Invitations and 'Scoti Stant Hic Cruce Tuti'

Six of us met in the hall. Alan brought a copy of Archbishop Sample's Pastoral Letter on Sacred Music written for the Diocese of Marquette.  It is called Rejoice in the Lord and has caused something of a stir in American liturgical circles. Alan read extracts.

Archbishop Alexander King Sample

It is very encouraging on the importance of chant and 'is a faithful presentation of what the Church has taught (as) regards sacred music'.  Here are some highlights:

'Any discussion of the different forms of sacred music must start with Gregorian chant......
  
'Given all of this strong teaching from the Popes, the Second Vatican Council, and the U.S. Bishops, how is it that this ideal concerning Gregorian chant has not been realized in the Church? Far from enjoying a “pride of place” in the Church’s sacred liturgy, one rarely if ever hears Gregorian chant.
This is a situation which must be rectified. It will require great effort and serious catechesis for the clergy and faithful, but Gregorian chant must be introduced more widely as a normal part of the Mass. Some practical steps toward this are outlined in the Directive section of this pastoral letter......
   
'The Church recognizes an objective difference between sacred music and secular music. Despite the Church’s norms, the idea persists among some that the lyrics alone determine whether a song is sacred or secular, while the music is exempt from any liturgical criteria and may be of any style. This erroneous idea, which was alluded to earlier, is not supported by the Church’s norms either before or since the Second Vatican Council......
   
'Hymns are a musical form pertaining more properly to the Liturgy of the Hours, rather than the Mass. Hymn-singing at Mass originated in the custom of the people singing vernacular devotional hymns at Low Mass during the celebrant’s silent recitation of the Latin prayers. However, the current Missal as well as official liturgical documents envision a singing of the Mass as outlined above.....
   
'The texts of the Roman Missal and the Lectionary, and none others, constitute the official Mass in English. No one in the diocese, including the Bishop, has the authority to add to, subtract from or change the words of the Mass, either sung or recited. The only exceptions are when the Missal specifically gives an option, using expressions such as “in these or similar words.” This is to be strictly interpreted and observed.....

Read it all here:
http://www.dioceseofmarquette.org/UserFiles/Bishop/PastoralLetter-RejoiceInTheLordAlways.pdf

After an opening prayer, we went on to discuss a range of opportunities which could take the Schola beyond the monthly Latin Mass at Holy Spirit.

We have been asked to sing the Parts of the Mass at Una Voce's Latin Mass at Cambuskenneth on April 24th and October 12th.

We have been invited to sing at a proposed Solemn Evensong and Benediction at the Cathedral later in the year, this would be in the presence of both Cardinal O'Brien and the Ordinary of the new Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham and would be based on traditional Anglican hymns as well as chant. Here's the kind of thing:

Click to enlarge

We are in touch with Historic Scotland about the use of the Chapel Royal at Stirling Castle or Dunblane Cathedral. They do not have anything to do with Holy Rude. I have emailed Holy Rude as a first step to arranging to pray Vespers there during the Spring or Summer.

We have been invited to sing Vespers/Compline in the Cathedral as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August.

Father Joe enjoyed the chant at Holy Spirit so Malky will think about how best to fit some chant into the regular Sunday Mass at St Margaret's. Perhaps starting with the Kyrie would be the simplest way to involve the congregation.

Finally, the view was that we quite liked Alan's proposal that we should call ourselves Cantors of the Holy Rude (although Gentlemen of the Holy Rude did have a ring to it).
In either case, our badge could be the ancient seal of Catholic Stirling showing Christ and the Holy Rude protecting the Scots:

Hic Armis Bruti Scoti Stant Hic Cruce Tuti 

The Britons stand by force of arms, The Scots are by this cross preserved from harms

Then we got down to singing. A reprise of the Kyrie, then Sanctus and Agnus Dei. We went over the Sanctus several times. Alan suggested that we introduce a pause after the third note in the third Sanctus, just before the highest note in the 'Scandicus' (thankyou Gregorian Highway Code).

And repeating the pause before the high note in the Saah of Sabaot(h) and in the two excelcis.
We also practiced running on after the third Sanctus to make the sentence work. The whole point is to emphasise that the Lord is Holy, not to repeat Holy three times - SanctusDominus.

We ended with Compline. The Psalms chosen all have references to bedtime. Psalm 4 'repent upon your beds...I will lay down in peace and take my rest'; Psalm 90 'you shall not fear the terror of the night'; Psalm 133 'Lift up your hands by night'. Alan has developed a simple system of writing the text using italics to indicate a lowering sequence of notes and bold to show a stronger note. As in

Click to enlarge

Next week we will meet in the church DV.

And finally....
Jeffrey Tucker on Pope Benedict XVI’s Musical Legacy
'One of the many lasting legacies of the papacy of Benedict XVI concerns liturgical music. Enormous progress has been made in his papacy. Incredibly this progress has happened without new legislation, new restrictions, new mandates, or firm-handed attempts to impose discipline on musicians and artists. The change has happened through the means that Benedict XVI has always preferred: he has led through example and through the inspiration provided by his homilies and writings.

'You can observe the difference by watching any Papal liturgy, whether live or on television or through webcast. Gregorian chant is back but not just as a style preferred to the pop music that still dominates parish liturgy. More importantly, chant is back in its rightful place as the sung prayer of the liturgy.
http://www.crisismagazine.com/2013/pope-benedict-xvis-musical-legacy?

Pope Online

I look at several websites as part of my Maryvale studies. This is quite different from wasting my time reading Catholic blogs and assorted rubbish on-line. I don't do that at all.
Oh no.
I review Internet content for academic purposes.

Here are a few goodies about the Pope's decision to abdicate. My own reaction, when I got home from the DIY shop and was told the news - 'He can't do that!'
But he can, according to a revision in Church law dating from 1983 (Canon 332).

Bloke on right is very sound and very helpful to Maryvale students (Mgr Guido Marini, Papal MC)

Here's Father Zed:

Why can the Pope abdicate his office?  The office of Pope carries with it the fullness of jurisdiction in the Church.  The “Petrine Ministry” is a little different from other offices in the Church, but it is an office.  The Successor of Peter does what other successors of the apostles do in that he teaches, governs and sanctifies.  His role also includes being a visible sign of the unity Christ desired for the Church and a point of reference as Christ’s “stand in” or Vicar (vicarius).
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2013/02/quaeritur-why-can-a-pope-resign-why-isnt-being-pope-for-life/

From Fr Finnegan:

The media don't understand that the Church isn't like a global business or a series of Presidential elections where each candidate has a different manifesto.

Fr Ray Blake is concerned about a bad precedent:
The retirement of a Pope seriously undermines the ancient notion of the mystical marriage of a bishop to his Church, which contains in it the idea of the esse of a bishops relationship being more important than agere. What he is in relationship to his diocese until VII was considered to be more important than what he did, it seems to come from deep in the heart of Catholic/Orthodox Tradition, it could be argued it goes back to the Apostles, hence the Orthodox hatred of "desiring other Thrones", which in the East is seen as kind of simony.
http://marymagdalen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/for-better-or-worse-in-sickness-and.html

One of his former altar servers, Dr Tim Stanley, names and shames media misunderstandings:
Some parts of the mainstream media don’t do God and don’t understand people who do. They see everything through the prism of politics – presuming that Christians fall into camps of Left and Right, that Bible-talk is ideological slang or that the tenets of faith are up for negotiation in the same way that party platforms are easily forgotten by the hucksters who ran on them. Some journalists need a crash course in Christianity.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timstanley/100202815/pope-benedict-xvi-resigns-the-mainstream-media-just-doesnt-get-god-or-catholicism/

Thoughtful piece in the Speccie:
Benedict is an academic, belonging to the grand tradition of German scholarship. He’s used to proper debate of serious ideas, to the careful consideration of arguments before they’re advanced and answered. And bluntly, our age isn’t used to dealing with extended argument.
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2013/02/how-pope-benedicts-wisdom-was-often-lost-in-translation/

Here's Fr Barron (of the Catholicism series) on the Pope's legacy:
http://www.wordonfire.org/WOF-TV/Commentaries-New/The-Legacy-of-Pope-Benedict-XVI.aspx

And from the great Cardinal Arinze (he's probably too old to be elected):

Finally, some thoughts from an Army Padre Fr Charles Gosnell:  "The Pope has resigned. WTF?”

Can everybody just please sit down!      

He wants to ensure that the most able man is at the helm, he by his own words has said he’s not strong enough anymore to carry this burden. So please just hear him, and know who he is before you talk nonsense about a man whose books and Encyclicals you’ve not read and probably never will.

So there you go. The facts and a little reason in the face of media hysteria and conspiracy theories. I hope it does us all a dose of good. So be not afraid, all will be fine. Trust in Him who is our way, our truth and our life. And trust in His promise to us.
http://www.thecommentator.com/article/2698/can_everybody_just_please_sit_down

Good graphic on location of Cardinals. Many in Europe are there because the Pope is also the Bishop of Rome, so lots of Italians (20 of them):

Just for fun, a shortlist with profiles and odds from a non-religious source:
Click through from current Paddy Power favourite, Marc Cardinal Ouellet.
http://www.businessinsider.com/who-will-replace-pope-benedict-2013-2#cardinal-marc-ouellet-1

And a final word:

 God bless our Pope.

Pride of Place

Four of us met in the Crying Room, weather and work commitments kept several members away.
Alan felt that the Mass at Holy Spirit had gone well but that we hadn’t softened the endings as we had practiced. Next we sang the parts of the Mass before going into the church to sing Compline.

Alan proposed that we call ourselves Cantors of the Holy Rude. The first Catholic parish of Stirling, founded by St Margaret's son David, was the Holy Rude, What do members think about Alan's idea?
This led to the idea that we might pray a sung Vespers in Stirling’s medieval Parish Church of the Holy Rude. I was the Convener of Stirling Christians Together for several years, so I offered to see what I can do.

We had an interesting discussion about the Traditional Latin Mass and the Mass we know from our regular Sunday worship. How did Gregorian chant and the Traditional Latin Mass fit with what Vatican II had taught on Liturgy and Music? Here’s my overview.

Vatican II was the 21st Ecumenical Council of the Church. It produced sixteen documents, four of which were called Constitutions. The first of these Constitutions, Sacrosanctum Conclium (SC) dealt with Liturgy.

The full text is here:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html

Sacrosanctum Concilium required that ‘In sacred celebrations there is to be more reading from Holy Scripture, and it is to be more varied and suitable’ (SC 35.1).
This instruction has led to our current three-year cycle of Readings and the introduction of elements from the Old Testament, including the Responsorial Psalm.
My personal view is that this change is a considerable improvement; I just wish that we were told the number of the Psalm being read at each Mass.

For our purposes as a Schola, two key quotes from Sacrosanctum Concilium are:
36. the use of the Latin language is to be preserved
116. Gregorian chant…..should be given pride of place in liturgical services

In terms of music, the Council emphasised the importance of sacred song in the Liturgy:
SC 112. The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as sacred song united to the words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy….Therefore sacred music is to be considered the more holy in proportion as it is more closely connected with the liturgical action, whether it adds delight to prayer, fosters unity of minds, or confers greater solemnity upon the sacred rites.

SC 113. Liturgical worship is given a more noble form when the divine offices are celebrated solemnly in song, with the assistance of sacred ministers and the active participation of the people. [Active Participation is the term used in earlier documents to mean singing Gregorian Chant JR].

SC 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 (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).

My ambition is to re-introduce chant into regular Sunday Mass. The Schola can learn the parts of the Mass for the monthly 'Extraordinary Form' Mass at Holy Spirit and sing those prayers wherever we have the chance at the regular 'Ordinary Form' Mass. We can also learn Vespers, Compline etc. which could be prayed in public for special occasions.

Our Parish Priest is open to the use of Gregorian chant at our regular Masses, (Malky asked him).

PS in the light of today's news about Pope Benedict's decision to retire as Pope, note the Cardinal who wrote the introduction to the book shown above. He'd make a great Bishop of Rome.

A Great Start. But More Speed in the Creed.

Seven of us turned up at the Holy Spirit for the 4.00pm practice but there was no Alan.
I was frantically practicing the two lads in how-to-serve, so that I could sing with the Schola.

The men were sitting waiting for our tutor while all of this was going on. At one stage, I turned to them and said the start of Suscipiat Dominus sacrificium de manibus tuis, ad laudem et gloriam nominis sui, 
There was a chorus of ad utilitatem quoque nostram, totiusque Ecclesiae suae sanctae from those who used to be Altar Boys. This is the prayer still said by the people as 'May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of his name, for our good and the good of all his holy Church'.

After a good run-through, I left the lads in the Sacristy to study 'the red parts', Rubrics didn't seem like the word to use to calm pre-match nerves. And went to join the Schola for the practice led by Fred (who had made the effort to come and support us). I said 'you're it, because there's no-one else to be 'it'. He took it in good heart.

I was very impressed by the sound we made and it felt great to be singing with the other men. There was a reverberation in my chest as we prayed the Kyrie and the Creed. We were singing with one voice, as the angels are supposed to - una voce dicentes.

Alan arrived full of apologies for his lateness, he had been obliged to cook a meal before leaving for Stirling. However he was looking very dapper and choir-masterish in his black roll-neck sweater and slacks. Not as dapper as this, however:

Click to Enlarge

There was a general feeling from the other members that I should help the younger blokes on the Altar, rather than continuing to sing and leaving them to their own devices. I chose to take this as support for the tyro Altar servers, rather than a desire to get my voice out of the way.

The two servers took the roles of 'Book' and 'Bell', while I planned to kneel to the side and encourage.
Father heard some confessions so the Mass started a little later than planned. Luke was very dignified, taking the Biretta to the credence table and we began the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. The Schola started the Kyrie and it sounded wonderful, the congregation joining in as appropriate, while we continued with our responses and the Confiteor. The Creed, Sanctus and Agnus Dei followed.

Holy Spirit set-up for Latin Mass

There were a couple of minor errors in the serving but most people wouldn't notice so I'm hopeful that I can join the Schola next month.

At the end of Mass several regulars complimented the group on the music, one spoke to me enthusiastically and then came back in from her car to congratulate us again.
Father E was quite happy but felt that the Credo was too slow.
I asked 'More speed in the Creed then Father?' He replied, 'Yes, more speed in the Creed'.

We plan to meet next Thursday in St Margaret's church at 7.30pm. Celebratory cocktails afterwards for those who fancy a beer.

Et unam sanctam catholicam apostolicam ecclesiam

This Sunday (3rd Feb) we plan to meet in the Holy Spirit church to sing the Parts of the Mass.
We will take the back pew and sing the Kyrie, the Credo, the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei.
We plan to assemble at 4.00pm for a short practice before Mass at 5.00pm.

Last week, five of us met in the Hall.

After a short prayer, Alan led us into the Kyrie.
We should sing the AY with a rounded mouth, rather than a wide AYYY.
Here Alan told the old joke about the Wide-mouthed Frog:

We decided to sing the Creed, rather than sticking to the shorter prayers.
In planning the Creed, the line et propter  to de caelis should be sung in one breath.

Alan offered the following as the best version of the Creed online:

The neumes in the top line shown (before you click play) are my Pigs-Ear downfall. Crucifixus starts with a single note, then two in the ascending Podatus and then three in up-down-up of the Porrectus.
Just to add to my difficulties, Alan suggested that we should 'share' the extension shown by the dots at the end of words so as to extend the vowel before the marked sylable.
In truth, this sounds much better.

For the Sanctus, don't emphasise the last syllable, rather sing SAHNctus and make a full stop after the third one. Just before the tricky one-two; one-two-three of Dohm...inus.

At the end of Mass we hope to pray the Marian hymn of the season, Ave Regina caelorum, making sure to pronounce spe-CHee-osa:

Hail, Queen of Heaven.

Hail, Lady of the Angels

Hail root and gate 

from which the Light of the world was born.

Rejoice, O glorious Virgin,

Fairest of all.

Fare thee well, most beautiful,

and pray for us to Christ.

Post Script on unam sanctam catholicam apostolicam
The four marks of the Church - One. Holy. Catholic. Apostolic.
'In the Nicene Creed, we profess, "We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church": these are the four marks of the Church. They are inseparable and intrinsically linked to each other. Our Lord Himself in founding the Church marked it with these characteristics, which reflect its essential features and mission. Through the continued guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Church fulfills these marks'.
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0106.html

I'd prefer 'her' rather than 'it' as here: http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/churb2.htm

But it's not a bad summary.