Tag: Gregorian

Gregorian Chant

Posted on by Emmanuel L. Di Rossetti Leave a comment

It was in June 1985, in Pont-à-Mousson, at the end of the conference "Music in the Church of today". Maurice Fleuret - in peace be his soul -, the magnificent director of music and dance of Minister Jack Lang, spoke. Word of fire. Supplication; We can say it, since he himself begged. I will quote it ad Sensum, but that word I have never forgotten it: it is from him. Referring to what Western music, from the origins to the present day, owed to the Church, to the liturgy of the Church, what the music of the Church of Monteverdi, Bach, Mozart was due to the Music of the Church. , from Beethoven, Stravinski, Messiaen: everything . To the liturgical music of the Church, Western music had everything, he said. And himself, Maurice Fleuret, in his own musician life, to the music of the Church, what should he have? All . He owed him everything, he said. And this Western music which owed everything to the Church, at the liturgy of the Church, what should it have in Gregorian singing? Everything , he said. In the Gregorian chant, all Western music, he said, owed everything . But the spirit of the Gregorian chant, he says, this spirit which he could not imagine that he stopped blowing, where did he breathe? In the liturgy, he said. And it was at this moment that he begged the Church ...: I beg you, he exclaimed, for the ecclesiastics present, do not leave the state the monopoly of the Gregorian chant. It is made for the liturgy. And it is in the liturgy that it must be practiced. »»

Even if the Gregorian is sung less (when Vatican II recommended it as the major chant of the liturgy, go figure), it remains the treasure of Europe. Maurice Fleuret, pupil of Olivier Messiaen and minister of Jack Lang, recalled it precisely above. The Gregorian was omitted by those who promulgated it, so it is difficult to see clearly. Those who take the time to go on retreat in monasteries or who, out of taste, listen to Gregorian chant know that it wins over believers and non-believers alike. The Gregorian turns out to be unclassifiable. Rooted and distant, powerful and delicate, humble and solemn, fragile and vigorous. Brother Toussaint, former monk of the Sainte Madeleine du Barroux abbey, now a hermit, offers Gregorian courses à la carte and whatever your level. He is an excellent teacher, and I can attest to that!

Brother Toussaint offers you very flexible formulas. You can follow the courses remotely or come on site (the Saint-Bède hermitage is located between Lyon and Grenoble). For the moment, he cannot yet accommodate anyone, even if in the long term he would like to build a small hostelry to receive guests... There are accommodations not very far from the hermitage. Anyone who knew Barroux in its early days knows the secret but avowed desire of Brother Toussaint to recreate this unique atmosphere and to receive a few guests to immerse them in almost perpetual prayer. In the immediate future, it is a good idea to start by learning to sing, which gives Brother Toussaint time to find the funds to increase his structure (patrons are welcome here!). The prices are decreasing if you come with several people. One hour, three days, all formulas are possible. Brother Toussaint will gladly come out of his eremitism to teach you the art of Gregorian chant.

Information: Learn Gregorian chant with a Benedictine monk

Reservations: https://frere-toussaint.reservio.com/

And the complete site where you can discover Brother Toussaint's articles on eremitism: https://www.ermites-saint-benoit.com/

Excerpt from The Holy Mass, yesterday, today and tomorrow , quotation from Mr. Dominique Ponnau, director of the Ecole du Louvre, Conference given in Le Mans, September 19, 1998.

"I remember. This memory is for me a cultural and human reference almost every day. It was in June 1985, in Pont-à-Mousson, at the end of the conference "Music in the Church of today". Maurice Fleuret - in peace is his soul -, the magnificent director of music and dance of Minister Jack Lang, the friend of Pierre Mauroy, the man on the left, the promoter as enlightened as determined of contemporary music, took Word. Word of fire. Supplication; We can say it, since he himself begged. I will quote it ad Sensum , but that word I have never forgotten it: it is from him. Referring to what Western music, from the origins to the present day, owed to the Church, to the liturgy of the Church, what the music of the Church of Monteverdi, Bach, Mozart was due to the Music of the Church. , from Beethoven, Stravinski, Messiaen: everything . To the liturgical music of the Church, Western music had everything, he said. And himself, Maurice Fleuret, in his own musician life, to the music of the Church, what should he have? All . He owed him everything, he said. And this Western music which owed everything to the Church, at the liturgy of the Church, what should it have in Gregorian singing? Everything , he said. In the Gregorian chant, all Western music, he said, owed everything . But the spirit of the Gregorian chant, he says, this spirit which he could not imagine that he stopped blowing, where did he breathe? In the liturgy, he said. And it was at this moment that he begged the Church ...: I beg you, he exclaimed, for the ecclesiastics present, do not leave the state the monopoly of the Gregorian chant. It is made for the liturgy. And it is in the liturgy that it must be practiced. »»