Like Gashwin, I went to the Schola workshop in Auburn, Alabama at the cupcake church. It was very much like a total immersion foreign language class--not the Latin, but the Solfeggio (from do-rey-me-fah-sol, etc.)
As I told Gashwin, but will repeat here so I'll recall later:
Gashwin writes:
I think the workshop was a little frustrating to some of my companions, but learning chant without any background exposure to it, doesn't come in a day. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
As one of those companions, I was thoroughly prepared to sing in one foreign language--Latin. I had no idea we'd be singing in two foreign languages simultaneously!--Latin and solfeggio (thanks for the spelling.)
It took a bit to figure out that this is what I do intuitively--I just don't yet have the facility to do it "out loud." Being an alto, I'm a great fan of relative pitch. I hadn't known that chant notation allowed for that freedom (having never seen anything besides Western notation.)
The music was wonderful, I agree. I noticed some startled looks of recognition from older members of the cupcake congregation as the music began before Mass.
NB: In Protestant circles, it's common to hear ministers talk about preaching "the whole counsel of God." Learning some of this music is allowing me to sing from "the whole songbook of God." Not a bad outcome from a rainy Saturday.
So, in our Parish we're adding some chants to Masses for Lent/Easter. Kyrie, Agnus Dei and (assume I learn it well enough!) the Sanctus. This evening, I taught the Agnus Dei to Doc using neumes (I'd just learned it, myself!) Quite a bit of distance from where I was last Saturday morning. Now to see how our little Parish responds.
Tomorrow, I'll gift the chant book I got at the Schola Workshop to a high school friend when Izzy and I meet her, plus spouse and kiddoes, for dinner. She wore out a Liber Usualis--not bad for a Presby raised, "Babtist" organist.
Last note from the Chant workshop: got to meet Yurodivi live and in person. Howdy!
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