Re-tractationes: The Spirituality of Gregorian Chant

By Giacomo Baroffio

The merciful level of the liturgy and of the music therein in so many of our churches (now a disturbing majority) should indicate that something has gone seriously wrong. Everyone who is “in the know” at the Vatican is aware of the so-called "liturgical wars", that is, the fight between those who believe the liturgical reforms to date have gone too far and those who view them as not having gone far enough. Abuses have become uses, the "presider" has taken center stage as a kind of protagonist, and vulgar and profane music is now common place in many parishes and churches around the world.
This illuminates why it is important for us a return to a traditional pedagogy of Gregorian chant, to a repertoire that brings with it the flavor of many centuries of Catholic practice. The time is thus ripe for a book of this sort, a reflection not principally about the technical issues surrounding chant, but on the depth of meaning that Gregorian chant brings to the liturgy. The focus of this book is therefore not about chant by itself, but about chant IN THE liturgy. Given that the two cannot be separated without unreasonable compromise, if one is in crisis the other is as well. It is fitting that this book was written by Professor Giacomo Baroffio, one with extensive monastic experience. His understanding of chant comes not only from "theoretical knowledge" (of which he is well endowed, being considered one of the world’s experts on chant) but also from years of tireless singing, the latter likely being of greater importance (Aurelio Porfiri).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chorabooks
• Release date: Nov 7, 2018
• ISBN: 9789887896883

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Eucharist

Preface

Prof. Thomas Forrest Kelly

Giacomo Baroffio has been an inspiration, a force, a goad, and a model for persons in many areas of life. I myself have known him during his monastic experience and as a scholar, a musician, an administrator, a wise counselor. With this collection of 148 Retractationes I now come to know him as a pastoral and religious thinker. Each of these is a comment suitable for serious consideration of the deep thought that produced it. Each could be the subject of a daily meditation, and used this way the volume would last half a year—at which time it would be time to begin anew and re-consider each chapter in light of the sum of the volume. I am sure it will produce new insights each time. They come from the mind and heart of a musician, and those of us who study music will have new light cast into dark corners, and come at last to have a fuller idea of the place of music in liturgy.

We owe a debt of thanks to Aurelio Porfiri for placing this work in the hands of English-language readers.

Introduction

M° Aurelio Porfiri FTCL (Music composition)

We are living through one of the biggest crises in the history of the Catholic Church. It has many causes but one central feature, namely, the willingness to accommodate the things of the world. We so often see clergy running after the latest fashion, or embracing fashion per se , evidenced for example by the questionable presence of the Vatican at the recent MET gala in New York. The Church has seemingly lost the lead in shaping culture and being a beacon of civilization. Think for a moment how much we are indebted to the Catholic Church for our culture, in terms of science, philosophy, art, and more. We cannot avoid meriting the Church with having shaped one of the most advanced civilizations in all of human history: ours.

However, despite all of these many commendable contributions, we are living in a time of great confusion and trouble, where things are and are not (e.g. in the area of morality). Of particular concern is the present condition of the liturgy and of sacred music. Although the liturgy and sacred music are in principle strictly intertwined, they must be spoken of separately for purposes of delineating the challenges we are facing. The merciful level of the liturgy and of the music therein in so many of our churches (now a disturbing majority) should indicate that something has gone seriously wrong. Everyone who is in the know at the Vatican is aware of the so-called liturgical wars, that is, the fight between those who believe the liturgical reforms to date have gone too far and those who view them as not having gone far enough. Abuses have become uses, the presider has taken center stage as a kind of protagonist, and vulgar and profane music is now common place in many parishes and churches around the world.

This illuminates why it is important for us a return to a traditional pedagogy of Gregorian chant, to a repertoire that brings with it the flavor of many centuries of Catholic practice. The time is thus ripe for a book of this sort, a reflection not principally about the technical issues surrounding chant, but on the depth of meaning that Gregorian chant brings to the liturgy. The focus of this book is therefore not about chant by itself, but about chant IN THE liturgy. Given that the two cannot be separated without unreasonable compromise, if one is in crisis the other is as well. It is fitting that this book was written by Professor Giacomo Baroffio, one with extensive monastic experience. His understanding of chant comes not only from theoretical knowledge (of which he is well endowed, being considered one of the world’s experts on chant) but also from years of tireless singing, the latter likely being of greater importance.

It would be good for everyone to read this book about chant, not as a handbook for how to sing better but as a reflection on why one ought to sing. It is a deep meditation that invites understanding about why Gregorian chant is important and why a lot of what we nowadays sing in Church is so substandard. It has deteriorated to the point it has precisely because today’s songs have lost their roots in chant.

Every little chapter herein is an itinerary for the soul, a travel not in time but in space, space that only the Spirit can create. You can meditate on one chapter each day; such will be enough nourishment for your soul and will give you a renewed strength to live your life in the world and for Christ in the Church. Life, as St. Paul teaches us, is about fighting the good fight. Life in the Church, especially in today’s information age, likewise requires such preparations and a willing readiness to battle for sanctity. We need, perhaps more than ever, the ability to discern, to filter prudently, to make sense of what is happening around us. This Spirit of discernment and capacity for prudence is essential for separating the wheat from the chaff in terms of what we hear about the Church, about her life, about the ups and downs she experiences and goes through. If we have lost, and it may very well be said that we have, the ability to make sense of things, this book will sober and clarify our view of things important, of things essential to Catholic faith and practice, of things animated and characterized by the beauty of G-o-d.

It is advised to read and meditate on each chapter slowly, allowing yourself time to react and counter-react. The contents of this book are relevant for scholars, religious men and women, teachers, theologians, and liturgists. You are holding a gem of reflection on the heart of the liturgy and our life of faith in Christ. Cherish it and may it nourish your soul.

1) Liturgy is life

I. Liturgy: The presence of G-o-d in everyday life

What is the Christian liturgy? The liturgy