Finally got fairly reasonably cleaned up around here. I'm looking forward to Candlemas in two days, but the Christmas decorations had to go!
Do you love the Scottish wool blanket that Habou gave me for Little Christmas? She found it at the thrift store and I couldn't love it more in here.
A while ago I told you about a find — the book of songs and pictures called The Story of the Redemption for Children by Fr. Adair and Sr. M. Joanne. You can definitely print this out for your own use, and I really recommend that you do before it is lost — it's really a treasure!
First, this is the traditional and beautiful way to teach the faith to children, in a gentle timeline from Creation to Redemption. You can approach the timeline differently according to the age of the child; teaching these songs is one lovely way to get started.
Second, I think it's really inspired to use the ancient chants as the music for the story.* It seems to me that you would want to also be learning the Latin chants parallel to learning these, because it is important that we preserve the semantic of sacred music.
I've been thinking about this, and I'd be interested to know what you think as well.
On the one hand, if you introduce sacred things with cartoons and silly ditties, you create with that semantic an association that taints the sacred things. Children learn by absorbing the feel of the thing. They have an instinctive hierarchy of solemnity.
For instance, a child might encounter something that perhaps isn't even holy, but has the attributes of something solemn and mysterious, and he will be attracted to it, maybe even in spite of the content. This, I believe, is why today we have young people who are more moved by athletic ceremonies than by religious ones (I mean really moved, even if they dutifully prioritize religion).
On the other hand, if you use sacred modes for anything other than what they were made for, you might ruin their power. A good example of this might be the Rogers and Hammerstein Alleluia from the Sound of Music. I could imagine a good choir singing this at Mass — except that it is pretty indelibly associated with a Hollywood musical! If something is going to be used for worship, it must be set apart.
We don't make altar cloths with the same fabric as tablecloths; we don't grab a handy candlestick from the altar to put in the front hall. The same with music. This semantic (imbued meaning) is what makes chant unique and universal as a sacred mode.
So I would definitely be sure to sing the original chants, preferably in their context in the liturgy at the same time as we were learning these songs.
Maybe it seems like I'm overthinking this, but I do wonder how we've gotten into such a mess with our musical culture. Perhaps confusion in musical education is a reason… I don't know.
One thing is that it is much easier to learn chant (especially while also learning the Latin text) if you already know the tune, so I'm coming down on the side of this book!
I recently found out that Erin McFarland, a homeschooling mother and musician, has posted audio files of all the songs, which is such a help if you don't read music or just need a little boost! You can find her study guide for this book here. With her guidance, you can learn all the songs before you teach your children, or as you go if you like to do things together that way.
She has lots of resources for singing with your children on her site, Traditional Catholic Living. I highly recommend it. One reason I always recommend Ambleside Online's Charlotte Mason curriculum is that they have handy cycles of hymns and folk songs (you can see them on their sidebar).
Erin's site really gives you a focused way to implement that approach, with a distinctively Catholic (liturgical) emphasis. She also has plenty of thoughts for both young and more advanced students. I recommend signing up for her emails.
If Erin's site isn't working for you, there are very nice videos and audio files at the Corpus Christi Watershed site.
I said I'd give this book a post of its own and so here you go!
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*Here's what I said on that previous post: It’s important to read the instructions [in the text of the book] on how to sing chant, which differs from more familiar metrical music in that it is more relaxed and is never forced into an even rhythm. I also suggest getting children used to hearing monks singing these same tunes (with the liturgical texts) so they know how they should sound. In other words, the originals should be the model, and then the little poems in this book can be part of their religious education.
Stephanie says
I love that you said children have an instinctive heirarchy of solemnity…it is this that I want to honor, it is very respectful of the essential needs of the child to give them and expose them to beautiful, holy things…like sacred music. I am afraid that I am in a bit of a housekeeping rut…so once I reread some laundry and meal plan posts…I MIGHT be able to incorporate sacred music in the day. I have the Monks of Nortia cd! Maybe put that on in the meantime? Keep challenging us!!!
Jenny says
I’ve been at this housekeeping thing for almost 20 years now, but with a toddler around I’m finding it necessary to rethink the basics, too. Life was much easier when he was a baby, but now with changes coming on so quickly, I find I’m constantly working on flow, etc. In the mornings after breakfast, I like to play a playlist I found on YouTube from the Daughters of Mary. They are very beautiful Latin hymns (chants?) and even have pictures in the videos. The tone it sets for the day is one of calmness and for me at least, it helps me to be prayerful. For my little one, he gets to hear the sacred music in Latin and occasionally when he goes near the computer, he may look up and see a beautiful image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus. My little one is only 16 months, but already he recognizes the tunes when they are played at church. He grows visibly excited and shakes his little head and smiles. It is so sweet.
Thank you for the resources you have provided regarding the teaching of the sacred, Aunty Leila. I wish I could have used them with my older boy, but at least I can use them now with my toddler and hope the older boy hears and remembers, too.
Sarah says
Hi,
Thank you for posting about this lovely resource. I am raising seven children (so far) and am truly grateful for your hard work in passing along the wealth of knowledge you have. Your series ‘The Moral Life of the Child’ is so timely for how the Lord is calling me to focus on catechism with my children. It has been difficult to shake a lie I received growing up that it was indoctrination and unfair to children to ‘brainwash’ them in the Catholic faith. But with God, slowly, over the years I have claimed my rightful heritage and am passing the truth to my children with joy and wonder. Your site is a lighthouse in these dark days. I am looking forward to bringing chant into our singing at home. I have always felt intimidated to try sacred music bc of my lack of musical abilities. I listen to the Monks of Norcia while I work in the kitchen almost every day. 🙂
Sarah
Leila says
Sarah, the idea that religion is brainwashing and that the natural state of children is some idyll that must be left to develop on its own is pervasive in our culture and has roots in the philosophy of Rousseau, an appealing but wrong thinker who failed at fatherhood.
We hate the paved-over industrial ugliness so we make the mistake of thinking that weeds are good.
The good landscape is cultivated and made to reach its true beauty, shaped by human hands. Likewise, the child must be guided along right paths!
Thanks for your kind words, and don’t worry about music — do check out the Traditional Catholic Living resources and do keep playing good CDs 🙂
Marta says
I cannot agree more emphatically that it is vital to give our children the gift of sacred music learned by heart.
We grew up deeply immersed in the riches of our church’s hymnody, real scriptural texts that spoke not simply of our devotion, but of His mercy.
We sang the canticles on road trips and the Psalms at home.
When my father was dying, when words failed, as we held the crucifix before his eyes, we sang hymn after hymn all from the treasure store he had given us. What a mercy to have those words and prayers placed on our lips and in our hearts when we were too tired and overwhelmed to come up with anything on our own.
As he died, the sun rose and we were singing the Magnificat. Children who have been given this heritage will know how to die, which is after all, the most important education.
Leila says
Thank you, Marta — beautiful.
Stephanie in Germany says
Thank you so much. How beautiful.
Kelsey says
Oh my, this is so beautiful. Music is so out of my comfort zone but I’ve been feeling the urge to add this to our homeschooling. Your description is just what I would love for my children. I’m going to start trying to make learning sacred music a part of our family life, even if singing makes me uncomfortable! Thank you for your inspiration!
MerMer says
Thank you for sharing this lovely resource . . . and also for the link to Erin’s great website for those of us can’t read music! We attend Mass in the Extraordinary Form weekly, so we are familiar with chant, but I’ve been looking for ways to teach it our preschooler. Thank you for the perfect timing!
Teri Pittman says
Just a compliment on that very nice pair of knitted socks! They look great!
Leila says
Thanks, Teri!
Stephanie in Germany says
As I was looking through the websites you mentioned I somehow stumbled upon “When to the temple Mary went” by Eccard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YUtxXDkmcU
This is so beautiful for today. I am not so much younger than you, Leila, and attended Catholic Mass regularly for “most” of my life in the midwest and then in south Florida. I never once heard this beautiful song until last night. From some of the comments it seems it is a classic. So, I am sharing it here for you and all on this day to help celebrate Candlemas. I am sad that I didn’t grow up with such music, but thankful that it is not too late 😉
Leila says
Wow, Stephanie, that is so beautiful!
Thanks for sharing!
Stephanie says
Yes!!! Thank you for sharing this! So beautiful for today!
Mrs. B. says
Yes!!! Thank you for sharing this! So beautiful for today!
Mrs. B. says
listened…
Mrs. B. says
The Alleluia sung by the nuns in the Sound of Music is very beautiful – are we sure it was composed by R&H? Right before it they sing Palestrina’s Jesu, Rex Admirabilis (the stuff of goosebumps!), and I always assumed the Alleluia, too, must come from somewhere… But of course I get your point: I still remember that when I was a teenager there was a very popular “hymn” based on Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind!
I have a serious weakness for tartans – that was a great find on your mother’s part! And from Rosie’s picture, it looks like you’re going to meet that baby very soon!
Carol (song of joy) says
Thank you for sharing the Story of Redemption for Children and Erin McFarland’s sound recordings of them. What a lovely resource! I look forward to sharing these with my children. We attend the traditional Latin Mass regularly, so many of these chants are familiar.
Some of them are set to Psalm tones (for example the following pages of the booklet [1], 2, 3,14, 16, 17) – melodies or tones to which the Psalms are chanted, so there isn’t one “right text” for those… throughout the year it would be the setting for any number of prayers and Scriptures sung at Mass which change each week (as do the Bible readings). Others are the melodies of traditional Gregorian hymns, such as “Jesu Dulcis Memoria.” (eg. p. 9) The source for the melody is indicated on each page above the top line of each song, in small print.
Thanks again for sharing this lovely resource! I love music, but don’t share it enough with my young children. This will help to remedy that!
Leila says
Carol, it isn’t that there is a “right text” — you are correct when you say that various psalms or other scriptures can be set to these tones.
Yes, my point here is that the tunes are traditional chant tones.
It’s that the text of the songs in the books are not sacred. They are paraphrases and little poems. One difficulty is that metrical poetry tends to drag chant down. The urge is to divide up the tone into measures and sing according to a beat. That tendency to force chant into the classical music framework is probably one of the greatest factors in its demise.
As I said in the post, knowing the chant will help when it comes to identifying it in other settings, particularly where the Latin text is unfamiliar — it’s hard for the brain to figure out the Latin and the tune/rhythm all at once!
Mrs. B. says
Leila, I just had to let you know – this is the Chairman of the UK Latin Mass Society writing yesterday: “And for those who still haven’t taken down their decorations, take comfort from this. I read in an old book about decorating churches, that in the records of one Medieval English church the custom was to take the Christmas greenery down… on the First Sunday of Lent.” So next year you can go even slower!
Kelsey says
The traditional catholic living link seems to be blocked for me all of a sudden. Which is unfortunate because we were singing these after lunch each day. I think I remember you posting a second source for listening to the recordings on your facebook a while back? Do you still have the link?
Leila says
Kelsey, here is the link to the other helpful audio files: http://www.ccwatershed.org/blog/2015/oct/26/story-redemption-children-1952/
I will update the post with the info.
Vaughn says
Hello and thank you so much for this post and the links! I did want to let you know (as I think someone in another comment did) that the links to the traditionalcatholicliving.com website don’t work. An error message says:
“Forbidden
You don’t have permission to access /about-2/ on this server.”
Do you have any contact with the author of this website? Thanks!
Erin says
I’m so sorry that my site was down for a couple days, but it’s working again now. Thank you Leila for recommending the resources I have there. It is my sincerest wish that families can learn many hymns together and children can grow up with hearts filled with quality sacred music. Again, I apologize that the site broke. Luckily my husband was able to restore it!
Leila says
Good to hear it, Erin! Hopefully people will find your helpful resources!