NOTE: This section contains a number of notated examples that I have not scanned in at this time.
The feature of the Anglican service most likely to confuse the uninitiated is the chanting: indeed, it seems to present difficulties to many organists, choirmasters and choristers of no little experience and ability, for chanting in the majority of our churches leaves much to be desired.
This lack of excellence may be due to misconception regarding the principals of chanting, ill-founded complacency, or an underrating of the importance and technique for chanting. No other part of the service requires more thought and care: nothing else that the choir sings can do more to enhance or mar its contribution to worship of the church.
Most psalters and chant books, in their prefaces, give some directions as to how the books are to be used. In many cases, however, the editors, presuming a certain knowledge on the part of the choirmaster, make their directions so general that they are of little assistance to the church musician who has little experience or advice to draw upon. For those who feel the need of more information than their chant and service books contain, the not-too-general remarks that follow may provide some small help.
If the reader will refer to his chant book, or to the section of his hymnal devoted to chants, he will find a number of psalms and canticles headed Venite Exultemus, Te Deum laudamus, Jubilate Deo, etc. It matters not which he chooses as an example for the principles which apply to one psalm or canticle apply to them all.
Examining first the chants which will be found above or near the canticle, it will be observed that they consist of seven measures (single chants) or fourteen measures (double chants). The measures are divided by double bars into sections of three and four.
A single chant is sung through one for each verse of the canticle: a double chant serves for two verses. (Occasionally one finds a quadruple chant to which four verses are sung: more rarely, a triple chant which serves for three verses.)
Each verse of the canticle or psalm is divided into small sections by short vertical lines which correspond to the bar lines of the chant. In most psalters a colon or double vertical line divides the verse into halves and marks the point where the first double bar occurs, and the verse ends with a period or another double vertical line which corresponds to the second double bar in the chant. (Other marks may be used to mark the halves and ends of verses, of course, but whatever marks are used, they are used consistently throughout the psalter.) Each group of words or syllables placed between these vertical lines is sung to one measure of the chant. This device is called pointing.
All psalters and service books must agree in the division of the verse into seven groups of syllables, for without such division the words could not be made to conform to the Anglican chant. At this point, uniformity ceases, for the methods of breaking up the verse into sections agree with the measures of the chant are many and varied.
There are two general styles of pointing which, for want of better names, we shall call singing and chanting.
The singing method, which has been widely used for half a century or more, demands that the chants be sung in as nearly strict time as circumstances permit; in other words, the text is subordinated to the measured rhythm of the chant.
The first note of each section of the chant is known as the reciting note, and to it may be allotted any number of syllables. It is, therefore, of indeterminate value; but strict time is counted from the accented or stressed syllable.
When only one syllable occurs in the measure, the pointing is simple - it is given two beats.
Words which precede the accented syllable should be recited at a leisurely pace. Too often they are hurried and confused. The accented syllable requires little if any emphasis.
(The notes over the syllables preceding the accent are not intended to indicate time values. Each syllable receives the same quantity and stress as in ordinary speech. These recitations are the only portions of the verses which may properly be said to be chanted when this system is used.)
Frequently the first measure of a section contains two notes. Any syllables which occur after the accent and before the first vertical line should be allotted a fair share of the time in order that they may be enunciated clearly. Many choirs hold the accented syllable too long, to the detriment of what follows.
When three syllables are sung in measured time, the first is usually given one beat, although the three syllables may be sung as triplets.
The following should be avoided at all costs:
When four syllables are to be sung in measured time, they may be of equal value; or, if the syllables following the accent would be passed over lightly in ordinary speech, they may be sung as triplets on the second beat.
The following is in very poor taste:
An asterisk indicates a distinct break and a slight pause in the music.
Commas are observed as in ordinary speech: they should not be made occasions for long pauses or interruptions.
The measures which normally contain two notes (the second, fifth and sixth, and the corresponding measure in the second part of a double chant) are more often that not required to be sung to two syllables. In such cases, or when only one syllable is to be sung to such a measure, the matching of the words with the notes is simple.
When three syllables occur in such a measure, their division to correspond to the notes is indicated by a dot or, if the division is between two syllables of one word, by a hyphen.
When the first of the three syllables is one that be stressed in speech, it is permissible to sing the measure in triplets.
Occasionally the two notes of the measure are not of equal value.
When the second syllable is one that would be stressed slightly in ordinary speech, it may be advisable to sing it on the second beat, borrowing part of the value from the first note.
When three syllables occur in such a measure and two are sung to the first note, it may be occasionally be preferable to sing them thus:
rather than to syncopate them, thus:
A measure that normally contains two notes may contain three or four, grouped as follows:
The division of the syllables remains unchanged. Triplets are, of course, impracticable.
The final measure in each section of the chant (preceding the double bar) more often than not contains only one note.
Frequently, however, two notes are to be found in the final measure of a half verse, and the division into two distinct beats must be observed.
When the verse is short, one syllable is often carried through part or all of another measure, the extra beats allotted to it being indicated by dashes.
It should be noted that the suffix -ed at the end of verbs is, in this method, treated as a separate syllable except when it occurs in the recitation before the accent.
Words such as blessed, planted, melted, wicked, etc., in which the suffix is sounded as a separate syllable in ordinary speech, are so treated whether they occur before the accent or not.
There are probably choirs which, as the result of careful instruction and frequent practice, sing the psalms and canticles well. That the syllables before and immediately after the accents are often too hurried, that the the accented syllables are held too long and overemphasized cannot be blamed on the method. These are the faults of the singers and their instructors. Actually, the recitations, especially the longer ones, offer the best opportunities for a natural delivery of the words.
It cannot be denied, however, that once the accent has been reached and measured time begins, the utterance of the words is stiff and unnatural. Too many relatively unimportant words such as and, for, into and upon occur on the strong beats and assume undue significance, while other syllables that merit stress become secondary.
In spite of good resolutions to pass lightly over prepositions and conjunctions, it is difficult to do so when they fall upon strong first beats; and it is equally difficult to stress important syllables that occur in the last half of a measure. Read aloud the first four verses of the Magnificat, stressing the syllables which will inevitably be stressed when the verses are sung, and notice how unnatural they sound.
1. My soul doth magnify the Lord; and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
2. For he hath regarded: the lowliness of his hand-maiden.
3. For behold from henceforth: all generations shall call me blessed.
4. For he that is mighty hath magnified me: and holy is his Name.
If in spite of these objections the choirmaster chooses to have his choir sing the canticles and psalms, he will be in good company, for many eminent church musicians continue to us this method. It is to be hoped, however, that the warnings set forth here may help him to achieve better results than those usually heard.
Chanting is an accurate description of a style of rendering the psalms and canticles that is growing in favor. Although newer terms, such as free rhythm and speech rhythm, are often applied to this method, it is by no means something new, but rather a revival of the old principles of true chanting.
Although the chants are still divided into measures and the words are correspondingly grouped, these divisions have no bearing on the time required to utter the words. Neither have the notes any time value, but are to be regarded merely as indications of pitch. Each syllable is given the same quantity and stress as it would receive in ordinary speech.
The best way to prepare a psalm is to read each verse through naturally at a somewhat leisurely pace; read it through again on a monotone (preferably the first note of the chant); read it a third time, allowing the voice to rise and fall as indicated by the notes of the chant. It is as simple as that!
The cardinal rule, which cannot be too often repeated, is: Forget Time Values. The printed notes and bar lines have no bearing on the duration of time or on stress. The notes indicate pitch and nothing else; the bar lines are conveniences for grouping certain syllables to correspond to certain notes - they do not measure the time.
The reciting note may be quite long if it is used for a number of syllables; or it may be very short if only one syllable is placed before the first vertical line and that syllable is a preposition or conjunction.
The divisions of the chant which normally contain two notes (we must not call them measures in chanting) may also be short or prolonged, depending upon the number of syllables involved. When there is only one syllable (a circumstance which the newer psalters try to avoid) both notes will have to be chanted, but the syllable should not be unduly prolonged. When the division contains two notes of the same pitch and only one syllable, the syllable must nevertheless be prolonged slightly for the convenience of other choristers whose parts may contain two notes.
When the division of the chant contains more that two notes no account is taken of the various type of notes; they are made to conform to the words in the same manner as in the singing method. When more than two syllables appear in a group, a dot shows their division to correspond to the notes. (Remember that only pitch, not time, is involved.) Chants which have more than two notes to a division are better avoided when the psalm does not include groupings of more than two syllables.
Some psalters use the numeral 3 to indicate groups of syllables to be chanted as triplets. These may be helpful in some instances, but they serve to introduce the time element with which chanters have no concern. Good chanting will take these groups into consideration as a matter of course, and the numeral might conceivably result in inexperienced choristers adopting a certain rigidity of time which would otherwise be avoided.
The last division of each section of the chant (that immediately preceding a double bar) is likewise flexible. The last syllable of a verse or half verse is generally prolonged very slightly. But if in ordinary speech no pause or prolongation would be made between the two halves of a verse, no pause should be observed in chanting, the note before the double bar being shortened to meet the needs of the words.
Although it is risky to attempt writing syllable quantities in notes which are associated with time values, two examples are set forth below. The eighth notes (quavers) represent the quantities that the syllables would receive in ordinary speech: the accent marks suggest normal stress.
For the first example (part of the Magnificat) let us suppose that the notes of the chant are as follows:
The second example (part of Psalm XXVII) we shall presume the following arrangement of the notes of a double chant:
The natural, unhurried flow of words in chanting, the ease with which ugly emphases are avoided and desirable stresses observed, will appeal to all who have regard for the beauty of expression of the English language.
One of the happiest features of chanting is its simplicity. A choir accustomed to singing the canticles and psalms may find it a little difficult to abandon old habits, but even inexperienced singers quickly grasp the principles of chanting and acquire the ability to chant easily and well.
It is possible, but advisable, to chant canticles and psalms to pointing that has been designed for singing. Better results are obtained with the use of a psalter pointed for chanting. In some of the newer psalters a strong syllable is placed immediately after each vertical line, so that a choir yielding to the temptation to stress the first note of a measure will do no violence to the sense of the words.
While any Anglican chant may be used for any canticle or psalm (whether sung or chanted) the choirmaster will do well to exercise judgement in his choice of chants. A penitential psalm requires a chant in serious mood, perhaps in a minor key; a quiet, meditative psalm (such as the twenty-third) need not be grave, but it should he chanted quietly; while a bright psalm or the Te Deum will demand a bright chant. Some chants are traditionally associated with certain psalms, but a choirmaster need not feel bound to use a chant set for a particular psalm if, in his opinion, another chant is more suitable.
Care should be taken to avoid monotony in chanting. Because of their brevity, there are comparatively few attractive single chants, and even the better ones should be used only for short psalms. It has become a habit for editors of psalters and service books to set the Venite to only single chants, and those the least interesting that can be found. The choirmaster is recommended to consider double chants for this and all psalms of more than six verses.
Two or even three double chants may be used for very long psalms, the changes being made at points where the mood of the psalm changes slightly. A quadruple chant is useful for long psalms. If the number of verses is uneven, the second half of a double chant is repeated either for the last verse or for some other verse indicated in the psalter.
There is no reason for not using double chants for short psalms, although one would scarcely go so far as to use a quadruple chant for four or eight verses.
It is well to provide some variety in the music for the canticles and psalms. There is no more justification for using the same chants Sunday after Sunday than there would be for repeating the same hymn tunes and anthems. A choir that chants the canticles and psalms at Morning and Evening Prayer on Sundays only should know at least forty chants.
The psalms are often chanted antiphonally, one side of the choir (traditionally the south side) taking the first verse, the other side responding with the second verse. Certain verses (indicated in most psalters) and the Gloria Patri are chanted by the whole choir.
Antiphonal chanting requires choristers from each of the four parts on both sides of the choir. However, even with small choirs which seat all the sopranos and tenors on one side and all the altos and basses on the other, antiphonal chanting is possible to a limited degree. It will be necessary to choose chants which are suitable for unison chanting, and it should not be continued for long unless the organist is skillful in varying the accompaniment.
It is sometimes effective to have the men chant one verse in unison and the boys (or women) the next, but this should not be repeated too often.
In a long psalm, some variety may be obtained by using a descant occasionally. Descants for chants are rarely heard (few have been written, in fact) but there is no good reason for not using them. (Descants will be discussed more fully in the he section on "Hymns.")
Thus far, we have dealt only with Anglican chants, which conform to the pattern of seven measures for a single and fourteen measures for a double chant. Mention must here be made of the Gregorian or plainsong chant which, although not nearly as popular as the Anglican chant, is worthy of serious consideration and study.
The Gregorian chant varies in form, but the grouping of syllables to match the notes is generally clearly indicated. The notes are indications of pitch only, and have no time value. Their duration depends upon the time required to utter the syllables that go with them. The words are chanted at a natural, unhurried pace, syllables being prolonged slightly only when chanted to more than one note. All that has been said about quantity and stress in regard to chanting Anglican chants applies with equal force to the Gregorian chant.
Each chant begins with an Intonation (consisting generally of two or three notes) which is used only for the first verse and the Gloria Patri. The first half of the first verse is chanted by the priest of preceptor alone, without accompaniment; the second half is chanted by the full choir with the organ. Thereafter, the canticle or psalm is preferable chanted antiphonally, the section of the choir on the south side taking the even verses, and the north side taking the odd ones. The Gloria Patri and any verses marked "Full" are, of course, chanted by the whole choir.
Gregorian chants may be in harmony, but a grander effect is produced when they are in unison. Thus chanted, with a varied and skillful organ accompaniment, they have a beauty unlike any other music.
The Gregorian chant is mentioned only briefly here for two reasons: first, because its use is so limited that comparatively few student choirmasters will find need for it; but chiefly because it would be presumptuous on the part of the writer of this book to enlarge upon a subject which has been treated by far more capable writer. Plainsong is a specialized branch of church music, and he who would practice it would do well to see expert tuition. If the choirmaster has any doubt concerning his knowledge or comprehension of plainsong, he would better leave it alone, for it is too beautiful to be marred by the unskilled.
There is a great need for general improvement in chanting, and the village choirmaster can (and often does) come nearer to perfection that many of his colleagues in large city churches. It is a grave mistake to hurry over the preparation of the psalms in order to get at the anthem. Any choir can sing an anthem reasonably well: very few choirs can chant.