The music vault of the Catholic Church is highly rich. Without a doubt, the most crucial place in it is taken by the Gregorian Choral as the primary and own singing of the Roman Church. However, we must not forget the many forms of polyphony, organ music and conventional songs characteristic of individual countries and regions. Saint Cecilia, patron saint of church music, can be arrogant of how the church's musical heritage has grown since her time.
Gregorian singing
There is no uncertainty that the most crucial kind of church music is Gregorian. It is its own and characteristic of the Roman Church a variety of singing, it has developed since the first centuries of Christianity. From the very beginning he served prayer; the monks performed it during the Holy Mass and the prayers of the brewers, which fulfilled the various times of the day. Many church holidays have their own singing, so it can be said that the full liturgical year is decorated with beautiful sickle. Until the late mediate Ages, our ancestors utilized only them in Catholic rites. Today, despite the passing of years, they inactive occupy a prime place in the music vault of the Roman Church, as the Second Vatican Council besides stressed:
The Gregorian church considers the singing of the Roman liturgy to be its own. Therefore, in liturgical activities, it should take first place among another equivalent types of singing – reads the Constitution on the Holy Liturgy of 1963.
Although at first glance Gregorian singing may not seem sophisticated, its construction is actually very rich. This 1 melodic line contains an highly refined rhythm, full of melismats – something that can no uncertainty be called advanced art. However, the top advantage here is the prayerful character and the adequate placing of the melody under the text. It gives an impression of the extraordinary fluidity of singing. The benefit of listening can be applied even without knowing the words; but if you have a translation before your eyes, it helps to pray more.
Sacred polyphonia
In the late mediate Ages, songs began to be composed into respective voices simultaneously: first they were 2 voices and then their number was increased even more. specified compositions are named polyphonic, virtually multivoice. Fathers of the Council of Trent (1545-1563) wondered, however, whether specified works should be allowed – whether they were besides distracting from the sung text. They were persuaded by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina with his beautiful multivoice compositions, which the listener could no uncertainty realize the sung text. During the Renaissance we had respective another outstanding composers, specified as Byrd, Victoria, and Asola. In the later eras, the church’s musical heritage continued to increase with large works. It should be stressed, however, that no 1 has appeared who is equal to Palestrina, and the life of the large master, due to the time of the Council of Trent, seems to be a provision of Providence.
Composing styles changed over time. As a result, the church’s music vault became more and more diverse. He was helped by the conquests of all ages – from the prayerful works of Renaissance masters to the lofty and majestic works of French composers of the early 20th century, not forgetting the later compositions.
Organ music
Although the originals of modern organs are found already in ancient times, the construction of this instrument has developed importantly since it began to be utilized during Holy Mass, or around the 8th century. Organ music survived its top growth during the Baroque period, with the arrival of Johann Sebastian Bach. It should be mentioned that he was not a Catholic, but a Protestant, and it was for the Lutheran congregations that his works were created. Despite this fact, the Catholic Church uses his works as they fit perfectly in Catholic liturgy, and in the case of vocal works, their text is consistent with Catholic theology. Moreover, Bach composed songs typical of Catholic music, specified as motets and even Masses (!), even though in the context of Lutheran rites known to him Mass h-minol He never did. Thus, the Church is not limited to Catholic authors only, but the absolute criterion is the compatibility of the work with Catholic liturgy and the theological correctness of the text.
Although Bach was undoubtedly the top composer of organ music of all time, past lists many another prominent artists, among whom a crucial group was Catholic. Let me draw attention to 2 Frenchmen surviving at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries: Charles-Marie Widor and Louis Vierne. The first was an organist in the church of St. Sulpicius in Paris, the second – his student and played in the capital Cathedral of Notre-Dame. Both works delight in their greatness and majesty. They are an excellent example of Catholic organ music.
Organs have become a typically sacral instrument in history, due to the fact that secular works on them constitute only a fraction of all compositions. However, the uniqueness of organs takes place for another reason, namely that they can simultaneously mimic the sound of many instruments. They can be sounds not only of flutes, but besides of various wind, string and even respective percussion instruments. Especially since the romanticist era organ compositions have the momentum of almost the full symphony orchestra.
Musical
Organs are not the only instrument allowed for usage in churches and liturgy. The Church permits multiple instruments, provided they are not associated solely with secular music.
The difference between sacred and secular music must be taken into account. There are... musical instruments that, by nature and origin, service straight sacred music, specified as classical organs and others that can easy be adapted for liturgical use, specified as string instruments. Another is that, according to the general view, they are so crucial for secular music that they cannot be adapted for spiritual usage at all. (...) The appropriate and solemn liturgical instrument of the Latin Church was and remains the classical or tube organs – the instructions on church music “De musica sacra et sacra liturgy” (60-61).
The boundary between instruments suitable for churches and typically secular seems rather subtle. But 1 day I heard a very interesting explanation, which I myself have directed to this day: "Ask whether this instrument can be imitated by organs or not." Indeed, with specified a criterion, the substance seems simpler; the organs are able to imitate the sound of multiple wind instruments, string instruments and even tiny bells. However, it is not possible to get on them the sound of piano, drums or guitar – instruments typical of secular music, for which there is no place in the church.
The usage of pianos in the church is prohibited, as is the usage of noisy or frivolous instruments specified as drums, plates, bells and the like. – wrote Pope Pius X in motu proprio "Tra Le Sollecitudini" (19).
Many compositions have been created in past utilizing either solo instruments or the full orchestra. And so in any pieces the trumpet, violin, or flute plays a melody while accompanying the organ. In others the full orchestra is used, as in the celebrated Requiem Mozart. Using this kind of music is as good as possible, provided that its dimension or form does not turn into a concert, nor does it focus besides much attention on itself. For ecclesiastical music is to glorify God and direct the minds of the faithful towards Him; it cannot become an end in itself.
Traditional Songs
Apart from large musical forms – choral or instrumental – there are besides smaller ones, but equally beautifully praising God and directing the minds of the faithful towards Him. conventional church songs, most frequently performed in national languages, should be distinguished here. any of them are a Catholic adaptation of Protestant songs with beautiful and easy to sing tunes; in their case it was adequate to look at the text and correct heretic mistakes. Today's collection of Catholic German songs has many compositions, many of which have besides been translated into English and are sung in English-speaking countries.
In Poland, however, we can boast about our own wealth of folk songs. Most of the positions in liturgical singers are old Polish works written by Catholics and for the purposes of our liturgy. This does not mean that German songs are "worse", but these Polish songs were created in a typical Catholic spirit. Unfortunately, we do not seem to be able to benefit from this heritage, as many conventional native songs are mostly omitted today.
Music of another rites
These types of sacral music concern works characteristic of the Roman Church. Although Roman Catholics account for as much as 98 percent of Catholics in general, 22 east Churches are not to be forgotten. They recognise the pope's sovereignty, while maintaining any discrimination on issues specified as canon law or liturgy. small wonder, then, that the ceremonial music is different from that we know, due to the fact that it grew in completely different cultures. This allows the Church to enjoy having music in its treasury characteristic of the Byzantium regions, east Europe, northern Africa or Syria.
Catholic Church's contribution to the improvement of music in general
It is frequently overlooked that it was thanks to the Church that the music in general – even this secular 1 – developed so much. It was in Catholic monasteries that there was a request to evidence the songs spoken orally. Even before the 8th century, rhythmic markings (so-called cheironomial notation) began to be recorded, and the sound tallness was besides included around the year 1000. Finally, in the early 11th century Benedictine, the blessed Guido of Arezzo introduced the foundation of what we call a note evidence today. It was inactive in force present in the evidence of Gregorian fourlines, whose subsequent modifications led to the introduction of the fivelines utilized to this day.
Same mistake. Guido besides developed saline, i.e. a strategy of voices determining the tallness of the sound (to, re, mi, fa, solo, etc., although in Guidon's evidence the first voice was ut). Thanks to his achievements, it is possible to learn music with a voice, utilized in music schools until today.
So the Catholic Church made a immense contribution to the improvement of music in general. If the convent choirs had not developed and perfected the way musical notation was done, possibly present the only way to transmit music would be by oral transmission.
St. Cecilia patron saint of church music
The Church appointed St. Cecilia as the patron and guardian. She was a Roman female surviving in the early 3rd century who took a vow of purity. And erstwhile she was forced to marry a Gentile Walerian, not only did she not break her wedding but she besides converted her husband and his brother Tiberius to believe in Christ. All 3 died of martyrdom.
Why did Cecilia become the patron of church music? Based on 1 of the antiphons of her short communicative entitled Passio It was considered to have played on organs. However, it is now assumed that the antiphone was misread and that Cecilia most likely had nothing to do with the organs. This does not change the fact that being so close to God and contemplating His face, in a peculiar way he intercedes for all church musicians.
Cecilia can be arrogant of how church music has developed since her time. Her period of life began at the beginning of Christianity, erstwhile it was only a increasing Gregorian disease, and another fields of church music were not known at all. Now – after eighteen centuries – the church's music vault has become highly rich: apart from this Gregorian singing we have many forms of choral music with polyphony at the head, organ music and conventional songs from many regions of the world.
On the another hand, there is no shortage of musical abuse in churches today. “Gitar” or, worse, “rock” or “jazz” services are something that should never have happened to churches, but by the approval of the clergy it was there. It saddens the presence in churches specified as piano or drums; it worries yet the presence of music commonly understood as A candle. Yet all that is played or sung in churches should emergence in sacral Character! Even Protestant Bach had God in head of his works, which cannot be said about many contemporary compositions.
However, abuses occurred in many historical periods and were later condemned by popes. And even though the elaborate orchestral Masses resembled the performance more than they helped in prayer, they were condemned by Pius X and Pius XII. Let us hope that guitar compositions and “rock” Masses will besides be opposed. This is already happening from the bottom up, due to the fact that many bishops effort to get a good level of music in their churches, but in practice there is inactive a lot to do.
Despite these objections, St. Cecilia can be arrogant of the state of the present church music. The church's music vault has an highly rich. You just gotta usage it.
Adrian Fyda
St. Gregory the large and the Gregorian Choral. What did this reformer do for church music?
