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Views from the Choir Loft

Ten Reflections on “Pride of Place”

Andrew Leung · September 8, 2016

CTL Pride of Place AM SURE MANY OF US have heard or read that “Gregorian Chant should be given a pride of place (or main place) among different style of church music”. If not, here is the exact quote from the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, no.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.

This phrase is not invented by myself or some “liturgists”, it comes directly from the Second Vatican Council. Are we doing what the Council asked us to do? Some of us are, but most of us probably don’t hear Gregorian chant in Catholic churches these days. How exactly, then, can we give Gregorian chant a pride of place?

There are many articles with very practical advice on our blog about how to chant or introduce chant to a parish. So instead of listing out advice and methods, I would like to write a reflection in the style of an “examination of conscience”. I believe that spirit behind the term, “pride of place”, is greater than just singing at Mass or chanting the Propers. We can find out whether we have given Gregorian chant its pride of place in our parish by reflecting on the following questions:

1. Are we singing the Gregorian Propers and Ordinaries, which is specially suited to the Roman Liturgy, at our parish Masses?

2. Do we understand the texts of the chant and fully express them through our voices?

3. Gregorian chant and prayer are inseparable, are we praying when we chant?

4. Do we sing the Gregorian Ordinaries proper to each liturgical season? Or are we doing the minimum by chanting Missa de Angelis or Missa Jubilate Deo every week?

5. Do we spend enough time to practice Gregorian chant so that we can improve our techniques? Do we take advantage of conferences and workshops to further study the art of chant?

6. Other than chanting the Propers and Ordinaries, do we make use of the Gregorian hymns for different liturgical seasons and devotions?

7. Do we study the symbols, voicing and other traditions of the chant repertoire?

8. When we are given the opportunities to improvise on the organ, how often do we improvise on Gregorian melodies?

9. Are we familiar enough with the repertoire to be able to point out the hidden chant melodies in polyphonies and other works?

10. Are we doing our best in rehearsals and the liturgies so that we can touch people’s heart with the beauty of Gregorian chant?

These are some questions I asked myself to see if I truly grasp the true spirit of Gregorian chant, the true meaning of “pride of place”. If we put chant in a pride of place, we will realize that Gregorian chant is a very rich repertoire and you can never get bored with it.

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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Andrew Leung

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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Surprising Popularity!

One of our most popular downloads has proven to be the organ accompaniment to “The Monastery Hymnal” (131 pages). This book was compiled, arranged, and edited by Achille P. Bragers, who studied at the Lemmensinstituut (Belgium) about thirty years before that school produced the NOH. Bragers might be considered an example of Belgium “Stile Antico” whereas Flor Peeters and Jules Van Nuffel represented Belgium “Prima Pratica.” You can download the hymnal by Bragers at this link.

—Jeff Ostrowski
15 February 2021 • To Capitalize…?

In the Introit for the 6th Sunday after Pentecost, there is a question regarding whether to capitalize the word “christi.” The Vulgata does not, because Psalm 27 is not specifically referring to Our Lord, but rather to God’s “anointed one.” However, Missals tend to capitalize it, such as the official 1962 Missal and also a book from 1777 called Missel de Paris. Something tells me Monsignor Knox would not capitalize it.

—Jeff Ostrowski
15 February 2021 • “Sung vs. Spoken”

We have spoken quite a bit about “sung vs. spoken” antiphons. We have also noted that the texts of the Graduale Romanum sometimes don’t match the Missal texts (in the Extraordinary Form) because the Mass Propers are older than Saint Jerome’s Vulgate, and sometimes came from the ITALA versions of Sacred Scripture. On occasion, the Missal itself doesn’t match the Vulgate—cf. the Introit “Esto Mihi.” The Vulgate has: “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in domum refúgii…” but the Missal and Graduale Romanum use “Esto mihi in Deum protectórem et in locum refúgii…” The 1970s “spoken propers” use the traditional version, as you can see.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Oh, the happy choir director who is hired to start work on a brand new choir, or who walks into his first rehearsal a total stranger to the existing group—what a fortunate man he is! The new choir director who is a former member of the choir, or a member of the congregation, or the nephew of the alto soloist, or a former altar boy, or otherwise well acquainted with the choir, is in for a few headaches.”

— Paul Hume (1956)

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