Entrances : Gregorian chant in daily life / by Rembert Herbert.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Herbert, Rembert.

Contributor:

Charlton Yarnall Fund.

Yarnall Collection (University of Pennsylvania)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gregorian chants--Study and teaching.

Gregorian chants.

Contemplation.

Physical Description:

xix, 358 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Church Pub., 1999.

Summary:

Entrances: Gregorian Chant in Daily Life is going to surprise you. Rembert Herbert locates the origins of chant, not in medieval monasticism as most would have it, but in the older wisdom of the Early Church fathers. If you have tried (and failed) to enter into the difficult, even alien scriptural commentaries of the fathers, Entrances will help. And once you are introduced to the mind (the "symbolic mind") and method of the fathers, you may read scripture and sing chant very differently. Entrances offers help, advice, and reassurance to those who long to form a choir and worship with this challenging, rewarding music. The style of singing used in chant -- so different from other Western music -- is examined in detail, and the systematic explanations of chant notation will alleviate most singers' fear of square notes, neumes, the occasional dragging punctum, and other oddities. To these basics have been added twelve appendices that offer information ranging from a pronunciation guide for "church Latin" to several liturgies, complete with commentary, rubrics, and musical settings.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Gregorian Chant in Context

Monastic Culture and the "Fathers of the Church" 1

The Message of the Fathers and the Experience of Singers 7

A Traditional Understanding of Human Nature 15

The Nature of a Sacred Text 21

The Way of Wisdom 27

Chapter 2 Chanting the Psalms

"Where Experience Leads"

the Aim of Psalmody 30

Musical Fundamentals 34

Gregorian Psalmody and Monastic Teaching 39

Free Recitation 42

Using Silence 44

Four Exercises 48

An Introduction to Pointing 51

Mediation Formulae, Class 1 53

Mediation Formulae, Class 2 55

Mediation Formulae, Class 3 57

Chapter 3 Exploring the Gregorian Repertory

Origins 63

An Overview of the Repertory 68

Singing Compline 73

Melismatic Chant 77

The Problem of Notation 80

Latin or English? 82

Neumatic Chant 85

Chapter 4 The Subtleties of the Symbolic Mind

The Language of Symbols 94

Symbolism and Allegory 96

Multiple Meanings 98

Inner Forces 100

Freedom of Interpretation and Levels of Context 106

Guiding and Active Symbols 108

Fundamental Guiding Symbols 112

Symbolism and Translations of the Bible 117

Chapter 5 Chant Texts and the Study of Scripture

The Construction of Single Chant Texts 129

The Gathering of Texts Within a Single Liturgy 133

Taking the Larger View 145

Chapter 6 Gregorian Chant in the Parish

The Director and the Cantor 154

Organizing a Choir 159

What Is Worship? 162

Contemplative Life in the Modern World 167

Appendix 1 Monastic Writers on the Inner Life 178

Appendix 2 The Eight Psalm Tones Annotated 183

Appendix 3 What is a "Mode"? 194

Appendix 4 Chant Notation Guide 196

Appendix 5 A Guide to the Pronunciation of "Church" Latin 200

Appendix 6 The "Marialis" Ordinary with Simple Gloria 202

Appendix 7 "O clavis David" (O Key of David) and Magnificat 210

Appendix 8 First Vespers for the Third Sunday of Advent 213

Appendix 9 Tenebrae for Wednesday Evening of Holy Week 234

Appendix 10 Compline 301

Appendix 11 A Eucharist in Honor of the Holy Spirit 324

Appendix 12 Where to Find Music and Texts 353.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Charlton Yarnall Fund.

ISBN:

0898693152

OCLC:

42397351