Music and Rituals
Thinking about music and rituals, one of the first things that came to my mind is my experience with music and rituals in a religious context. To put it simply, no one loves ceremonies, rites and rituals like organized religion, and being raised attending a catholic church, I am no stranger to them. Throughout my life, one main aspect of them that I have always loved and appreciated is the music.
In the Catholic church, every church service, known as mass, is a ritual in and of itself. The mass contains four rituals or segments known as rites, each with their own set of prayers and music. If you even briefly look into the works of many famous composers including Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Faure, and Byrd, you'll find countless mass settings. These were often commissioned by church leaders for masses on special occasions, or simply written in honor of or tribute to someone.
Looking deeper into the music for each of the four rites, you’ll find music suitable for every season and major event on the liturgical calendar. Generally, you're not going to hear somber music on Christmas day, but you’re also not going to hear cheerful, upbeat music on Good Friday. In the same sense, because Catholics tend to celebrate or recognize major events with a mass, there are settings written for joyful times such as marriage, or times of mourning, such as funerals.
One specific category of mass setting is the Requiem, which is usually written for a funeral. An example of this is Faure’s Requiem. Faure wrote it as a tribute to his father, who passed away 3 years prior to him composing it (source: Classic FM). The recording I’ve included below is pretty long, but if you just listen to the first minute or so, you can essentially hear two major aspects of Christian belief surrounding death. A sense of grief over loss, while also maintaining hope that the deceased is in heaven, free of earthly pain and suffering.
Another category on the other side of the spectrum is mass settings written for celebrations such as Mozart’s Coronation mass. This was commissioned by the archbishop of Salzburg, in honor of the Coronation of the miraculous Virgin of the Maria Plain sanctuary in 1779 (source: Chateau de Versailles). Again, if you listen to the first few seconds, you can immediately sense the celebratory nature of this music.
So this is just one example of my experience with rituals, and the life and depth that music can bring to them.
Hey! I never knew Catholic church had 4 rites, every service! Also I noticed in your blog you used the word "Requiem", which is often used for funerals. In Musical Theater this is usually the ballad song a character sings, like a last hope or heartfelt song not really used in a funeral aspect, so I thought that was cool!
ReplyDeleteI also spoke of my experiences in church growing up. However, I loved how you shared your specific religious service because if differs from mine in many ways. Like Alicyn, i did not know of the 4 rites every service. I learned a lot about your foundation growing up with just this simple blog. Thanks for sharing different aspects of the Catholic religion and kind of educating along the way!!!
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