Solmization from the Inside, Part 3
Making the case for the (very) old method of solfège, or, what is so sharp about sharp notes?
My Recent Conversation • “Chant Rhythm”
This past week, I appeared on the Nikhil Hogan show to talk about Gregorian rhythm and the Vatican edition.
God’s in His Holy Place, but in which Mode?
Ideas have consequences.
Church Keys Old and New
Musical scholars are divided on whether the modes are a useful way to think about music, but I’m convinced they are. In the seventeenth century, musicians created a fruitful and lasting link between the eight modes and eight particular keys called the church keys.
Glancing at Eurydice: Why Read Medieval Theory?
Sometimes the ancients just perfectly capture the essence of some experience that we all share.
A Talk on the Importance of Chant
Back in January I gave a talk at Sacred Heart Parish in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They have a fantastic lecture series, and this was also in connection with their admirable project on the fifth centennial of Palestrina’s birth. The talk is now available on Spotify, and I hope it will be of some interest to […]
PDF Download • How to Sing Gregorian Chant Like Dom Pothier
Dom Lucien David gives a practical lesson in applying the method of Dom Pothier to a chant from the Kyriale.
A Couple of Recent Podcast Appearances
I’ve participated in some recent conversations about chant that might be of interest to our readers.
Response to Jeff: Rhythmic Signs Again
I propose that we consider Dom Pothier’s method without making an unnecessary appeal to authority.
What is the Place of the Horizontal Episema in Dom Mocquereau’s Theory?
It really is a minor part of Mocquereau’s theoretical enterprise. That doesn’t mean it’s completely pointless, though.
An Important Anniversary
Dom Pothier died 100 years ago today.
Accent and Gregorian Melody
The idea of the tonic accent in Gregorian melody runs through the entire Solesmes tradition from Gontier to Pothier to Mocquereau to the present.
Bearing Witness
We Church musicians have a high calling to bear witness to the truth with our music and our lives.
A Classic Example of Modal Modulation
We can think of the modes and their traditional characters in a dynamic way, and it can help us to have a little more shape and direction in our singing.
Report • “Musical Shape of the Liturgy Conference”
This week I attended part of an excellent academic conference in honor of William Mahrt.
