Using chant to evangelise, convert, what works?
  • bonniebede
    Posts: 756

    Joy, he said, "is one of the virtues of the great," of those who don't allow themselves to get caught up in silly little annoyances or in "little things inside the community of the church; they always look to the horizon."

    Music certainly brings joy and is a way of expressing it. I know everyone on this site is more experienced in all of this than me, so I thought I would ask for some ideas.

    how can our interest in music/liturgy/chant be used to help others find the joy of the Lord?
    What role can it play in the new evangelisation? (or in the mission ad gentes)
    What misunderstandings of evangelisation do we need to tackle in order for people to give chant its place there?
    What have you done that was effective in bringing people to Christ?
    In what ways can chant contribute to catechesis?

    And so on.

    (Oh, and to clarify, I don't thing little things inside the church means chant of liturgy or anything, just the petty personality and practical things that vex and annoy. It was the 'looking to the horizon' idea with joy, that caught my eye in that quote)
  • bonniebede
    Posts: 756
    oops! the quote is from Pope Francis!
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    In what ways can chant contribute to catechesis?


    I could go on and on about this subject! Suffice to say that singing the propers at the Latin Mass every week has opened up a whole new world of spirituality and wisdom. The Scripture verses upon which they are based become embedded in your heart and soul in a way that mere reading does not. Of course, the question is how do you convey their meaning to the people at Mass? How do you present the Word of God in the most intelligible and inspiring way possible? That is what consumes us every week, and it isn't always easy.

    This is only my second year of singing the propers so I still have much to discover about Gregorian chant but new insights come all the time if you keep searching. I recently came across a quote from Dom Gajard which I found very helpful since it describes the total dedication required to sing the propers "properly":

    Singing is an act of the mind and not merely a vocal exercise. It must be something humanly performed, "humano modo," and it must bring into action all the vital forces of the interpreter."
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen noel jones, aago bonniebede
Add a Comment