Chants of the Vatican Gradual, by Dom Johner - Church Music ...

Structure and Expressiveness of the Variable Mass-Chants 11
today that it did in bygone centuries. After all, those ages knew nothing
of the enticing charms of modern harmony, chromatics, and rhythm,
and were, therefore, more susceptible to the chaste allurements of monophonic
melodies. Nevertheless, it still radiates today a warmth which
effectively influences the religious life of the soul; it imparts faculties
which enable us to soar over mundane things to the very Mystery of the
altar, to union with God.
Plain chant like all vocal music utilizes two features or forms to render
the melody expressive. The one endeavors to reproduce the single uniform
mood as indicated by the liturgy. It does not center and concentrate
itself on individual words but rather pervades the entire text; it pervades
every phrase of the whole composition, just as the soul is found
in every part of the body. This form of expressiveness is the one most
frequently used in the so-called processional hymns.
Another form stresses the import of the individual words and is
known as specific expressiveness of music. Plain chant, especially the
Communion, knows many such rich genre pictures.
Let us endeavor to know and realize in our singing the spirit of each
individual melody, but above all let us conceive it as prayer. Prayer is
the raising of the heart and mind and the entire man to God. The objective
in the liturgy should become our personal conviction, our personal
property.
Pius X in his Motu proprio of November 22, 1903, says: "The proper
aim of the melody is to add greater efficiency to the text, in order
that through it the faithful may be the more easily moved to devotion
and better disposed for the reception of the fruits of grace belonging to
the celebration of the most holy mysteries." The same pertains also to
the actual rendering of the melodies. We should penetrate deeply into
the feeling of the liturgical chants. Our song rendered with reverence
and love in the presence of God and of the faithful should portray that
which we ourselves have experienced. The knowledge that we have
imparted our own inward happiness to others and have been instrumental
in leading them to the altar and closer union with God will then afford
us a goodly measure of spiritual joy and delight.
The following observations should be noted in regard to the melody
of newer feasts:
1. Their text and melody as such are taken from an older Mass
formulary (cf. what is noted concerning the Introit and Gradual of the
feast of Corpus Christi).
2. They adapt an older melody to a newly selected text (cf. Offertory
and Communion of Corpus Christi). At times similarity of text or