Drawn to Gregorian Chant. Does it make me a Traditionalist?

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Bebekoualy

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Hello everyone…

I have no identity at the moment.
I don’t feel in communion with these Youth groups with tomtoms, guitars and all that stuff… It doesn’t help me pray at all.😦

I feel drawn to the Gregorian Chant. It lifts up my soul, I really need it, it’s **within **me. I often dream about becoming kind of a nun who’s a choirmistress playing the organ, and so on.

I need the Chant so much for my soul that I’m part of a choir in a Traditionalist Church.
But the problem is that I don’t feel in communion with them. Tridentine Mass is somehow tough for me, I’m not used to it. I’m very drawn and attracted because everything is Gregorian, and at the same time I need to take communion with my hands, I need Paul VI’s mass. 😊

Does the attraction for Latin and Gregorian makes me a Traditionalist? What do you think?
 
I think that many of us are drawn to the traditional Mass because it speaks to us in a way that the new Mass does not. We all have different things that matter to us and our spirituality, and may result in us not fully accepting the “entire package” as it were. I think that Traditional Catholicism covers a spectrum of beliefs and attitudes. So in a sense you can say you are traditional and it is possible that over time you may come to accept other aspects of the traditional Mas such as Latin, communion on the tongue etc. That is what happened to me, I was drawn by the music and the reverence and initially did not like the seeming passivity of the EF Mass but came to appreciate it with time.
 
There is more to traditionalism than preference for a particular liturgical form, or taste for chant.

Patience, non-judgemenatlism, charity, sobriety, and humility are traditional, too.
 
There are various chants I am fond of, but generally speaking, I don’t care for Gregorian Chant. In the huge churches in Europe, where the early composers of polyphony would have heard Gregorian Chant, the buildings themselves ring back in harmony (overtones) with the chant (sort of a “built-in” harmony. Eventually those composers decided to have people actually sing the notes they heard- I think it could have been so that the sound would be more full, and would have more carrying power. I imagine this also was nice for smaller churches- that didn’t give those overtones as easily, and whose choirs might not have been good enough to get the overtones they could get as strongly as they wanted to hear them. As time went on, I suspect musicians, knowing that even the best ones don’t sing every note exactly in tune or at the same time as the other singers all the time. I can picture them realizing that smaller mistakes are easier to cover up when the notes change at different times- and polyphony is born…and I can’t get enough of it! I’ll take it over Gregorian Chant almost any day- I don’t think that makes me progressive. Gregorian Chant alone does not make one traditional any more than not liking it necessarily makes one progressive.

I like receiving communion on the tongue, kneeling at a communion rail (with the white cloth- I forgot what it is called- to hold on to), chalice veils, tabernacle veils, sanctus bells, incense, forty hours devotions, novenas, traditional hymns (with organ and choir) and polyphony, black vestments at funerals and all souls’ day Masses, may crowning, Corpus Christi processions, and lots of other traditional things like that. Even though I generally do not care much for Gregorian Chant, I consider myself very traditional.
 
>> Drawn to Gregorian Chant. Does it make me a Traditionalist? <<

No.

It just means you have good taste.

If I remember correctly the chant is supposed to be the norm, even in the OF. The fact that in practice it is not and has not been is (of course) not a reflection on you. 🙂

BTW, chant is for everyone, not just choirs. It would be nice to see that idea promoted around the parishes.
 
Thanks for your replies! 🙂

I really love the Chant, and I feel attracted by Traditionalism, but I just find it a bit tough. My body doesn’t stand it so easily. It’s just that it’s being more… thoroughgoing. I admire it, it makes more Saints, but I know I’m not able to do so.

What troubles me in the Tridentine Mass is the difficulty to follow, as I don’t understand orisons and so on. 😦 So my nose is buried in my missal. I don’t pray well enough. Probably because I’m not used to it at all.

The idea that I might be a Traditionalist gives me cold feet. Dunno why. :confused:
 
When I don’t know something in the Mass (Father likes to say Mass in Latin during the Advent and Lenten seasons), I focus on reading the Missal and coming to understand where we are, rather than trying to “get the prayers right.” Someone once told me the will to pray is a prayer in itself. Generally, I sit at the back and kneel a lot during the Latin Masses, and don’t worry about joining in until I feel I’ve got it under my belt.

I’m not saying you should do this, just mentioning it in case that sounds like a way for you to get used to what’s going on. Paying attention and studying the way to do things isn’t bad. It’s a way of showing reverence. You want to do it right.

(Incidentally, this is also what I’ve done on those occassions when I’ve had to attend Mass in Spanish - I don’t speak a lick of it!)

As for the music, I’m not really a Traditionalist (yet!), but I prefer older music to the newer stuff. We’ve got this hymnal, “Gather,” that has a lot of the older music in it, but we don’t sing everything out of there anymore. They keep adding new songs, which is okay - they put the lyrics up on screens on the wall (Powered by Dell!) so that we can follow along, but sometimes they only put up the choruses. That’s okay I guess, but what I don’t like is not having the music up there along with the lyrics. I don’t read music that well, but I can follow along enough to know when to drop an octave (not that I can - my voice is like a toad being run backwards through a blender, but Father says, “God gave you that voice, so give it back to him!” so I try to).

But still, they newer stuff is too… I don’t know, too Pop for my tastes. I prefer the more solomn songs, the warmer songs. And my stuff wasn’t even all that Traditional to begin with!

About the only time they bring out the really traditional stuff is during Advent, and on occasion during Lent. Blah.

I’m with you - I think that there’s something stronger and more powerful about the Chant than there is about the stuff that we sing these days.
 
Bebekoualy said:
Thanks for your replies! 🙂

I really love the Chant, and I feel attracted by Traditionalism, but I just find it a bit tough. My body doesn’t stand it so easily. It’s just that it’s being more… thoroughgoing. I admire it, it makes more Saints, but I know I’m not able to do so.

What troubles me in the Tridentine Mass is the difficulty to follow, as I don’t understand orisons and so on. 😦 So my nose is buried in my missal. I don’t pray well enough. Probably because I’m not used to it at all.

The idea that I might be a Traditionalist gives me cold feet. Dunno why. :confused:
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Have you ever tried just putting the missal down to watch the priest and what he is doing at the altar? It can take a while to figure out the different parts of the older form of Mass. Part of that learning process is watching and listening while simply uniting your prayers to the Sacrifice.

Don’t be afraid of Mass being difficult.
 
Many people like chant. I do too…It is music for the soul, it draws you into to a peaceful place.It sound so holy to me
 
I like the chant too. Perhaps it’s because i can join in.

The chants seem to have different aspects like the melody, pitch and a little bit of one-note droning.

I can supply the droning ! :o
 
The US English version of the Roman Missal (Sacramentary) that is in the approval stage will have English-language, modern notation Gregorian chants for all Masses. Can’t wait.
 
Wow, me too. 😃 I really love and can relate to the reverence that is expressed throughout the Tridentine Mass but I don’t understand Latin. I’m even ok with receiving on the tongue on my knees. God deserves this he’s the King of Kings and I really love the Gregorian Chant it lifts my soul. I understand the way you feel. I think we are traditionalist we just need to learn more. May I recommend a youtube video “Dies Irae” youtube.com/watch?v=Dlr90NLDp-0 it is absolutely breathtaking. I believe this prayer/chant was at one time part of our funeral Masses. I definitely want it chanted at my funeral Mass when I die. 😉

Love Ya and God Bless
 
Harrison said:
Have you ever tried just putting the missal down to watch the priest and what he is doing at the altar? It can take a while to figure out the different parts of the older form of Mass. Part of that learning process is watching and listening while simply uniting your prayers to the Sacrifice.

Don’t be afraid of Mass being difficult.
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Good advice, Harrison! This is what I did when I first converted 3 years ago. A former Calvinist, I had nothing but awe for what I was witnessing during the Mass. In time, after just observing, it all started making sense. My priest recommended a missal and I taught myself how to follow along. Though I have always attended the EF of the Mass, I just consider myself a regular old Catholic, not caring too much for labels…

🙂
 
Hesychios said:
>> Drawn to Gregorian Chant. Does it make me a Traditionalist? <<

No.

It just means you have good taste.

If I remember correctly the chant is supposed to be the norm, even in the OF. The fact that in practice it is not and has not been is (of course) not a reflection on you. 🙂

BTW, chant is for everyone, not just choirs. It would be nice to see that idea promoted around the parishes.
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No, chant is not supposed to be the norm’ what was said was that it was to have pride of place.

And I would profoundly disagree with you that chant is for everyone. I can swallow the plain chant for the Psalm. However, given that all too many choirs cannot sing Gregorian chant correctly, the last thing I want to hear is some congregation slaughtering it.
 
Hey guys what’s wrong with being or becoming a Traditionalist? The Latin Mass with its Gregorian Chants attracts some of us because deep thoughts, solemnity, reverence and respect can be seen and felt there. These, I am afraid are lacking in the Vernacular Mass.

The question is why do we try to “cope” up with the world’s changes? The Mass should be the very same as in the past, the present and the future. The current trend is that, we are allowing too much liberalism into the Roman Catholic Church and this is eroding some of the true trademark of the Church. That is probably one of the reasons why even most Catholics refer to the Roman Catholic Church as a denomination!
 
otjm said:
No, chant is not supposed to be the norm’ what was said was that it was to have pride of place.

And I would profoundly disagree with you that chant is for everyone. I can swallow the plain chant for the Psalm. However, given that all too many choirs cannot sing Gregorian chant correctly, the last thing I want to hear is some congregation slaughtering it.
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Let’s quote the Second Vatican Council, shall we?

"116. The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.

But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action, as laid down in Art. 30."

“30. To promote active participation, the people should be encouraged to take part by means of acclamations, responses, psalmody, antiphons, and songs, as well as by actions, gestures, and bodily attitudes. And at the proper times all should observe a reverent silence.”

-http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_...1204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html#_ftnref30
SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM
 
Thanks for your advice. Do you think I might manage? I’m just so nervous… 😊 and I feel filled with awe and fear when I’m about to take Holy Communion, I don’t know why… kneeling down and so on… Very traditionalist. I like it but it intimidates me.

The Chant is the best thing I ever discovered. I really need it, but in my diocese, it’s very hard to find a Church where it is sung… Except for the Traditionalist one.

I’m just scared of becoming a Traditionalist because I don’t want to look like an integrist. I’m not saying that Traditionalists are fundamentalists (d’you say “integrists”?), of course. But many people think so, and I don’t want to be labelled. 😦

But I do respect and love Tridentine mass… But I’ve got the impression it’s part of the “Elite” and that I cannot reach it.

I thought about studying Latin again… .It might help me solve the mystery. :o
 
Bebekoualy said:
… I’ve got the impression it’s part of the “Elite” and that I cannot reach it.
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Forget that notion right now.

There is no elite, their never was an elite.
Bebekoualy said:
I thought about studying Latin again… .It might help me solve the mystery. :o
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Do not put the cart before the horse!

Just …


  1. *]examine your conscience,
    *]confess your sins,
    *]go to Mass and worship God.
 
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