It is sad, of course, that the Episcopal Church is woking itself into paganism . . . because Anglo-Catholicism is the perfect bridge between Protestants and Roman Catholics where chant is concerned. I think the secret of chant is that it sits precisely on the border between speech and melody, and partakes of both. You have to experience it to know what I mean. And I would say that you haven’t really experienced the Psalms -- the heart and center of all Christian liturgy and music -- until you have chanted them, either to the plainchant psalm tones (with little handbell changes at the half and full cadences as an added beauty), or to Anglican chant, which is really a form of harmonized plainchant. And wait until you experience the addition to the liturgy of the chanted Propers (which have their own arc from Old Testament to New Testament for every service). Chanted words reach your heart much more directly than read words. Beauty is how hearts are won to Truth and Goodness . . . all of which are present in chant.
A great and still orthodox Christian place to experience the best of both plainchant and Anglican chant is the Roman Catholic Anglican Ordinariate. If there is a parish within striking distance, it would be worth the trip
It is sad, of course, that the Episcopal Church is woking itself into paganism . . . because Anglo-Catholicism is the perfect bridge between Protestants and Roman Catholics where chant is concerned. I think the secret of chant is that it sits precisely on the border between speech and melody, and partakes of both. You have to experience it to know what I mean. And I would say that you haven’t really experienced the Psalms -- the heart and center of all Christian liturgy and music -- until you have chanted them, either to the plainchant psalm tones (with little handbell changes at the half and full cadences as an added beauty), or to Anglican chant, which is really a form of harmonized plainchant. And wait until you experience the addition to the liturgy of the chanted Propers (which have their own arc from Old Testament to New Testament for every service). Chanted words reach your heart much more directly than read words. Beauty is how hearts are won to Truth and Goodness . . . all of which are present in chant.
Papa Benedict has written with astonishing insight and power about all this.
A great and still orthodox Christian place to experience the best of both plainchant and Anglican chant is the Roman Catholic Anglican Ordinariate. If there is a parish within striking distance, it would be worth the trip