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St. Ignatius Parish choir members warming up for Mass with Gregorian chant Sept. 23. The teaching choir of the Benedict XVI Institute spent three evening rehearsals with the singers and joined them in the ensemble for the chant Mass at St. Ignatius Church. (Courtesy photo)
December 13, 2018
Tom Burke
Gregorian chant is sometimes called plainchant but musicians at St. Isabella Parish in San Rafael and St. Ignatius Parish in San Francisco will tell you there is nothing plain about it.
Lynn Pieri Young, organist and pianist at St. Isabella, and Teresa DuSell, director of music at St. Ignatius and their parish ensembles welcomed the teaching choir of the Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Worship to each of their sites for lessons in chant during the last few months.
“The choir learned many things in a short amount of time,” DuSell told Catholic San Francisco. “We prayed together with chant, we learned the technical musical components of chant notation, how to sing it as one voice and as prayer, especially under Rebekah Wu’s direction. She has such a passion for chant and infused us with it.”
Wu is music director for the Benedict XVI Institute teaching choir. The St. Ignatius singers had the teaching choir with them for three rehearsals prior to a Sunday Mass with chant Sept. 23.
“There is a longing from many people to learn and sing music that is traditional as well as contemporary, and not see them as being at odds or that one is better than the other,” DuSell said. “If this sacred music is bringing souls to Christ, it should be included. If a choir can sing chant well, better musicianship follows in everything else they sing.”
The St. Ignatius choir had been singing chant for over a year with modest success, DuSell said. “The teaching choir improved our overall ability to understand the chant notation and how to sing it better together,” she said.
Choir members of St. Isabella Parish and Santa Rosa’s St. Eugene Parish, and cantors of the Benedict XVI Institute, practice chant at St. Isabella in preparation for a “chant Mass celebration” Nov. 18. Three evening rehearsals with The Benedict XVI Institute singers preceded the liturgy. (Courtesy photo)
St. Isabella’s singers had the teaching choir with them for three rehearsals prior to a “chant Mass celebration,” Nov. 18.
“Under the excellent direction of Rebekah Wu, our choir was, basically, treated to a ‘master class’ introduction to the art of chant!” Lynn Pieri Young told Catholic San Francisco. “Choir members learned how to read the different chant clefs, were exposed to basic chant terminology and notation and were coached on proper Latin pronunciation as well as breathing techniques.”
The choir is now considering using a chant selection for their weekly Communion solo and the chant Mass setting is being thought about for use during Lent.
Young said Wu and those with her “were simply amazing.” Rebekah and her team are certainly passionate about their ‘mission’ to share this beautiful sacred traditional music of our church! We are most grateful to have had the opportunity to benefit from their expertise and enthusiasm for all things chant.