SCHOLA CANTORUM. Who’da thunkit? A music lesion for yours truly just blocks away from our Santa Fe timeshare! On the way back from church (noon mass, actually, at The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi; cbsfa.org/ ) we passed by the ~ 1873 A.D. Loretto Chapel. (See pics below and youtube/watch?v=9npiybVlAiU ) Loretto is famous for its “miraculous” staircase youtube/watch?v=yvid_KnFq7s which is quite a story—but I was attracted by its imposing round stained glass, so reminiscent of the lovely “Rose Window” in the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway! As it turned out, there was a concert tonight by Schola Cantorum of Santa Fe. Back at the timeshare, we heard that the acoustics were splendid inside, so elected to attend. From the wonders of the internet, I’ve learned that translated into English, Schola Sanctorum literally means "School of singers", and the historical function of such groups has apparently been sort of a ultra-high-end liturgical choir. According to one posting, "Schola Cantorum" carries connotations that "choir" does not, carrying a history behind that goes back to a papal choir that created the Mass Proper. See the Catholic Encyclopdia entry for the term: newadvent.org/cathen/13547b.htm Tonight’s concert took us through Gregorian chant-like selections, baroque-era polyphonic, and modern dissonant pieces with the Cantorum singers repeatedly rearranging themselves in front of the altar (and at times throughout the nave) for effect. Most of the arrangements were by Michael McGlynn, (of River Dance fame), but these were not tunes you’d hum on the way home. This was high liturgical art, entirely a cappella. Glad we got to see them!
Posted on: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 06:13:19 +0000
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