Aux sources du chant grégorien - Meeting with Damien Poisblaud4 reading minutes

Le Regard Libre N° 39 - Giovanni F. Ryffel

Few people are familiar with Gregorian chant. Damien Poisblaud is one of them. Not only does he know it scientifically, he also practices it, reviving an age-old tradition. He passes on this Gregorian treasure. So that it lives on, and continues to inspire the prayers of the faithful. We met in Fribourg during a master class, an artful and spiritual setting.

Giovanni F. Ryffel: What led you down the path of Gregorian chant, to which you have dedicated your voice?

Damien Poisblaud: The path that led me to Gregorian chant became a path to the voice. Which is why I like to say that when you're looking for a chant, you end up finding a cantor, i.e. someone who sings. Someone with a voice, a body that resonates: that's what singing is all about. In his singing, we see a way of being a cantor in the Middle Ages, as well as his relationship to the world.

So you've gone from scientific research to the practice of an art.

For me, the path to discovering Gregorian chant very quickly became a discovery of my own voice. I couldn't really approach Gregorian without the appropriate vocal gesture. Little by little, I came to understand how ornaments were made, how to think about the rightness of intervals, modes and the vocal conduct that allows the text to unfold in its prosodic rhythm.

What is the «vocal gesture»?

It's a natural, integral resonance. It resonates spherically, unlike other practices that push the sound forward. So much so, that when I give Gregorian lessons to my students, I sometimes ask them to close their eyes, then I turn around and nobody notices when I've turned around. The sound is completely multidirectional, whereas if I sing with a lyrical voice, all the sound goes forward.

Can we talk about’a Gregorian chant?

If we want to define Gregorian chant, we'll say that it's the liturgical chant of the Latin Church. Then we'll ask ourselves whether Beneventan chant, Mozarabic chant or Old Roman chant are part of Gregorian chant. Without too much difficulty, they can be included by returning to the definition of Gregorian. But the particularities are not to be overlooked. From the outset, Gregorian chant has been shaped by a variety of influences.

How did Gregorian chant originate?

No one ever faced a blank page and started composing Gregorian chant. The only person for whom Gregorian came as an illumination was Pope Gregory, wondering what to sing for Mass on the first Sunday of Advent. The Holy Spirit came upon him and inspired the « Ad te levavi domine ». This shows that when a tradition seems to appear, it was in fact already there. It's not someone who originated Gregorian chant; there's no name to give. Moreover, none of the Gregorian works are signed, just like the icons. What's more, there is no Gregorian school or workshop. It's really a practice.

Nevertheless, Gregorian remains the fruit of a culture.

When Christianity blew over Greek culture, it gave rise to Byzantine; when it blew over the Latin world, it gave rise to Gregorian. More precisely, Gregorian has a large corpus that I can see was encouraged by Pope Gregory, who, arriving from the East, saw different repertoires in Rome. It was also practiced in Benevento and Milan, among other places. The pope declared that this type of song was the closest to what the Church expected for its prayer. Indeed, it's hard to explain how Beneventan chant remained only in Benevento, Milanese chant only in Milan and Old Roman chant only in Rome, while Gregorian chant spread throughout Europe, leaving thousands of manuscripts.

What's the point of Gregorian chant today, when it seems so difficult to access?

Gregorian chant is obviously foreign to us today. It can seem uninteresting and repetitive. If you listen to Byzantine, you'll say that everything sounds the same; but learn Byzantine and you'll see very different pieces. If you listen to Russian songs, everything sounds the same, looks the same, but learn the pieces and you'll see the differences. Pygmy songs and Asian songs all seem to sound the same, but once you get into them, you see their richness. And the same goes for so many other traditions. There are, of course, themes, formulas and vocal habits; they're all necessities.

Finally, how does Gregorian chant relate to the biblical text?

Compared with Old Roman, Gregorian is extremely close to the text. It offers the possibility of musical, mystical and theological exegesis, and allows even the casual listener to enter into praise and prayer.

Write to the author : giovanni.ryffel@leregardlibre.com

Photo credit: © Loris S. Musumeci for Le Regard Libre