The Real Eden Project - Liturgy and Ecology

Here is an article taken from the Orthodox Arts Journal which appears to be consistent with the ideas that I have proposed about the connection of the garden to the liturgy

This was sent to me by reader James Morgan (thank you James!). It is one of a series of called An Icon of the Kingdom of God - the Integrated Expression of all the Liturgical Arts (h/t James Morgan). It is written by Andrew Gould the architect (and it seems garden designer).

This is right in line also with my own thoughts on the importance cultivating for beauty; that a proper ecology is one in which man, by God's grace, manages the environment by working harmoniously with it. As a result he builds it up to what it ought to be which, as a general rule, is greater and more beautiful than it is as untouched wilderness. Accordingly gardening is in some way recreating Eden, or even the paradise of the redeemed world (which perhaps some might consider to be very similar but perhaps not exactly the same thing).

There is a hierarchy. Well farmed land is more beautiful than the wilderness it replaced. And then a garden cultivated for the contemplation of its beauty is more elevated still. So in my mind, it is more noble thing to grow flowers in your back garden than to grow vegetables...or keep chickens.

Read the article here...

The pictures below are taken from the article:

The flower garden of the Stretensky Monastery, Moscow

Western European style with the cross-in-square archetype of paradise in the Alcazar, Cordoba, Spain

Byzantine courtyard athe Kaisariani Monastery, Greece

St Anthony's Monastery, Egypt

Medieval style garden designed by the author in South Carolina

The following photographs are of the gardens of the Alhambra palace in Granada in southern Spain.

Recently Commissioned Relief Carving of St Vincent de Paul

Another heartening example of parishioners and priest working together to commission sacred art

Thank you to Fr Riley Williams who recently contacted me to tell me of the commissioning of a triptych of the patron of his church in Attleboro, Massachusetts. This relief carving of St Vincent de Paul has just been installed. It is fine piece carved by Jonathan Pageau (who will very likely be known to NLM readers). Once again this is a great example of priest and congregation working together constructively to commission good quality sacred art. Fr Williams has written a detailed explanation of the contents on the parish newsletter which I encourage you to read, here. The work is the focal point of a shrine to St Vincent in the church itself.

When St Pope John Paul II called for a dialogue between artists and the Church in his Letter for Artists, in 1999, one could have interpreted that as a call for conferences in the Vatican attended by prominent clerics and world famous artists, from which policy statements and newspaper articles might ensue. Well, that may be so, but if those events have any value, it is to the degree that they inspire the sort of dialogue that really produce results: right down at the grassroots and comprising personal conversations between an artist, priest and people, all pulling together to a common goal.

When each works together to produce something worthwhile for themselves and future generations then I am heartened that we are starting to see the beginning of a cultural renewal.

15th Century Wall Paintings Uncovered in a Small Welsh Church

I am indebted to reader Gina Switzer. for bringing to my notice this story of the uncovering of wall paintings in St Cadoc's, Llancarfan in the Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. Experts were called in after the architect noticed a single red line high up close to the rafters on a wall where a tiny patch of an estimated 27 layers of whitewash had fallen away from the plaster underneath. Gradually the whitewash was removed to reveal on one side of the church a large, floor-to-ceiling painting of St George and the dragon, and pictorial portrayals of the seven deadly sins. The church was found on the site of a monastery around 1200 and these painting are thought to date from the late 15th century, largely because of the dress of the figures which is contemporary to that period. The photo top left is of avarice and the other details are of St George and the princess.

As usual, what strikes me about this is how during this gothic period the whole church was covered with imagery.

BBC Wales has a video describing the restoration here.

Above: the exterior of the church and, below, the interior before, during and after restoration

Wonderful Sculpture of Archangel Michael by Cody Swanson

Shortly after posting images of the work of Cody Swanson for the first time just a few weeks ago, NLM reader Robert Ramirez sent me photos of another newly commissioned work and unveiled in time for the vigil of the Feast of St Michael on September 28th.. Again, I see in this the strongly emphasized, deep cut lines in the drapery (in the manner of Bernini) which give it strength and vigour and sufficient idealization in the features in the face to stop it from looking like a portrait of one of the neighbour's children dressed up in theatrical clothing (this is something that is difficult to avoid incidentally.) What is particularly heartwarming about this project is that it was paid for entirely by the voluntary subscriptions of a considerable number of interested parishioners and friends.

More information about Cody Swanson and his work is available at codyswansonsculpture.com/.

Robert describes the sculpture as follows: 'The statue, commissioned together with its plinth by members and friends of a parish in the southern United States, represents the Archangel as an eschatological figure: standing atop the serpent – a reminder of primeval victory vouchsafed to Michael, which prefigured the definitive victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Archangel appears as an actor in the Eucharistic liturgy, bearing to the heavenly altar the Victim present upon all the altars of this world.

In his right hand he holds a standard with the Trisagion, the “Holy Holy Holy” eternally repeated by the angels surrounding the heavenly throne. In his left hand he presents a paten bearing the image of the Holy Face of Manopello, unveiled for presentation to the Father. It’s the Holy Face that’s the hinge and focus of the entire composition, presented before the unseen heavenly altar where Michael’s attention and devotion are focused.'

I have been asked for various reasons not name the parish publically at this point, but any who are interested in more information can contact Mr Robert Ramirez at bobbyr@1st-lake.com.

How the Numerical Structure of the Our Father Makes it Intrinsically Liturgical

When I was speaking recently at St Patrick's Church in Columbus, Ohio, I spoke about the Little Oratory and in connection with that the pattern of prayer that underlies the liturgy. Much of the information is in the appendix in the book called A Beautiful Pattern of Prayer. I spoke at length about how the pattern of 7 + 1 appears in the annual, the weekly and the daily cycle of the liturgy. Seven is the number of the old covenant and eight is the number of the new with Christ himself representing the 'eighth day'. You can ead more about this here: the path to heaven is a triple helix...and it passes through an octagonal portal I described how even the structure of the texts has this liturgical pattern - so St Thomas tells us that the book is most appropriate for liturgy and praise of God because alone in the Bible  it contains 'all of theology'. He goes on to say that there are 150 psalms which can be broken up into 70 and 80 where '70 denotes 7, the number of the old covenant, and 8 denotes 8 the number of the new covenant'.

At the end of the talk the Dominican Friar, Fr Michael, told us how the Lord's prayer has this same liturgical structure. He directed us to St Thomas's commentary on the Lord's Prayer which 'among all prayers holds chief place'. He described how St Thomas considered each petition as given in Matthew's gospel into seven petitions. The first three petitions are all related to God:

Hallowed Be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom Come

Thy Will Be Done on Earth as It Is in Heaven

and the last three relate to man and to earthly things:

And Forgive Us Our Trespasses As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us.

And Lead Us Not Into Temptation.

But Deliver Us from Evil. Amen

He then described how at the center of the prayer and at the conjunction of the two sections is the petition, 'Give us this day our daily bread'. This is both the seventh and the eighth petition and they meet where God and man meets, in Christ, in the Eucharist. So this petition refers to daily sustenance in both temporal and spiritual terms. The temporal is our need for daily food. And the spiritual sustenance is both the Sacramental bread which is consecrated daily in the Church and the nourishing Word of God.

''It must be noted that in the first three petitions of this prayer only things spiritual are asked for—those which indeed begin to be in this world but are only brought to fruition in the life eternal. Thus, when we pray that the name of God be hallowed, we really ask that the name of God be known; when we pray that the kingdom of God may come, we ask that we may participate in God's kingdom; and when we pray that the will of God be done, we ask that His will be accomplished in us. All these things, however, although they have their beginning here on earth, cannot be had in their fullness except in heaven. Hence, it is necessary to pray for certain necessaries which can be completely had in this life. The Holy Spirit, then, taught us to ask for the requirements of this present life which are here obtainable in their fullness, and at the same time He shows that our temporal wants are provided us by God. It is this that is meant when we say: "Give us this day our daily bread."

One may also see in this bread another twofold meaning, viz., Sacramental Bread and the Bread of the Word of God. Thus, in the first meaning, we pray for our Sacramental Bread which is consecrated daily in the Church, so that we receive it in the Sacrament, and thus it profits us unto salvation: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven."

The Lumen Christi Hymnal

A Great Catholic Hymn Book That Focusses on the Liturgy of the Hours, and Discourages Hymn Singing In Mass

The Lumen Christi Hymnal is the hymn book that those who chant the Office in English will have been waiting for. Here we have liturgical hymns appropriate for the Office, translated well into English so that they can be sung to the chant melodies from the Liber Hymnalis. There are hymns for Lauds, Vespers and Compline for a four-weekly cycle in ordinary time, as well as hymns that are proper to the seasons, the commons and to particular days. The translations are from a variety of sources including the 19th century Anglicans and more recently, the community of St Cecilia's Abbey at Ryde in the Isle of Wight. These hymns and melodies suit the Offices for which they were designed far more than devotional hymns, ancient or modern, that most psalter seem to want to direct you to.

One great advantage is that, as with the ancient Latin hymns, the pattern of the texts hardly vary. This means that even if I am not skilled at sight reading the music, provided I know even just one melody then I can sing many other hymns to that melody. This possibility of interchanging so many melodies and texts suddenly opens up the possibility of the musically challenged, like myself, being able to sing very quickly a hymn for each Office each day. As I learn more melodies I can gradually increase the variety so I don't need to bet bored, but I am not bound to know all tunes before I can sing each hymn. The General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours allows for flexibility in choosing the hymns for Offices (within defined limits) and their melodies, so one does not need to feel absolutely bound by the format what is given here. This makes it a very adaptable and therefore practical resource for those who are beginning to learn to sing the Office.

As with the Lumen Christi Gradual it is attractively bound, a pleasure to hold and handle and comes at the reasonable price of $14.95. It is relatively thin, so could easily fit into the racks on church pews without putting strain on the carpentry. All of this is, I hope, is going to make it something that will make it desirable to parishes and families.

The first section of the book contains what it calls devotional hymns - 'traditional hymnody that Catholics in the United States know and love'. Many of these are quite old (there are several medieval carols for example). Some are more modern. These the ones that are likely to be familiar to us as hymns sung at Mass. However, while it does acknowledge that it is not illegitimate to sing hymns at Mass, we are discouraged from doing so. The thoughtful introduction, written by Adam Bartlett, tells us that these 'devotional hymns are meant to assist individuals, families and communities in their private and devotional prayer, further connecting the grace and prayer of the liturgy with everyday life' and preparing us for a 'more fruitful participation in the liturgy'. He expands on the place of hymns in the Roman Rite, and it is worth reproducing a section of this introduction. 'For Catholics, the hymn properly belongs to the Liturgy of the Hours, or Divine Office. Here, at the beginning of every hour, the Church places on the lips of all the faithful a hymn that reveals a particular dimension of the mystery of the hour, the day, the feast or the season. This hymn accompanies no other liturgical rite; the purpose of the hymn in the Liturgy of the Hours is for reflection on the poetic text, and an appropriation of the text from hands to lips to heart 'The Mass, however, contains fewer hymns in its proper structure. The model for the sung liturgy that the Church envisions includes the singing of the Order of Mass (the dialogues and the unchanging framework), the Mass Ordinary (Kyrie, Gloria, Creed, Sanctus and the Agnus Dei) and of the antiphons and psalms that form the Proper of the Mass (Entance Antiphon, Alleluia, Offertory Antiphon and Communion Antiphon). All of these chants, which are appointed by the Church can be found in the Roman Missal and the Graduale Romanum, and, by extension, in the Lumen Christi Missal and the Lumen Christi Simple Gradual. 'The antiphons and Psalms contained within the Propers of the Mass are best suited to the three Mass processions (the Entrance, Offertory and Communion). In each case, the antiphon is first intoned by the cantor, and is then repeated by all of the faithful or by the choir; then verses from the Psalm are sung by the cantor in alternation of the repeated refrain. In this way, the singing can be shortened or lengthened as needed, according to the length of the procession. Additionally, the faithful can sing the repeated refrain while observing and engaging in the ritual action taking place. 'This is one of the many reasons why the Eucharistic liturgy envisions the singing of the antiphons and Psalms at the Entrance, Offertory and Communion, as is seen in the first three options given for them in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (see articles 48, 74 and 87). The fourth and final option for these chants is the singing of "another liturgical chant that is suited to the sacred action, the day or the time of year, similarly approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop" (see GIRM 48), which over the past 50 years has taken the form of a hymn. 'The practice of singing devotional hymns during the Mass processions is a custom that emerged well before the Second Vatican Council, and is one that the Council hoped would give way to truly liturgical singing, and to the singing of the Mass itself. The Council, desired for the assembly of the faithful to participate in a fully conscious and active way in the liturgy itself, not in devotions that stand in the place of actual liturgical texts and rites.' The introduction also give clear explanations of how to sing the hymns. The music is presented in the five-line musical notation. I would have preferred that chant notation but found that inclusion of the familiar chant elements did help to make retain the intuitive aspects of chant notation that I like.

'

Wagner, Gargoyles, Shadow...and the Art of Gurning

So many people came in and commented on my article last week about Wagner, that I thought I would redirect you to two articles written about what happens when you put ugliness next to beauty. Provided the ugliness doesn't dominate, then in fact by the contrast it affords it can serve to heighten our sense of the beauty of the whole. In the context of visual beauty, Church Fathers wrote about this, monks incorporated it into their manuscript illuminations, baroque artists used it symbolically in their contrast of light and dark and gothic artists incorporated gargoyles into their buildings. As I wrote in response to one person who commented, I am not against all dissonance in music. There is a place for it, I think provided it doesn't dominate in such a way that it becomes the characterizing feature of the music. When used well, stepping in and out of key for example can heighten our sense of a full resolution and the beauty of the whole.

Anyway, here the articles: first a light hearted one called  Living Gargoyles - the Medieval Art of Gurning; and second here is a more sober presentation of the idea in Okay, Here's the Serious Article About Gargoyles and John Scotus Eriugina

Above, a gargoyle; below: more Arthur Rackham art; and then a real live gurner - you'll have to read the article if you don't know what this is...and finally one of Goya's black paintings from the 18th century.

Photos of a Italian sculpture of the Mother of God and Our Lord as a Child by Cody Swanson

Thanks to reader Ciro Lamonte in Italy for bringing to our notice the sculpture of Cody Swanson. I know little of him, but it seems from his commissions he is well known to others and I am guessing many NLM readers will already know more of his work than I do! Reading through his website, here, he is based in Florence and teaches at the Florence Academy.

I like this very much. Clearly Cody has great skill as a sculptor. Beyond this I offer just a couple of personal thoughts on what I like so much about it: first, I see first an idealised face of Our Lady that seems to me to draw on the classical ideal. I would rather see this than something that is so individualized that it looks like a portrait of the girl nextdoor dressed up in old-fashioned costume. I always feel that even in the naturalistic styles sacred art must have some idealization so that it emphasizes the common humanity - those aspects of Our Lady to which we can hope to emulate. Second, I see strong angular  folds in the drapery as one might have seen in 17th century sculpture and which gives the form vigour and acts against sentimentality.

I took the following photos from Cody's Facebook page. We see drawings, the development of the model in clay in which, as I understand the process the creative work of the artist takes place. And then finally the translation of the clay model into the final medium, which is more of a mechanical process.

Is Wagner the Great Destroyer of Beauty in Music?

Richard Wagner is a controversial figure in the intellectual sub-culture of American orthodox Catholicism. He is identified as one of the key architects of modern music, breaking the rules and so making it fashionable so that classical music today is has become the random noise that is Harrison Birtwistle. Wagner's musical sins were, as I understand it, two fold (we'll leave his personal life aside). First the opening of his opera Tristan and Isolde and the inclusion of the 'Tristan chord', that sounds dissonant in its setting; the second is his use of a compositional device called 'chromaticism'.

In regard to the first, the opening chord of the opera does sound discordant to me and I don't like what I am hearing. I heard the famous English conductor Sir Simon Rattle once describe this little passage as so influential that in his estimation it marked the beginning of modern classical music. Sir Simon thought this was a good thing, as far as I can gather, but if he is right then for people like me who can't stand dissonant music, then perhaps this does make Wagner the great villain...one who had in impact, we might say, of Wagnerian proportions.

Second is Wagner's free use of chromaticism. This the use of intervals and chord sequences that move freely between keys and modes. Again, I am old that it is in Tristan und Isolde particularly that he uses this device. Increased chromaticism is often cited as one of the main causes or signs of the "break down" of tonality. As a result the world of classical music that gave us Bach and Beethoven metamorphosed into one that gave us Boulez and Birtwistle.

But, and here's the problem for me, apart from those little passages referred to much of Wagner sounds sweet and harmonous to my inexpert ear. In fact Wagner's Siegfried Idyll is one of absolute favourite pieces of music. I heard a story associated with this. He wrote it for his wife's birthday and presented it to her on the day by having the orchestra play it on a boat on a mountain lake at dawn. It was a misty morning and as the boat approached the shore the music could be heard before the boat and orchestra could be seen. It is gushingly romantic and regardless of the truth of the story, I imagine that mountain lake scene every time I hear it.

It may be that like the Impressionists in art, whose influence for radical change is seen more easily in those that followed than in their own work, Wagner started the trend dissonance without actually employing it much himself. You can make your own mind up on this one, here is Herbert von Karajan conducting the Vienna Philharmonic.  The pictures incidentally are illustrations of the published stories of Wagner's operas painted in the early 20th century by the great English illustrator Arthur Rackham. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0QsSCPoa0w

Pictures of a Recently Completed Giant Mural of the Crowning of the Virgin from Malaga, Spain

The artist Raul Berzosa has sent me the following pictures of his recently completed project. It is of the ceiling of the Oratory of the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Sorrows, Málaga, Spain.  It took him a year to paint. The total size of the roof is 12.20 meters long and 9.62 meters wide, with a total of 130 square meters approximately. It is painted in acrylic. His website for more information is here, http://www.raulberzosa.com/. This is a spectacular achievement and it is good to see work of this sort being commissioned and executed. I hope there will be more!  If I have one point to make, it is my usual one that my personal taste is to see more muted colour and shadow with the brightness concentrated on the principle foci of interest in the baroque fashion. Also, acrylic, the medium which he uses, can have an artificial quality, as though it is permanently lit by fluorescent strip lighting. However, I should state that I have seen only the photographs and so I have not seen the work in situ. For a work like this the impact can be very different when viewed from where it is intended to be seen - this would be viewed ordinarily from a great distance away by observers looking up from the floor. The artist has no doubt designed it with this with this in mind.