Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “Jeff’s Third Response to Patrick” (16 May 2023)
I don’t think our readers are interested in what we say about Gregorian rhythm—they’re interested only in what we can demonstrate.
Gregorian Rhythm Wars
Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “The Hidden Dactyl”
“Perhaps surprisingly, not one word of three syllables in the ancient Easter sequence ‘Laudes Salvatori voce’ is sung to the rhythm of a dactyl.” —Alasdair Codona
Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “Non Praevaleat”
“We got to this point because we questioned unfounded claims.” —Patrick Williams
Sneaky “Salicus” Statements by Solesmes
Let there be no mistake about it: Dom Mocquereau (illicitly) added the “salicus” in hundreds of places where the official edition has none.
Ictus Fictus!
“Hardly any of this made-up system has its basis in medieval music theory or in the manuscripts themselves.”—Patrick Williams
Rhetoric, Number, Measure, and Historicism
The beginnings of a response to mensuralism from the classic Solesmes point of view.
Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “Clap Your Hands!” (10 Mar 2023)
“With my questions unanswered by those objecting to rhythmic markings based on the oldest sources, it is difficult to take their arguments seriously.” —Patrick Williams
Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “Liturgical Recitative” (15 Feb 2023)
“May our voices be the instruments through which God breathes new life into the ancient chants of the Catholic Church, decrepit through centuries of neglect and misinterpretation!” —Patrick Williams
Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “The Normal Syllabic Value” (6 Feb 2023)
“The problem with semiology is not that it neglects the rhythmic indications of the oldest sources, but rather that it overinterprets them, like the nuance theory on steroids.” —Patrick Williams
Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “Chorale and Chant Carefully Considered” (2 Jan 2023)
“The equalist plainchant of the High Middle Ages is as far removed from the rhythmic chant of the Early Middle Ages as the isometric chorales are from their rhythmic predecessors.” —Patrick Williams
Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “Patrick’s Third Response to Jeff” (19 Dec 2022)
“The original chant handed down from the Fathers of the Church has strict rhythmic proportions and a steady beat.” —Patrick Williams
Recent Book! • “The Politics of Plainchant”
Fascinating details from never-before-seen letters recently discovered in southern France!
PDF Download • “Kyriale Accompaniment Book” by Dr. Peter Wagner (138 pages)
… including a deliciously dazzling discovery you won’t want to miss!
Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “The Limits of History”
There’s nothing necessarily authentic about the “authentic” rhythm.
PDF Download • “Salve Regina” [Simplex] • An Elegant English Translation (2022)
The incomparable Andrew Hinkley kindly set it to plainchant notation.