Yesterday, I posted here an article titled A Modal Mentality for Modal Music. I found it brought new “modal” light on a reality that was already well explained by Dom André Mocquereau in “Le nombre Grégorien” (1904) in his paragraphs about “the reality of rhythmic movement” and “the nature of vocal movement”.

Short excerpts:

REALITY OF RHYTHMIC MOVEMENT
In modern philosophy, to move signifies to ”change place”; whereas in the philosophy of Aristotle, to move meant merely “to change”.(…)
The voice articulates a phrase, declaims a verse, or sings a melody: it moves in its own way and in a sense no less real. (…) Evidently, the movement is no longer local, nor visible, it is sonorous and vocal, but nevertheless real.

NATURE OF VOCAL MOVEMENT
“The human voice is so essentially a part of the vital principle, that it is universally identified with it in every language, or seriously recognized in its intimate analogy. The word is but a breath, but this breath is the spirit, the soul, and the immaterial principle of life itself. Form, palpable and visible, is indeed a condition of humanity, but movement is its very essence, and the voice is movement. Movement is immaterial and the sound of the voice is both immaterial and impalpable. “

Longer excerpt attached (6 pages) :

This article on cantusmodalis.org requires a little effort, like all valuable things. It begins with…

In its most general context the word modus or ‘mode’ may be defined as ‘a manner or way of acting, doing or being’. In this definition the emphasis is placed on the process of being or of moving toward a certain something which in itself, although constituting the sole reason for the process, can only be the passive result of the way the process itself unfolds.

…and concludes with this gem of a sentence:

In fact chant exists because of the enormous force of attraction of an end which is not an end but a transformation into that which will remain forever beyond us.

I recommend using a pencil when you do, but please, consider reading:

https://cantusmodalis.org

Follow-up post : Reality of rhythmic movement – Nature of vocal movement.

Read more on “modality”: Modality – introduction

Yesterday, on the Feast of Corpus Christi, we chanted our adoration and thanks to God in the streets of Yorba Linda. It was a beautifully uplifting event. Learning from our traditions.

Gregorian Chant notation is EASIER to read than “modern” notation. If you would like to learn to sing music just by reading music, SQUARE NOTES focus on the essential. This book will explain how. You can also consult 6 intervals are all you need on our website… Same idea. But the book below is more professionally made, and only $20.

https://go.virtualcatholicconference.com/EC21