The Pipe Organ
You could say that it was entirely a calling that was not planned by me to pick up this instrument. Out of the blue one day, my parish priest at that time in 1997 picked up the phone and called me. "I want you to study the pipe organ with Fr. C" was the request. And so I did. For the next 5 years that I learnt the pipe organ with Fr. C, he taught me that the fingers are played by sliding to connect the sounds from one keys to the other instead of being struck like the piano. The most challenging part was mastering the pedals. I was a pianist by training, so getting my feet to move while my hands played was like learning how to walk again. Fr. C gave me volumes of organ music. I like the fugues by JS Bach best. In the course of my studies, Fr. C also made me write out arrangements of mass hymns for the pipe organ. Basically you had to arrange the notes and harmony so that the fingers can slide from one key to the next.
Although I am really a pianist as well as qualified on the Yamaha electone, it is the pipe organ that I will play when I serve in the choir ministry at Mass. And over the years, I have come to fervantly love what the pipe organ does to uplift worship at mass.
"The pipe organ is to held in high esteem in the Latin Church since it is its traditional instrument, the sound of which add a wonderful splendour to the Church's ceremonies and powerfully lift up men's minds to God and to higher things" Musicam Sacram
I use the Pipe organ to support the chanting of the mass ordinaries. And most hymns can be accompanied beautifully on the pipe organ. I think there must be a distinction between what is SACRED and what is SECULAR. And it stems from one's basic understanding of why do I go to Church on Sundays? Do I go there to be entertained? Do I go there to fulfill a holy day of obligation? No. I attend mass to worship God, to give praise with a community of believers, to participate in the Word and Eucharistic celebration. Then just as my church wardrobe is not the same as my home wardrobe, church music should not be the same as secular music. The drums, synthesizers, and even piano are technically instruments not suitable Liturgical use. Sometimes a piece of music is composed in a style that worships God but not with a pipe organ accompaniment style. In such a scenerio, then I would use strings, or woodwinds on the electone to accompany. I attended mass yesterday evening and the musician could only play the guitar and simple accompaniments on the piano. Hence, the mass ordinaries were sung to simple chords struck on the piano. As the congregation were familiar to the tunes of the Kyries, and Agnus Die that we sing week after week, they were not held back by the piano accompaniment which was skeletol and random. But as a musician, I lament in my heart how much richer the mass celebration could have been had the singing been accompanied by a pipe organ! Even those simple chords played on the piano but moved to the pipe organ would be greatly enriched in sonarity and the whole mood of the mass would be uplifted!
I am appalled that the first degree of mass celebration which includes the Sanctus, the doxology and the Lord's prayer; and the second degree of mass which includes all the mass ordinaries are so poorly prepared and sung. Most choir practises focus on the 3rd degree which are the hymns sung at masses.
"It is highly desirable that organists and other musicians should not only posses the skill to play properly the instrument entrusted to them: they should enter into and be thoroughly aware of the spirit of the Liturgy, so that even when playing ex tempore, they will enrich the sacred celebration according to the true nature of each of its parts, and encourage the participation of the faithful." Musicam Sacram
Hence, it is so easy that musicians who are already trained in piano convert their knowledge to playing the pipe organ. You will pick it up in a flash. Every instrument as its own set of technique. You cannot simply use your piano playing skill and plonk it on the pipe organ or even the electone. When you study the instrument seriously, you will realise that yes the keyboard and music reading component is common in all three, but the finer details of the skills that each one require is not the same. In the electone, because you are emulating an orchestra, you need to hear your strings as REAL strings, and the brass, as REAL brasses. You will have rhumbas and cha chas on the electone, but that is not really what you want to bring over to the playing of church music. As I mentioned earlier, the playing of the pipe organ entails a reading of an extra staff for the pedal. Hence, you have to be rather strong in your reading. You also need to be super coordinated as the hands and the feet are super busy in the playing of the pipe organ. I would highly encourage church musicians to upgrade their skills and to upgrade their understanding of liturgy. But most importantly, upgrade your spirituality, and all else will fall into place.
Gregorian Chant
When the chants were introduced to the diocese of Singapore in 2011-12, it was received with mixed feelings. The traditionalists welcomed it and the modernists hated it. They felt that they were regressing to the 14th century church as the gregorian chants were deemed archaic. But as obedience to Mother Church requires, the Catholic churches in the whole country went along with the idea and we all agreed to give it a try for one year. Thereafter, the decision to continue or not to continue reverts back to the individual churches.
In Music History, gregorian chants existed before diatonic scales and Western harmony come into existence. As the learned class were the clergy, as opposed to the royalties and the working class, they came up with a way of musical notation using neumes and a way of simple harmony by singing the chants in 3rds and 6ths. Chants were simply the setting of words into music. There were no metrical organisation. The rhythm of the music followed the rhythm of the text.
The beauty of chanting is that the WORDS are given importance and not the superfluous tunes. Now once, we understand that, then all the beautiful MUSICAL settings of the mass are superfluous. Precisely because now we are distracted from the words, and the focus is now on the beautiful MUSIC.
This is pretty much the same group of modernists that insists music for mass should be hip and trendy with drums and guitars. Well, I do like music with drums and guitars, but I go to a club or Timbre for a drink and listen to that kind of music that really does not feed my soul.
A dream to change
I don't think I alone can change the politics or the bureaucracy. But in walking the talk, I hope that your heart and spirit is stirred by beautiful singing accompanied on the pipe organ. I hope that you will be so uplifted in mass celebration that you, yes YOU! will step forward and say, this is how I want to worship at mass every single Sunday.
"The pipe
organ is to be held in high esteem in the Latin Church, since it is its
traditional instrument, the sound of which can add a wonderful splendor
to the Church's ceremonies and powerfully lift up men's minds to God and
higher things. - See more at:
http://www.adoremus.org/MusicamSacram.html#sthash.mT9YbZij.dpuf
"The pipe
organ is to be held in high esteem in the Latin Church, since it is its
traditional instrument, the sound of which can add a wonderful splendor
to the Church's ceremonies and powerfully lift up men's minds to God and
higher things. - See more at:
http://www.adoremus.org/MusicamSacram.html#sthash.mT9YbZij.dpuf
"The pipe
organ is to be held in high esteem in the Latin Church, since it is its
traditional instrument, the sound of which can add a wonderful splendor
to the Church's ceremonies and powerfully lift up men's minds to God and
higher things. - See more at:
http://www.adoremus.org/MusicamSacram.html#sthash.mT9YbZij.dpuf
"The pipe
organ is to be held in high esteem in the Latin Church, since it is its
traditional instrument, the sound of which can add a wonderful splendor
to the Church's ceremonies and powerfully lift up men's minds to God and
higher things. - See more at:
http://www.adoremus.org/MusicamSacram.html#sthash.mT9YbZij.dpuf
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