![]() ![]() He likely had no direct involvement in developing Gregorian chant, but was instrumental in helping reorder and unite the liturgy.Īround 850, Remigius of Auxerre, a Benedictine monk, shared a spiritual story on the origin of the chants. Popular legend credits Pope Gregory I with inventing Gregorian chant. It became the official music of Christian worship in the mid-8th-century. It developed mainly in western and central Europe during the 9th and 10th centuries. It stands as the first example of Christian liturgical music that was written and preserved. Gregorian Chant is significant historically. We are going to examine those healing and meditative powers, but before we can go there, we have to start here. He believes that the music has a calming power, which has “the ability to touch people’s hearts.” However, Father Karl Wallner, the monastery’s communications director, has a different explanation. So why was ancient music so popular? Some cite the popularity of the video game Halo, which used Gregorian chant in its soundtrack. The roots of Gregorian chant date back even further than that. The monks hail from a monastery that dates back to 1133 AD (or CE). It also reached #1 of the classical music charts in England, across Europe, and even in the US. “Music for Paradise”, an album filled with medieval Gregorian chant, entered the top ten on the pop charts. Please, do go enjoy and experience a bit of sacredness, however you define it.Well, on May 31, 2008, that is exactly what happened. I think it’s a wonderful, peaceful way to begin the week. It has been a long time since I have heard Gregorian chant. At some point we all opened our eyes and some of us wiped tears away. At some point I saw beautiful imagery in my mind as did my sweetheart sitting next to me. At some point we began to close our eyes. It’s such a sacred thing you can’t not take it seriously. The Cathedral had a warm, amber glow and it felt like we had all been waiting for this music. A lot of them were camped out on the ground, wrapped in blankets while cradling small children, some were spread-eagle on the floor with their arms crossed over their hearts staring up above. It seemed every person of every background was there. We entered the building with columns towering over us, supporting the arched ceiling. My oh my, I’m almost weeping thinking about it again. ![]() We need no background other than being a human being to connect. Music is humanity’s most primal language. We were all of different faiths (or non-religious), all different ages, completely different upbringings and some of us first learned another language that was not English. I recently said to this same friend, “I love that the world is getting smaller.” Yes, the world is getting smaller and cozier the more technology takes off, the more affordable it is to travel, the more able we come to meet people from around the world. We did not know we were all in for a very emotional experience. We decided it would be a great way to kick off the week of Christmas. My curiosity was stirred and everyone else in our group seemed to be into it too. She told me on Sunday nights at church on Capitol Hill, there was a choir that performed Gregorian chant. Over the holidays, my friend had an excellent suggestion. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |