1 Gregorian chant as bearer of meaning and identity. Appropriation of Gregorian chant, in Questions liturgiques / Studies in Liturgy 89 (2008) 17-28. Gregorian chant as bearer of meaning and identity Appropriation of Gregorian chant Martin J. M. Hoondert Introduction A few years ago I saw a documentary on television called Hemelse Zangen (Heavenly Songs). The programme featured two Gregorian scholae: the Amsterdam Nova Schola Cantorum conducted by Wim van Gerven and the Benedictines of the Sint Benedictusberg Abbey in Vaals. While the programme showed images of singing monks, Abbot A. Lenglet described the importance of GƌegoƌiaŶ ĐhaŶt as folloǁs: LatelLJ it has ďeeŶ iŵpƌessed oŶ us ŵoƌe aŶd ŵoƌe iŶ ouƌ siŶgiŶg lessoŶs that it is not really the music that matters in Gregorian chant, but rather the words that are sung. I think that this is the most important aspect of Gregorian chant for me, for us: a way of reciting the texts - texts from the Gospels, texts from the Psalms, the texts of St Paul, traditional texts - in such a ǁaLJ that theLJ Đoŵe aliǀe foƌ us. The documentary established that, since the 1990s, there has been a revival of Gregorian chant. Latin, the incomprehensible language of the Catholic Church, seems to appeal to people. Sander van Maas, a singer in the schola of Van Gerven, indicated that he especially appreciated the musical flow of GƌegoƌiaŶ ĐhaŶt: I ŶotiĐe that iŶ GƌegoƌiaŶ ĐhaŶt the faĐt that LJou aƌe siŶgiŶg is ŵoƌe iŵpoƌtaŶt than what is being sung, or who is actually singing. It has a more subservient, liturgical function, one that allows you to, as it were, sing with your back to the audience. It is not about pleasing the audience. Something else is going on; I find that relaxing, lifting. You should no longer sing from paper, reading, but from your breath, your body, it should come to life, it should become spoŶtaŶeous soŶg. This television programme raises various questions. Firstly, what is the position of Gregorian chant today? Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedictus XVI, speaks of a difficult relation between the Church and culture, which also affects church music. 1 However, the television programme suggests that, in the strained interaction between cult and culture, Gregorian chant acts as a bridge, rather than that it creates a crisis. The second question that is raised, is about the appeal of Gregorian chant. What fascinates the singers and listeners, what is it that appeals to them? Is it the content of the songs, or is it the calm flow of the music? This article attempts to give some insight into the complex position of Gregorian chant in the tense relation between the Church, liturgy and (surrounding) culture. In the first paragraph we will deal with the so-called restoration of Gregorian chant, which, in the background, plays an important role iŶ todaLJs peƌfoƌŵaŶĐe pƌaĐtiĐe. IŶ the seĐoŶd paƌagƌaph ǁe ǁill foĐus oŶ the diffeƌeŶt ĐoŶtedžts iŶ 1 Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Biblische Vorgaben für die Kirchenmusik, in: Musicae Sacrae Ministerium 28 (1991) 34-48.