Chant
Why just speak when you could sing? At St. Gregory's we love to sing, and we do it whenever we can, especially when we gather to worship. Chanting is one of the ways we sing. During our weekly Sunday Morning Eucharist the community usually chants at least one canticle from the Greek or Hebrew Scriptures, the cantor chants the psalm of the day, and the presider chants all of the collects and the entire Eucharistic Prayer. During our monthly Supper Service we chant selections from scripture as we light candles and as we share communion. At weekday Morning Prayer we chant the psalms and the Gospel. Whenever one person chants, the rest of the community supports the chant with a drone, or hum. As we drone, the vibration of the chant spreads through the entire praying community. When we chant (rather than just read) a text, we engage our breath, imagination, and spirit in a different, often deeper, way.
Practice
Chanting isn't difficult. If you can speak, you can chant. There are many ways to chant. You can chant everything on one tone (monotone). You can improvise a chant, creating the pattern of tones as you go in response to the meaning of text. You can chant using a traditional pattern of tones. Try it out! Begin by droning, or humming along, while someone else chants. Then, choose a text and try chanting it aloud yourself. You can practice with any text: a selection from scripture, a poem, a storybook, the phone book. For the purpose of example, below, we've used this text:
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I need nothing more.*
You give me rest in green meadows, setting me near calm waters.
You revive my spirit; you guide me along sure paths;*
you are true to your name.
Though I should walk in death's dark valley,*
I fear no evil with you by my side, your shepherd's staff to comfort me.
You spread a table before me as my foes look on. *
You soothe my head with oil; my cup is more than full.
Goodness and love will tend me every day of my life.*
I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.
The Lord is my shepherd, I need nothing more.*
You give me rest in green meadows, setting me near calm waters.
You revive my spirit; you guide me along sure paths;*
you are true to your name.
Though I should walk in death's dark valley,*
I fear no evil with you by my side, your shepherd's staff to comfort me.
You spread a table before me as my foes look on. *
You soothe my head with oil; my cup is more than full.
Goodness and love will tend me every day of my life.*
I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.
Practice 1: Try chanting your text all on one note, or "monotone." (Example below.)
Practice 2: Try improvising a chant. Make up the "tune" as you go along, in response to the words of your text. (Example below)
Practice 3: Try chanting your text using a traditional plainsong chant tone. (Examples below.)
Watch & Listen
The cantor improvises a chant tone for the psalm of the day, and the congregation responds with an alleluia refrain between the verses.
More Resources
Beginners can learn to Chant the Canticles with settings from the Hymnal 1982 and St. Gregory's Music for Liturgy
The Plainsong Psalter, James Litton, ed.
The Plainsong Psalter, James Litton, ed.