New-York tribune., 1920-06-13
Recent Congress Revives
Interest in Cregorian Chant
Benedictines' Labor Crowned by Singing at Cathe-
dral; The Condition of Catholic Church
Music i'm New York


tional singing of the Gregorian serv-
ice which would result from the visit
to the United States of Dom Mocaue-
reau and Dom Gatard, and explained
that this visit was largely due to
great revival of interest in the sub
fruits of the war.
The views presented by Mr.. Pitney
in his interesting article published in
The Tribune of May 80 were the tradi-
tional ones Of the church. We do not
purpose to discuss their historical ac-
curacy. The tradition which ascribes
the creation and regulation of the
chants as they grew up in the Church
through the centuries, down to the
tenth, when in general way they may
be said to have been crystallized into
the forms which Dom Pothier, Dom
Mocquereau and other churchmen of
the Benedictine order have recovered.
has been refuted by Gevaert on what
we believe to be incontrovertible his
torical evidence. That, however, is of
no consequence so far as our present
considerations are concerned. What
Is more to the purpose Is the condi-
tion Of Catholic church music here
created by the success which crowned
the Benedictines in their long and per-
sistent effort to impress their beliefs
and theories upon the Pope and the
sacred congregation and through them
upon the Church at large.
The Pope's Proclamation
1t will be we'll to recall the essential
things proclaimed by Plus X in his m,otu
proprio Of November, 1903. They may
be summarized thus: Attention was
called to the fact that it is the province
Of sacred music to enhance the dignity
and splendor of the ecclesiastical cere-
monies. This was achieved, said the
Pope, when the venerable forms estab-
lished by the councils of the Church, and
prescribed by its Sacred Congregation
on Rites and it's pontiffs, were followed;
but the tendency of church music had
been to disregard these forms, and re-
form had become necessary to preserve
the sanctity of the Church itself
Music, If 1t is to enhance the dignity
and splendor of religious ceremonies,
must be truly sacred. 1t must be uni
versal. The proper and official music of
the Church Is the Gregorian chant, and
the nearer the music approaches to this
chant the more does it deserve to be
called sacred. Gregorian melodies are
accordingly largely to be restored in the
service, especially those in which the
congregation takes part, so that there
may be as active participation of the
faithful as in ancient times. Compost
tions in the style polyphony are also
vided 1t contains nothing profane. No
language except the Latin is to be used
in Iturgical functions (to this we add
from observations made at the recent
congress that the Latin is to be pro-
nounced according to the modern Italian
manner), and the texts are to be kept
inviolate.
The different parts Of the mass
and the Office must retain their
traditional form; the characteristics of
an introit, gradual, antiphon, psalm,
hymn or "Gloria" must not be con-
founded in the musical setting. "Kyrie,"
"Gloria," etc, must be composed as
units, not divided Into separate pieces.
Gregorian melodies must be used by the
celebrant at the altar and there must