Chanting, praying, singing, and all that jazz

Medieval monks chanting

It is with the greatest joy that I am serving as the assisting priest at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.  After the year I lived through last year, I am so very grateful just to be alive.  And now, that I have been blessed to be back in the land of the living, I am learning much as a new priest.

Among the many things I am learning and doing, I am learning to chant.  The Music Director has been giving me chanting lessons, so that soon I will be able to "sing" the Eucharist (the mass). 

It is an interesting learning process.  Being that music has always been such a big part of my life, I find it "fun" learning to chant.  It is also a challenge, because I was never really a professional singer,  I was a bass player and a percussionist.  So pitches and harmonies were never my strengths.  Oh, I did some back up vocals over the years.  OK, at least I can hold a basic melody and am not tone deaf.  Thanks be to God.  But this, celebrating the Eucharist, AND chanting it up there at the altar will be like being a lead singer on center stage!  Gulp!

Chanting may seem like it is an archaic or very foreign form of the arts.  It was originally done in large churches and cathedrals as a way to project the voice, as there were no microphones back then.  It was done so people could hear.  Over the years, it became an art form and served as the basis of Western music notation! 

Chanting is done in many religions, not just ancient Christianity and a few denominations.  Buddhists chant, Hindus chant, African, Hawaiian, Native American all chant.  Jews chant, Muslims chant the Qur'an, and on it goes.

Chanting is done by many as a spiritual practice.  Chanting, much like drumming tends to open up a certain aspect of our psyche, it can slightly altar one's consciousness.  It can put some into a trance.  It can open one up to a very spiritual experience.

One time, I was playing bass for a Taize service with the Sisters of Mercy in California.  Sr. Suzanne Toolan was playing piano, we had a viola, a harp and a few other musicians.  The church was dim and candle lit and packed with people.  Over and over we chanted and played the Taize songs.  I "suddenly" felt a pain in my shoulder, and wondered what time it was.  And to my shock, when I looked at my watch, two hours had flown by!

Prayer and chant became a way of life for monks, singing prayers throughout various times of the day known as the Daily Office.  For Episcopalians / Anglicans, there is Morning Prayer, there is Noon Prayer.  There is Evening Prayer (Vespers), and there is Night Prayer (Compline).

Chanting, celebrating the Eucharist with a liturgy that is very ancient, and praying the Daily Office is not of these times!

It is all so VERY different than when I was a minister with the UCC!

Gregorian chant notation

But here we are, still chanting and praying and celebrating the Eucharist after all these years!

There must be something to it!