Justin Appel

Dear Friends,

Today’s readings include Psalm 38, one of the most penitential Psalms in the book.

As I considered how to tie this reading in with a musical setting, it occurred to me that this would be a good opportunity to talk about chanting the psalms, as it has been done traditionally in the Western Church since the Middle Ages.

Chanting, as practiced in monastic communities, assumes a simple formula that matches the parallel construction of the psalm verses. Most of the text is sung to a single pitch, and endings are punctuated with a simple melodic movements. The result is a stable form, balancing singing and recitation, in which the psalm text is allowed to unfold.

Perhaps one of the most noticeable elements here is the relative monotone quality of this reading. It feels unexpressive, in a way, as the emotions of singers and listeners alike are held in check.

This raises a fascinating question about liturgical form. Might one of the functions of liturgy be to hold our emotions in check, and not only negative emotions — what the Church Fathers called the passions — but possibly also the self-expression of good emotions?

Reading and chanting provide an example. In the Orthodox churches, for instance, Readers are taught to approach Scriptural lessons in an ego-minimizing manner: without vocal inflections or drama of any kind. Similarly, the Western ‘Gregorian’ fashion approaches the psalm in a way that emphasizes communal work and restful contemplation, not individual expression.

Such an idea clearly flies in the face of modern trends towards individualism, existentialism, and Romanticism — very popular modes of thinking today that highlight the importance of the individual and of subjective expression. These ideological patterns affect all of us!

However, traditional liturgy tends to resist these modes of thought, locating our individuality in a collective movement, in submission to a pattern, and to the wisdom of the Past.

The chanted version of Psalm 38 below, sung by the Westminster Cathedral Choir in London, helps to illustrate this idea. We should add, though, that the organ accompaniment that has been added does make the chanting seem a bit less austere in a cathedral environment!

Yours in Christ,
Justin