The Recovering Choir Director

George Myers, Jr. of the Kennebec Journal interviews Jay Violette, a Catholic layman promoting the spirituality of Gregorian chant in central Maine (links, footnotes, emphases, and comments added):

Gregorian chanting helps renew his faith

WATERVILLE — Jay Violette shares the Holy Spirit in a way that few can nowadays.  [But that is changing through personal initiative and the steady multiplication of workshops and websites dedicated to reestablishing, or oftentimes establishing for the first time, the Church's chant tradition to the mainstream of liturgical life, as intended by the Church.^[1]]

The member of the Corpus Christi Parish, a Roman Catholic parish in Central Maine, sings Gregorian chants when he’s called to and to where he’s led.

The Ecclesiastical Latin chanting, which dates back earlier than the 10th century in Western Europe, consists most commonly of a single, unaccompanied melodic line — a direct line to God, some might say — that accompanies the celebration of Mass and other Christian rituals.

The Colby College graduate paused from his avocation, as well as his duties as a commercial lender at TD Banknorth’s Augusta and Waterville offices, to answer some questions about a spiritual art and craft, also called plainsong, that seems largely neglected in the 21st century.  [If people like Mr. Violette multiply in number and are given support by pastors, bishops, and the faithful, this very well may not be the case by the close of the 21st century.]

Q: How is such an old art form relevant to today?

Violette: The oldest chant melodies were created by the early Christians, and these traditional hymns and psalms form the basis of today’s Catholic liturgy.  In fact, Gregorian chant remains to this day the official music of the church.^[2]  Plainsong chant continues the ancient traditions of our Catholic heritage and underscores the universality of the church.^[3]

Q: What is the chant intended to do for the listener?

Violette: Foster contemplation. It “clothes” the liturgical text, and is an art form that possesses qualities of holiness and beauty.  Chant has been described as “speech half asleep or song half awake,”^[4] and others have said that experiencing it makes a “listening silence” possible.  Chant fosters a meditative environment and opens one’s mind to cultivate peaceful reflection on the mysteries of Christ.

Q: And for the singer?

Violette: I am happy to be able to play a small role in restoring plainchant to its original place of perfection and purity.  Chant is essentially verbal music, which has no existence without the underlying words.  We try to keep our voices free of vanity, lacking in affectation and self-effacing. The singing of chant should be done with modesty, as the church is not a theater but a temple.^[5]

It is the soul, full of religious feelings, that lends sacred melodies their emotional power and hence creates a powerful spiritual effect. Saint Augustine expressed this well: “I will sing with my mind, I will sing also with all my soul … not seeking the sound which flatters the ear but the light which enlightens the heart.”^[6]

Q: And what is plainsong intended to do for God?

Violette: When chanting, we are liturgically praising God and praying for those who both sing and hear it.  The presence of God should be reverently felt as we raise our voices as a prayerful sacrifice to him.^[7]

Q: Is Gregorian chanting on a kind of “endangered list?”

Violette: After medieval times, Gregorian chant ceased to be appreciated and it was replaced by complex harmonization, polyphony and orchestral music.  It lay dormant for many centuries as musical tastes changed in favor of constant rhythms and melody.  I don’t mean to suggest that Gregorian chant should replace our modern music altogether.  [Certainly, modern music intended for the liturgy ought to be informed by the music of the liturgy, that is, Gregorian chant.^[8]] I’m hoping for the recovery of this lost art form for the benefit of those who are interested in this type of contemplative music, where the primary focus is on singing to God and not to man.

Q: The sheet music isn’t commonly found in music shops. Where do you find it?

Violette: I first became interested in Gregorian chant several years ago, and my research led me to the Solesmes Benedictines, who were instrumental in the revival of Gregorian.  I was able to obtain some recordings and written forms directly from them.^[9] Interestingly, I discovered that this area is rich with the heritage of chant.

My mother grew up in Fairfield, where each morning she and her eight siblings trundled off to sing a full mass for the souls,^[10] complete with Gregorian chant.  She had kept her books from that time, and those books continue to be my richest source of the original chants.  My wife’s grandmother, who was an organist for many years in Great Barrington (Mass.), passed on to us several hard-to-find organ accompaniments that have been very useful. ^[11]  [Gregorian chant and organ music as not only a church tradition but also a family tradition!]

Q: Gregorian chants originated in monastic life. Have you ever lived such a life?

Violette: No. My wife, Mary, and I have an active household of six children.  I do believe, however, that a portion of one’s life should be devoted to prayer and intimacy with God, and that we are all called to give back to the church in our own ways.  Gregorian chant fulfills this pursuit for me.