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Views from the Choir Loft

Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “Feedback from Dom Stephen Concordia”

Corpus Christi Watershed · November 16, 2022

Message from Jeff Ostrowski: “I see that my colleague, Mr. Patrick Williams, has added another installment to the Gregorian Rhythm Wars series. I will certainly respond, but not immediately. I try to avoid ‘knee-jerk’ responses. My preference is to first consider carefully my response (for a few days) before posting. There is no rush. I suspect our series will continue for a considerable period of time. Needless to say, our series will only terminate once everyone agrees that my views are correct, perfect, and incontrovertible.”

M The following was sent to us
M by Dom Stephen Concordia, OSB.
M (Reproduced with permission).

FTEN HAVE I THOUGHT of writing to Corpus Christi Watershed to express my gratitude for your work. I’m writing to you now to contribute a few words to your series “Chant Rhythm Wars”. It’s sad to say that your choice of the word ‘Wars’ has been—at least at certain times in our history—accurate. I’ve been a Benedictine monk since 1989, first at Montecassino, and since 2008 at Saint Vincent Archabbey, and the debates have been at times harsh and unfair … and sometimes worse. I greatly appreciate your hospitality and willingness to engage in dialogue. By way of introduction, I first studied chant according to the Solesmes Method, and with Ward Method pedagogy, with Dr. Theodore Marier at Catholic University. Just a few years later, as an organ student at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome, I was required to study Semiology with Nino Albarosa, an early disciple of Dom Eugène Cardine, and Gregorian Modality with Alberto Turco, a disciple of Dom Jean Claire. I then chose to complete a DIPLOMA (Magistero) in chant with the same faculty. Since then, I have continued to be active with teaching, directing, offering workshops, and—more recently—translating recent chant textbooks by Alberto Turco from Italian to English. I’ve been a professor of Gregorian Chant at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute Sant’Anselmo (Rome); at Saint Vincent College here in Latrobe; at Franciscan University of Steubenville; at Duquesne University; and I’ve offered numerous workshops.

A. Now, regarding Mr. Jeff Ostrowski’s assertion that the Solesmes Method is the Official method of interpreting the rhythm of chant, there are numerous points of fact to the contrary:

1. Why is this supposed law known to so few practitioners?
2. At Papal liturgies where chant is sung, and a worship aid has been printed for the congregation that includes the chant melodies for the congregation to sing, the rhythmic signs of Solesmes are entirely absent.
3. The 2nd Vatican Council mandated the publication of a volume of chant for use in smaller churches and parishes; namely, the Graduale Simplex. Once again the rhythmic signs of Solesmes are entirely absent.

B. Regarding the assertion that the Solesmes Method recreates the original rhythm of chant:

The semiologists would affirm: To approach an interpretation as close as possible to an “original” rhythm there is no witness, no testimony, no factual evidence historically closer than the adiastematic neumes.

C. Regarding the predominant role of the word in chant interpretation:

1.The “composers” of Gregorian chant spoke Latin, they knew the sound of the words and their rhythmic qualities. Knowing of their passion for Latin grammar, and the Roman grammarians, it is unlikely that they would have sung in a manner contrary to the rules of Latin pronunciation. For instance… the Solesmes method does respect the words, but it also advocates for the “the subordination of the words to the melody” (Dom Gajard). This notion, together with the rule of the “indivisible beat’ cannot help but result often in mistaken pronunciations, additions of, and exaggerations of, accents.

Thank you again! With all best wishes and blessings on your work.

Fr. Stephen Concordia, O.S.B.

P.S.

Volumes of chant pedagogy by Alberto Turco and translated into English by Fr. Stephen Concordia OSB:

(1) Tones & Modes (pp.328 (treatise on Gregorian modality) Rome, Torre D’Orfeo Ed.
(2) The Gregorian Melody: The expressive Power of the WORD (pp.250) Forthcoming from Liturgical Press, March 2023
(3) An Initiation to Gregorian Chant (pp.180 Forthcoming from Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music + Vatican Editions + Archabbey Publications, December, 2022

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Gregorian Rhythm Wars, Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music Last Updated: December 6, 2022

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President’s Corner

    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a direct war, a direct killing—direct murder by the mother herself. And we read in the Scripture, for God says very clearly: “Even if a mother could forget her child, I will not forget you: I have carved you in the palm of my hand.”

— Mother Theresa (11 Dec 1979)

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