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Views from the Choir Loft

Yes or No? • Accompanying Chant with the Organ

Andrew Leung · March 10, 2016

CTL Chant Accompaniment HIS IS ONE OF THE hottest topics in the field of sacred music: should chant be accompanied by the organ? While I am not on either side, I know people on the both sides of this discussion and I have heard their reasons. I am very blessed to have worked with many choral ensembles: professional and amateur choirs, monastic scholae and parish choirs, congregations that favor the traditional music and people who know nothing about the Church’s music. After working with Church music in so many contexts and with such diverse people, I have come to the conclusion that chant can be done effectively both ways.

Every choir (singers who sing and practice as a group) ought to be able to chant without organ accompaniment. The Church has always taught that the human voice is the primary instrument in the liturgy. No other instruments can sing like our voices which are created by God “in His image”. Nor can musical instruments express the text the way human voice can. That is why every choir, ideally, should be able to chant a capella without the accompaniment of any secondary instruments. I understand some choirs may be in the process of developing the skill of chant and they need the assistance of the organ. However, they should still make chanting a capella their goal and work on their skills in rehearsals.

While this advice applies to choirs chanting the propers and hymns alone, without congregational participation, I think the same goal can be set for congregational singing of the ordinaries, psalms and hymns. In a parish setting, the organ can help the faithful to learn the melodies of the chants and stay in tune. Some organists also like to accompany chants so that they can maintain the pace. That is a valid reason; however, it leads to competition between the organist and the singers, because the organ’s strong and loud registrations tend to lead by anticipating the sung melodies. The most effective way to maintain good pace of the chants is to have a confident choir leading the singing.

I really enjoy the simplicity and purity of plainsong without accompaniment. On the other hand, I do think good organ accompaniment adds color and solemnity to chant. Organ accompaniment is appropriate on special feast days, and during the Christmas and Easter seasons. Whether it is the glorious accompaniment of the French tradition or the expressive registrations of the English tradition, the pipe organ can help us express the text in a very special way. But of course, chant should remain unaccompanied during the penitential seasons. Here are two examples of good chant accompaniment by a former Cistercian monk. The first video is the Cistercian Salve Regina and the second one is Psalm 2 in English accompanied by the organ.






If you are interested in chant accompaniment, this former monk organist uploaded a series of tutorial videos on Youtube.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

16 May 2022 • Harmonized Chant?

This year’s upcoming Sacred Music Symposium will demonstrate several ways to sing the CREDO at Mass. This is because—for many parishes—to sing a full-length polyphonic CREDO by Victoria or Palestrina is out of the question. Therefore, we show options that are halfway between plainsong and polyphony. You can hear my choir rehearsing a section that sounds like harmonized plainsong.

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • Gorgeous Book

If there is a more beautiful book than Abbat Pothier’s 1888 Processionale Monasticum, I don’t know what it might be. This gorgeous tome was today added to the Saint John Lalande Online Library. I wish I owned a physical copy.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“It is most important that when the faithful assist at the sacred ceremonies … they should sing alternately with the clergy or the choir, as it is prescribed.”

— ‘Pope Pius XI, Divini Cultus (20 Dec 1928) §9’

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