HIDDEN TREASURE

by Paul Jernberg

“The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of 

inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art.”

Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium

(from the Second Vatican Council) 

What exactly is this treasure, why was it so greatly esteemed by the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council, and what are we being called to do with it today? These are the questions which I will attempt to answer in this series of three brief articles.  To respond well  to the first question, I must risk being a bit “academic” in this first installment, in explaining some important background and historical facts. But as we go on to consider the second and third questions, be prepared for some surprises and excitement! For the value of this treasure is not  primarily as a magnificent cultural heritage – which it surely is as well – but rather in its power to draw ordinary people of good will from diverse cultures to the Treasure, i.e., to reconciliation and true friendship with God in Christ. And while we will examine the need for the preservation of this heritage, we'll also see how it is not enough to simply repeat what has been done well in the past; in order for church musicians to be good stewards, our liturgical music must somehow resonate strongly with fresh beauty, integrity, and holiness in the hearts and minds of those who sing it, and those who hear it!

And so, to get started then with the nature of this “musical tradition of the universal Church”: the above quote is the first sentence of chapter 6 of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, entitled “Sacred Music.” While this term is often used today to describe a wide variety of religious or spiritually uplifting music, in the context of this church teaching document it is chosen to describe, precisely, the vocal music which clothes and is united to the sacred text of the Liturgy: “as sacred song united to the words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy.”

Now the tradition of this music in the universal Church is a wonder-filled reality, in light of its origin, its prolific organic growth, and the breadth and immensity of its historical use throughout the world. The historical source of this music is the chant tradition of the ancient Jewish people, in which Christ and the Apostles fully participated. We know from the Gospel of Mark that Jesus sang with the Twelve in the Upper Room on the evening of Last Supper. From Jewish scholarship we also know that this hymn must have been just one instance of a whole way of life, typical of observant Jews of the first century, that was permeated by chanted prayers. And in the Passover meal which was the original context of the institution of the Eucharist, Jesus and the Apostles would have sung rather than merely recited the liturgical prayers which belonged to this feast. But from the perspective of faith, we can perceive a new beginning here that goes far beyond the faithful transmission of an ancient patrimony. We see the inspired sacred chant of the Hebrews being elevated to a whole new dimension of Divine depth and glory through being sung by him who is the Incarnate Word of God, the source of all goodness and beauty. Such a clear insight of faith is tangibly confirmed and strengthened by the extraordinary fruitfulness and staying power with which this music was transmitted and adapted by the Apostles and their successors to meet the needs of the early Church.  

When the latter, beginning in Jerusalem, went out to preach and teach the Gospel throughout the world, they brought with them the Eucharistic Liturgy – the heart of their ecclesial worship - to which this chant was integrally united. And as we know well, their mission to fulfill the great commission brought forth a great harvest, as Churches were established from the apostolic centers of Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome, throughout the Near East, India, Europe, and northeast Africa. In each of these many locations, the fundamental structure and content of the Liturgy remained the same - and amazingly, still remains so today after some two thousand years. But in the early Church there was also a great deal of  “translation” and development of both the liturgical texts and music, varying from one region to another, to adapt to the needs of each particular culture.

Along with the phenomenal growth of the Christian Faith throughout the world, these various traditions of liturgical chant continued to manifest the great depth and vitality of their roots through their subsequent stability and development over the centuries.  In many cases, they are still cherished and cultivated today as a venerable heritage, manifested by their continued use in Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox Churches. Within the Catholic Church there are six “families” of Rites, each of which has its own distinct and immense repertoire of sacred music. These are the Alexandrian, the Armenian, the Byzantine, the East Syriac, the West Syriac, and the Latin Rites.  Within these families there is further diversity among the 24 different (Catholic) Churches, among which the largest is our own, commonly distinguished from the others as the “Roman Catholic Church.” For those interested in listening to samples of sacred music from the Eastern Christian traditions, we have put together a diagram with YouTube links to music from each of these Rites, and most of these Churches (Catholic here and Orthodox here.)

In the Roman Rite (the liturgical tradition of the Roman Catholic Church,) our particular musical patrimony is found most clearly in what is commonly called “Gregorian chant”, which itself has gone through various phases of robust development, cultivation, and growth throughout the centuries, reaching the fullness of its flourishing in the Middle Ages. Out of this ancient form, in which choral and congregational singing was entirely in unison, was developed - beginning in the 9th and 10th centuries and reaching its apex in the Western European Renaissance – a new form of “sacred polyphony”, in which two or more melodies, clothing the same text, were sung in harmony with one another. While at first this involved the most simple combination of two parts chanting the same text simultaneously, over a period of about six centuries it gradually became a prized complement to the Church's chant, as the art of modal counterpoint was developed and brought to maturity by such master composers as Josquin des Prez (1450-1521), Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594), William Byrd (1540-1623), and Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611.)  When speaking of the particular sacred music tradition of our Roman Rite, the Church's teaching magisterium has pointed explicitly to these two forms, Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony: as a vitally important heritage to be preserved, and as models for further holy inspiration and growth. For those as yet unfamiliar with these forms of sacred music, there are countless examples to be found in YouTube recordings and elsewhere. We have also provided an introductory sampling of such recordings on our Magnificat Institute website, here (chant) and here (sacred polyphony.)

Now I have barely scratched the surface regarding the historical treasure of sacred music, East and West. And I have not even touched upon the development of the magnificent “Art Music” (a.k.a. “Classical Music”) traditions, which grew out of the Renaissance but which have most often been oriented toward secular venues, or Liturgies in which great artistic resources have been available. But the limits of time compel me to conclude this first article... with just a brief reminder: in the midst of all the inspiration, genius, and artistry we see in this long development of our sacred music tradition, the “point” of it all is not to impress, but rather to humbly reveal the glory of God, and thus to help us to find and be established in that Treasure which transcends art.  I hope you can join me over the next couple of months as we explore how this spiritual dimension has been achieved in the past, and how church musicians have been called to cultivate it in our own days!

i Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, art. 112

ii cf. Mark 14:26