Latin Chanting

[catholicanne]

I’m taking a music class at my university and the topic of religious chanting came up. Some people pointed to the Latin chanting done during Catholic mass, although I was amused at how many people were shocked to find out that most Catholic churches no longer hold mass in Latin.

Anyway, I shared this link to a video of Latin chanting at a mass at the church I attend:
youtube.com/watch?v=ZpswBhP2oaQ

Anyone interested in a musical discussion? Maybe post some links to chants that inspire you? Should more churches have Latin chanting? Why or why not?

 

[Semper_Zelare]

Wow, that’s stunning that people think all our Masses are still in Latin… I mean, didn’t the 50th anniversary of Vatican II happen recently? How do people even get that notion when we haven’t had Latin Mass (as the norm) for a half century?

Anyways… I think even more English chanting in Mass would be welcome. Chant is very beautiful, and it will always have a special place in the Church.

Sometimes I listen to this before going to sleep:
youtube.com/watch?v=3gRtGU7koX8

 

[superamazingman]

Considering it is the music of the church, and is asked for by Vatican II, yes, let’s bring it back!

It is truly unfortunate, and of course not what Vatican II wanted, that our rich patrimony of chant was almost entirely abandoned.

 

[Tietjen]

I’m all for seeing Gregorian Chant making a return. Do you know how difficult it is to find a radio station that plays G.C.??? Truth is, a large section of my ipod is Gregorian Chant; I never leave home without it. I put the ipod in it’s stereo cradle and G.C. plays as I drift off to sleep everyday. I absolutely love G.C.!!!

 

[Cat]

I’m all for seeing Gregorian Chant making a return. Do you know how difficult it is to find a radio station that plays G.C.??? Truth is, a large section of my ipod is Gregorian Chant; I never leave home without it. I put the ipod in it’s stereo cradle and G.C. plays as I drift off to sleep everyday. I absolutely love G.C.!!!

You know, that’s probably why radio stations don’t generally play Gregorian chant–they don’t really want their listeners drifting off to sleep. Sponsors aren’t real cool with that–they kind of want people listening to their ads.

Several years ago (or was it in the 1990s?), a group of monks managed to somehow make a pop hit out of their chant, and it was on the radio all the time. Everyone was rushing out to buy their album.

 

[M-Dent]

I’m all for seeing Gregorian Chant making a return. Do you know how difficult it is to find a radio station that plays G.C.???

This is one reason I enjoy pandora so much. I setup one of my stations for Gregorian chant .

 

[YoungTradCath]

Wow, that’s stunning that people think all our Masses are still in Latin… I mean, didn’t the 50th anniversary of Vatican II happen recently? How do people even get that notion when we haven’t had Latin Mass (as the norm) for a half century

Funny, isn’t it? We continue to be identified with that. I love it! When I was a Prot, I thought the same thing.

 

[Usige]

Wow, that’s stunning that people think all our Masses are still in Latin… I mean, didn’t the 50th anniversary of Vatican II happen recently? How do people even get that notion when we haven’t had Latin Mass (as the norm) for a half century?

I would say because Latin and chant are so tied to the popular identity of the church. I have a friend from a main line protestant church who thought they knew what mass was like. I showed her some video and she said except for the “aerobics and funny clothes the preacher was wearing” it was a lot like her church. In other words chant and Latin were a distinct part of the external identity of the church that was now been lost for the most part.

 

[Semper_Zelare]

Funny, isn’t it? We continue to be identified with that. I love it! When I was a Prot, I thought the same thing.

Ironically, it just might be possible that more non-Catholics in this country think we have Latin Mass than Catholics! I bet a lot of Catholics don’t know that there are Latin Masses being celebrated.

[in more than 450 parishes in the U.S. … according to Fr. Z’s blog]

 

[Windmill]

If an average non-Catholic walked into a Catholic Mass today, they would swear they were at an Episcopal or Lutheran service. If they walked into a Catholic Mass over 50 years ago, they’d know it was Catholic.