Beyond the Spire
Welcome to Beyond the Spire, a podcast of the Save Our Sacred Songs project at the Catholic Shrine of St Walburge in Preston, supported by the National Lottery.
In each episode, we go beyond what you see from the street, we explore the story and the sound of Gregorian chant, the Church's sacred song, so that this treasure of faith and culture is not just preserved, but lived and loved again.
Beyond the Spire
E01 • What is Gregorian Chant?
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This opening episode draws you into the world of Gregorian chant, the Church’s own voice, a living breath of prayer. Through candid conversation, two young parishioners explore the sacred stillness of chant, and describe how, in their own experience, this sacred song rises out of silence, unites many voices into one, and gently pulls the soul out of noise back to God.
Content
- Gregorian chant is the Church’s sacred music. Rising from silence, it expresses interior prayer and returns to silence.
- It is monophonic and unified, with many voices blending into one, leaving no room for performance or showmanship.
- It is integral to the liturgy, with the melody shaped by sacred Latin text that is distinct from everyday, informal speech.
- Its free rhythm and eight modes offer a deeper spiritual 'colour' than standardised major/minor music.
- Thanks to Guido of Arezzo, a benedictine monk, the authentic melody was transmitted from oral tradition to written notation. This notation is still in use today.
- It is a living prayer that orients the soul towards God, setting it apart from the noisy, shallow music of the secular world.
Guests
- Mr. Kieran O’ Riordan
- Miss Amira Zięba
Sponsors
National Lottery Heritage Fund: tnlcommunityfund.org.uk
Global Sound Movement: globalsoundmovement.com
University of Lancashire: lancashire.ac.uk
Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest: icksp.org.uk & icrsp.org
External Links
Available on all podcasts platforms
Watch on YouTube @Beyond_the_Spire
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More about St Walburge’s Shrine