These recordings are the product of 20 years' immersion in singing chant in the context for which it was conceived: the Latin Mass. As such, my approach is informed by historical musicology but guided more by an acute awareness of the purpose of the music, which is to work closely with the clergy to facilitate the ritual of the Mass and deepen and enhance the devotional experience for the congregation.

Music for the Tridentine Mass is not decoration: it is integral to the liturgy. Existing to reinforce the liturgy, the chant is comprised of elements at once functional and deeply spiritual. The almost hypnotic repetitions of the many verses of hymns like Pange Lingua Gloriosa, sung during the Holy Thursday procession after communion, or of the beautiful Sacris solemniis, sung during the Corpus Christi procession, allow the worshiper to contemplate the meaning of Thomas Aquinas’ words as the familiar melodies open the soul to the divine.

The 13th century “Golden Sequence, Veni, Sancte Spiritus, employs the purity of a single line of plainchant to focus the listener's attention on the significance of the text, which is a great masterpiece of sacred Latin poetry.

And the Stabat Mater imprints upon us the magnitude of Christ‘s sacrifice revealed through the anguished eyes of His mother, finally allowing the comfort of the last verse: “Let me be shielded by the cross, safeguarded by Christ’s death, cherished by grace”.

During rehearsals of our tiny schola, when enthusiastic discussion strayed too far into musicological or theological corners, our brilliant and learned director has often been moved to remind us, "This is not a graduate seminar." Quite right, in the context of preparing a practical offering of music to serve the liturgy 52 weeks a year. Happily, my purpose here need not be so narrow. I offer this music, together with my translations, for whatever purpose you choose to make of it: as inspiration for meditation and prayer; as a tool to help you learn the chants yourself; as a source for reflection and deeper understanding of the texts; or simply for the pure enjoyment of the sound of these mesmerizing ancient words and melodies, whatever your background or faith.

- Donna Stewart

Expanded album notes, all song texts & English translations available at mignarda.com/cds/notes/VeniSancteSpiritus.pdf

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ABOUT THE SEQUENCES
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What we now call “Gregorian” chant represents an evolution and historical distillation of the elements of what once was a widely divergent practice in the ritual of Christian worship. Early practice divided singing into “lector chant” and “schola chant” at Mass, with a reader singing through a complete psalm, at times including a congregational response. As the ritual of the Mass became more systematic, selected verses of psalms were adapted and given a musical setting, with particular chants assigned to days throughout the liturgical year. Capable singers were identified and trained from an early age and taught to memorize chants for the entire cycle of the liturgical calendar.

Sequence, from the Latin sequere, means “to follow”, and indeed the original Sequence always followed the Alleluia until permanent reforms to the liturgy after Vatican II (1962 - 1965). Beginning as a genre of poetry, the Sequence (Sequentia) itself is actually a prosa, or the liturgical hymn of the Mass, placing proper importance on the text and its function in the context of the liturgy as an extension of and meditation on the Alleluia verse.

The Sequence served an important processional role in the Mass from as early as the 9th century and there were hundreds in use. The 1570 Missale Romanum limited the number of Sequences to four: Victimæ paschali laudes, (Easter), Veni Sancte Spiritus (Pentecost), Lauda Sion (Corpus Christi), and the Dies Iræ. A fifth sequence, the 13th century Stabat Mater, was restored to the liturgy as late as 1727 by Pope Benedict XIII for the feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In Western Plainchant: A Handbook, David Hiley draws attention to the parallel-verse structure of the Sequence text and the typical one syllable per note in setting text to music. The relative uniformity of the Sequence form imparts what Hiley calls "an impression of insistent enthusiasm.”

Veni Sancte Spiritus is the Mass sequence for the Octave of Pentecost, and dates as early as the 13th century. The text was esteemed as the “Golden Sequence” and was recited by those seeking a highly-valued plenary indulgence (an indulgence that removes all temporal punishment). The text of Veni Sancte Spiritus is a beautiful example of Latin poetry in trochaic dimeter, with lines one and two rhyming with one another and line three consistently ending on the same syllable. Of particular note in this recording is the inclusion of the Stabat Mater dolorosa text in an otherwise unknown setting, also included on Mignarda's album Mater Dolorosa sung with an historical contratenor part.

This selection of hymns and the inclusion of the complete surviving sequences offers an introspective glimpse of celebration of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form. Having sung the Latin Mass for many years, we have seen first-hand how sung liturgy provides purpose and inspires contemplation . This recording is dedicated to those who find inspiration in the vibrant traditions that link us to our past—and provide hope for our future.

- Ron Andrico