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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Secret Sympathy

Dr. Gregory Hamilton · February 20, 2020

“I feel that our souls are moved to the ardor of piety by the sacred words more piously and powerfully when these words are sung than when they are not sung, and that all the affections of our soul in their variety have modes of their own in song and chant by which they are stirred up by an indescribable and secret sympathy.”
—Saint Augustine, Confessions, Book X, chap. 33, MPL, XXXII, 799ff.

“In the beginning was the Word…and the Word became flesh.” John 1:1.

Words, words, words. Just think for a minute about the overwhelming waves of words that our culture washes over us. Through the nearly infinite spawn of digital devices, automatically generating and sending words constantly to all corners of the globe, it seems that the goal of our society is to create more words, as if the ever-increasing amount will bring us happiness.

It is true, however that we are hard wired to receive meaning from communicating through language. The words that we devise to speak to each other and to sing to each other have inherent meaning for our human nature.

We are reminded by the Word of God that in the beginning, before all else, was the Word, the Logos. This is quite profound. The one who created all, created the very idea and possibility of communication. But we can also note that the Word of God is quite different. It can come in a still small voice, or as in the psalms, a thunder that cracks trees…however, this word is definite, it does not change, and it never loses it’s meaning, in other words it is Divine. This word is definitive and certain. When the Father spoke to the Son confirming his divine status during the mystical event of the Transfiguration, is was a declaration that was eternally true.

As well, I am reminded of the age-old practice of meditating in prayer upon a single word or phrase—Lectio Divina. The practice involves meditation on a holy word or phrase in the presence of the Lord, and sitting in an attitude of receptiveness to the divine and spiritual nurture from the Holy Spirit that flow from that word.

So, as Augustine says, how wonderful and significant is our task, that of joining words—the Logos—to music. Music also speaks to us as a divine word. I am convinced that there is a divine quality in music that emanates from this original Logos, coming directly from God, as a unique gift. In some mystical way which I don’t understand, the singing of this Logos creates a higher level of meaning and somehow connects to our understanding in a more profound way. Let us understand the profundity of the ministry that we cultivate—even as we praise the Logos in “indescribable and secret sympathy” amongst oceans of meaningless words.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: February 27, 2020

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About Dr. Gregory Hamilton

Dr. Gregory Hamilton is a composer and performer currently on the faculty of Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas TX.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

23 May 2022 • FEEDBACK

From a reader: “I wasn’t looking for it. But, I stumbled across your hand-dandy arrangement of Pachelbel’s Canon. Jeff, this is the greatest thing since sliced bread! I had to play a wedding on Saturday. The bride requested the Canon. There were 11 bridesmaids! The organ loft is a football field away from the communion rail. It’s so difficult to play and keep checking the mirror. Your arrangement is absolutely genius. One can skip and choose which variations to use. The chord names are handy so that when my eyes are off the music, I always know where I am at. A thousand times thank you for sharing this arrangement!”

—Jeff Ostrowski
19 May 2022 • “Trochee Trouble”

I’m still trying to decide how to visually present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores, using what is (technically) the official rhythm of the Church. You can download my latest attempt, for this coming Sunday. Notice the “trochee trouble” as well as the old issue of neumes before the quilisma.

—Jeff Ostrowski
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

Random Quote

It would be contrary to the Constitution to decree or even to hint that sung celebrations, especially of the Mass, should be in Latin.

— Annibale Bugnini attacking “Sacrosanctum Concilium” (§36)

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