History of liturgical music, Gregorian Chant taught

Intermountain Catholic

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Benedictine Father Anthony Ruff conducts liturgists from around the diocese in Gregorian Chant in Latin March 7 at Saint John the Baptist Church in Draper. IC photo by Barbara S. Lee

DRAPER — Saint John the Baptist Church in Draper resounded with Gregorian Chant in both Latin and English March 7.

In a workshop sponsored by the Diocesan Office of Liturgy directed by Timothy Johnston, Benedictine Father Anthony Ruff of Saint John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minn. first traced the last 45 years of liturgical renewal, then put liturgists from throughout the diocese through some Gregorian Chant paces during a liturgical study day.

Historically, modern liturgical renewal can be traced back to Vatican II’s document "Sacrosanctum Concilium," and through five documents, including today’s "Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship." Between those two documents were "Musicam Sacram," a 1967 document promulgated by the Sacred Congregation of Divine Worship; the 1972 document "Music in Catholic Worship" from the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy; 1982’s "Liturgical Music Today;" "General Instruction of the Roman Missal" (GIRM) from Rome’s Sacred Congregation of Divine Worship in 2002.

Each document added to and changed how liturgy is practiced in the U.S. and in the universal church.

The founder and director of the National Children’s Choir, Fr. Ruff spent much of a week working with choristers from the Madeleine Choir School and adult members of the Madeleine Choir teaching them the intricacies of Gregorian Chant in Latin and English.

Fr. Ruff is a frequent presenter on the subject of the latest United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) document, "Sing to the Lord." He was one of six liturgists who worked on the draft document before it was submitted to the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy and then the full body of bishops.

"I arranged my schedule very carefully so I could watch the debate on the document on television," Fr. Ruff said. "But the bishops accepted the document in one minute and 30 seconds."

Through growth and renewal, "Sing to the Lord" offers opportunities for liturgical music in a multi-cultural church, Fr. Ruff said. "It includes liturgical music from the Latin tradition, as well as music from the Hispanic and Asian cultures, as well as African and African American music.

"It also allows liturgical music to move back and forth from traditional music to new, more modern music with sounds created by more modern instruments."

Fr. Ruff said all of the documents produced for liturgical renewal have remained true to Vatican II, and "Sing to the Lord" is no exception. "But each of the documents reflect their own time and culture."

"I experienced the tail end of "Musicam Sacram," the 1967 document with its emphasis on determining which parts of the liturgy should be sung. "It was that document that began what we now know as the dialogues between the celebrant and the congregation (the acclamations and the responsorial songs)."

Fr. Ruff also watched the liturgy move from the traditional Latin to Mass in the vernacular (the language of the people), and his use of Gregorian Chant often contain a mixture of both.

In part II of his workshop, "Giving Life to Chant in Latin and English," Fr. Ruff first encouraged participants to rediscover the beauty of the unaccompanied voice.

"Of all the sounds of which human beings, created in the image and likeness of God, are capable, voice is the most privileged and fundamental," his notes said. "Musical instruments in the Liturgy are best understood as an extension of and support to the primary liturgical instrument, which is the human voice."

He said he would like to hear more of the vernacular congregational Mass chanted, like the Lord, have mercy – the Word of the Lord, and its response – Thanks be to God, – the preface dialogue and doxology – and the Amen to the eucharistic prayer. He said he would also like to hear the Lord’s Prayer sung or chanted, as well as the dismissal.

Fr. Ruff spoke of cantors, but said once the congregation knows the responses, the voice of the cantor or the celebrant should not be heard over the voices of the congregation.

He spoke of starting with the text, and working from there. "It’s like starting with God, and we always start all liturgical music with God."

Then, he began teaching the teachers – helping the liturgists more deeply appreciate Gregorian Chant in both English and Latin. Without separating the participants into different voices, he simply called on them to sing in the range in which they were comfortable. Working only in Latin, the liturgists seemed surprised at what they were able to accomplish with just a few minutes of instruction.

Before long, he had them trying organum, that is harmony at the fourth or fifth tonality, and pedal point (a single note) sung in unison or in fifths.

As the day ended, he suggested resources for further study.