Lotus and Lily Field Notes

I’m feeling especially proud of having tracked down, through interlibrary loan at Seattle Public Library, a copy of the Antiphonale Romano-Seraphicum, a 1928 edition of Gregorian chant, Franciscan style.  We decided a couple of months ago to focus our chant retreat this summer (July 20-22) on St. Francis and St. Clare.  I had been planning to use some generic chants for “confessors” (saints who aren’t martyrs)–that’s what was used for St. Francis in many of the chant books I have.  But this lovely volume has many wonderful chants specifically about both Francis and Clare, including texts that speak of his preaching to the birds–really quite delightful!

As always, I feel very happy when I am able to connect with a little bit of medieval history in this way: Francis the person, and the Franciscans as an order, have always felt special to me somehow, so to be able read and sing these beautiful chants (and, this summer, to share them with others) is a rare treat!  The breadth and scale of medieval music is always breathtaking to me, and here is yet another treasure trove to explore.  Wowie!

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