Worship the Lord

Sacred Music:
Gregorian Chant

“The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.”
-Vatican 2, Sacrosanctum Concilium

All music at our parish is centered on Gregorian Chant as it is the official language of the Roman Liturgy (Vatican 2, Sacrosanctum Concilium). The Mass Ordinaries (Kyrie, Gloria, etc.) and the Mass Propers (Introit, Responsorial Psalm/Gradual, etc.) are set in chant for several reasons:

Chant serves the sacred text and is simple

The development of Gregorian Chant in the early church was centered on creating melodies that supported the execution of a particular word and ultimately the overall text itself. This attention of focusing on the text led to an organic development of these chants which have been passed down orally across cultures for many centuries.

At our parish, music that allows for congregational singing (Kyrie, Gloria, Responsorial Psalm, etc.), whether in English or Latin, are carefully chosen so that they may be sung simply so that the text is of the utmost importance.

Chant imitates nature, aspiring a rise to heaven

As chant melodies move as free like the wind, the rhythm of chant is not tied down to a consistent pulse or group of pulses just like most secular music. Time-signatures such as 4/4 or 6/8 are non-existent and do not dictate the direction of a melody. The poetic movement of arsis and thesis in chant creates a heavenly sound and rhythm that rises and falls in both dynamics and tempos.

Chant encourages children to sing

The simplicity of chant is as pure as the nature of children. Chant’s melodic movement of rising and falling (arsis and thesis) imitates their free-spirit in the act of play.