality.

    Concerning the introit, traditionally, the choir did not sing it in procession; they were already in choir for terce; if there was a procession in was a separate procession from the choir and back, singing such processional chants as Salve Festa Dies or often the third responsory from Matins. The introit accompanied the procession of the clergy. In my opinion, if the congregation is able to sing beautiful chants for the ordinary (more
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  • Felicity
    Posts: 77
    I observe this phenomenon every time the Schola chants the Gradual/Alleluia/Tract. The quiet is both lack of sound and lack of motion.

    On Palm Sunday when the Tract took almost 13 minutes.... even the babies quieted and none of the children left to visit the restroom.
  • Torculus
    Posts: 44
    Have any of you seen similar results when the chants are in English?
  • Musicteacher56
    Posts: 621
    My cantor's Vida Aquam stilled the people. His phrasing was right on and his Latin was perfect. We also seem to get that reaction when my children's schola sings. They now know 5 chants and their young voices are so ethereal, it transcends all.
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,092
    Occurs with vernacular just as well. It actually occurs with a capella music more readily than instrumentally accompanied music, because there's no "cover" to hide attempts to prolong conversation...
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Torculus
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    The scientific community calls this the "WTHT" principle.

    When people see, hear, smell touch, taste something different, everything ceases as they focus on the source.

    "What the heck's that" principle was recently re-discovered by an obscure, wine drinking, spread among a lot of parishes in California, director of music, the day his handbell choir accompanied chant at a funeral Mass. He deserves rich reward for this discovery in the science of music.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,978
    ROFL!
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    My theory? Chant is more similar to speech than to music. People will talk over any music, but to talk over someone speaking is something that our culture has ingrained in us not to do.
    Thanked by 1elaine60
  • mahrt
    Posts: 517
    You are quite right. Vocal music does not make good background music. Ask anyone who runs a classical music radio station. If they play any vocal music, they get irate calls. Too many people use classical radio as background.
    Thanked by 2Paul_Onnonhoaraton CHGiffen
  • MaryAnn Carr WilsonMaryAnn Carr Wilson
    Posts: 1,738
    ^^ As a singer, I don't know if I'm supposed to be honored or saddened by that.
    I guess that's why classical- and jazz- stations have vocal hours, etc.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
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