Positively Puzzled

In a blog entry back in June, titled the tao of plainchant , I set out to relate, while it was still fresh in my mind, the encounter I had with a group of men in the community who gather on Sundays to sing Gregorian Chant. In that post, however, I all too quickly used up my meager personal blogging resources to fill in the background and describe the history of my interest in the arcane art form, only to cap it off by promising to describe in a future post my experience with the chant group. Voila, a scant five months later, I’m delivering on my promise! (Sorry it took so long, O’Donovan .). It was the end of May when I was invited to sit in with the group. I’d known about them for at least 20 years, and had always been intrigued by the improbable idea of a non-monastic (no cowls required) chant gathering in California, and was delighted that it was still going on. Since Meera was attending Sunday services at a nearby church at roughly the same time, it was perfectly convenient for ...

Gregorian Day of Wrath , originally uploaded by I, Puzzled . A couple of weeks ago an old friend of mine, Andy, whom I hadn't seen in years, was in town visiting family and friends. He now lives in West Java with his Indonesian wife and their two young girls. While we were figuring out a time, during his short stay, when we might be able to get together, he mentioned a group of men in the community who gather on Sunday mornings to sing Gregorian chant. Andy was planning to attend, and he invited me to come along. I learned of this group more than 20 years ago, and had been intrigued ever since. I was delighted that they were still chanting, and still more delighted that I had been invited to participate, and penetrate this inner sanctum of sorts. As far back as I can remember I have admired the sublime ability of Gregorian chant to invoke calm serenity. When I was in high school I procured a 4-LP Murray Hill* box set of Gregorian chant by mail order. What pure heaven, how sooth...