You can either give an introduction to singing chant or to its history, but I'm not sure you can do both. If singing is really an objective (should it be in a history class?), I would choose examples, in order of difficulty, that would form a varied repertoire. What not to leave out? Things that they never teach in conservatory:

1) Solfege comes from chant (Ut queant laxis is a must), and it was not designed to be "fixed" to any one pitch, as it often is in musicianship classes.
2) Our symbols for the flat and the natural (and later, the sharp) come from the letter "b," representing "ti" ("si") and "te" of Gregorian chants.
3) the established church modes are Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, and Mixolydian (along with their plagal counterparts). Since each of the modes can take a ti-flat, the idea of Ionian and Aeolean modes (taught in theory classes) does not apply to the chant.

Most important thing about the music itself is that it is old but not time bound. It remained constantly in use since its inception, a part of the structure of life itself longer and more than any other music. Even music based on chant from 1000 forward did not displace the chant itself. No other form of music has this feature. Fr. Ruff writes about this point at length in his book. What is significant about this from a musical point of view? It permitted the chant to take very deep root in the culture across many countries and centuries, and gave musicians a common language across time and space. This is what provided the basis for the incredible progress that took place during and after the advent of polyphony.

You may challenge him. The US Bishops voted to ban Latin from the Mass, I believe it was in the early 1970's, so that all Masses in the US would be in the vernacular and Latin officially banned. This was sent to the Vatican for approval AND DENIED.

Sing a Kyrie as Syllabic, then Melismatic

Sing chant/organum/polyphony... at www.frogmusic.com/anonnon.html

I have my outline planned and am now running off several copies of "Idiot's Guide" in case someone should want to pursue it further. I'll try to record the lecture, in case anyone's interested. Thanks for the help!

All: the presentation went well. I even counted one possible convert (a Catholic in fact!) grabbing a copy of "Idiot's Guide". I led them through a couple practices, such as the ison and alternatim and gave them a brief history and a primer on reading chant. All in all, a great success!

Very cool!

Jeffrey Morse told me yesterday that Mary Berry used to say the following to her students. I think we should all carry this message forward: "Take what you've learned here and go out and sing the Chant and teach the Chant to all who would receive it... be missionary about it, be always cheerful and never, never become downcast. Live the Chant!"

Right on, Jeffrey. Chant and sacred polyphony have followed a parallel development, in my opinion also related to the notational conventions of the time. I'm giving a music demonstration in December that will allow the choir and audience to trace the organic development of sacred music from one style period to the next. The conclusion? Sacred music reached a low point (in terms of it being related to the chant) during the classic period with music of Mozart which continued through the 19th century with little exception. With the publication of the Graduale Romanum in 1908 and increased scholarship in paleography came a renaissance of chant based music that has continued to flourish into the the 21st century.

Here's the program:

Introit: Gaudete
from Ordo Virtutum (Hildegard, 12th c)
Hymn: Gloria, laus (in parallel organum)
Vexilla Regis (alternatim with organum of Dufay, 15th c)
Gloire au Seigneur ("Hodie Christus natus est," sung by choeur d'enfants)
Jerusalem surge (Isaac)
Ecce virgo concipiet (Isaac)
Conditor alme siderum (alternatim with polyphony of Praetorius, 16th c)
Of the Father’s Love Begotten (alternatim with polyphony from Pie Cantiones)
Communion: Vidimus stellam
Magi veniunt (Clemens non Papa)
Hymn : Chantons l’enfant qui nous est né ("Puer natus in Bethlehem")
In manus tuas (alternatim with polyphony of Pujol, 17th c)
Ad te levavi (Scarlatti)
Justitiae (Scarlatti)
Offertory: Jubilate Deo
Jubilate Deo (free polyphony of Mozart, 18th c)

Salvum fac populum tuum (quasi-alternatim, Bruckner 19th c)
Psaume 150 (psalm tone alternating with polyphony of Milhaud, 20th c)
O Sacrum convivium (Messiaen)
Hymn: Pange lingua gloriosi
Tantum ergo (Duruflé)
Aujourd'hui dans notre monde le Verbe est ne (Geoffray, in alternatim with "Christe redemptor omnium")
Maneant in vobis (Rice, 21st c)
Jesu dulcis memoria (alternatim, Poterack)

Priorstf...

I sit here trying to visualize which cheek your tongue is in...if it is! Think of that in Jeffrey's grove of trees.

And having reread the post cited, I find myself agreeing with him. Mozart on....church music often takes on the character of "look what we can do, pay attention to our cadences. Be taken unawares by a deceptive cadance..."

Part of this may be because of the Protestant form. In the Mass the music puts the sacred text into the air with pitches. In the Protestant form, everything stops, music is sung or played as a major element of the worship, rather than an enhancement of the worship as it exists. Everything stops. Except when it is the offering.

funny... as time goes on (as i get older), i still find beethoven boring; and while some mozart is fun to play (i perform it in piano concerts on occassion), i also find it generally boring. to me its like the scent of flowers - captivating and very strong when its in the room (air), but has no lasting effect (or affect) after the notes have passed by.