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Tuesday 26 April 2011

“The better the liturgy, the better the prayer, the better the Catholic.”

Vox was interviewed by Charlie Lewis. Here is the article which appeared in the National Post on Good Friday.

David Domet, another Toronto choirmaster who has worked with several parishes, said Catholics have been so disconnected from sacred music that they no longer understand the richness of their own tradition.

“Gregorian chant as we have it today is the closest thing we know to what Jesus would have sung and heard himself in the Temple in Jerusalem,” he said.

The appeal of Gregorian chant is undeniable. During a service, it adheres itself to the mass — moving with it hand in hand in perfect harmony.

Mr. Domet said what is truly amazing is that the music was memorized and passed along orally. It was only in the 10th century that a Benedictine monk, Guido d’Arezzo, put the form on paper using a system of square notes — the same notation that is used today.

“It’s the same man who came up with do-re-me-fa-so-la-ti. So the man responsible for writing down Gregorian chant is also inadvertently responsible for ‘Doe A Deer’ from The Sound of Music,” Mr. Domet said.

“The better the liturgy, the better the prayer, the better the Catholic.”

2 comments:

Amos Menkel said...

Just curious, have you had any word on the kneeling controversy in the liturgy?

I'm eager to find out if Canada will conform to the Church norms on kneeling or if an exception was granted as rumored that will greatly reduce kneeling.

I'm hoping that the Canadian bishops were told, that yes, kneeling is optional. If you don't want to kneel then full prostrations are also acceptable:-)

Vox Cantoris said...

Hello Amos,

I like your "other" option, that would teach them a lesson or two!

Nothing has been said and all is quiet on that front. There is a comment on the CCCB release about "wording" of the "Canadian adaptation" remaining outstanding but I've no word yet on the actual wording of the GIRM.

There will be at least one posture change universally adopted and that is that at the "Pray Brethren..." all are to stand then, not after the prayer.

On the Canon though, we wait and see.