Duchowość chorału gregoriańskiego
Spirituality of Gregorian chant

Summary/Abstract: Gregorian chant has always been presented in the Church documents as a model of liturgical singing. The centuries old tradition made it the most suitable and fundamental chant of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant owes its primacy to its sacredness, religiousness and perfection of form. Whenever it appears in the liturgy it arouses the most noble feelings. When we sing Gregorian chant in the liturgy, we can feel the peculiar and unique depth of these melodies and their direct and intentional relation with particular liturgical ceremonies. We can sense the sacredness of the chant even if we do not grasp the meaning of its lyrics and it proves the exceptional spiritual power of the chant. The structure of the chant tunes does not so much aim at evoking particular affections as it serves the prayer, expressing the inner relation of man with God. Thanks to the moderation and simplicity of the tone, Gregorian chant facilitates a genuine prayer concentration while turning our thoughts to God. The spiritual power of this music became the reason for creating innumerable religious and liturgical compositions. Gregorian spirit is still present in many religious melodies composed nowadays. It is the confirmation of the fact that this chant “has not died” yet but it is still alive and serves as a point of reference while determining whether newly created songs are appropriate for the liturgy or not. This chant not only personifies the sacrum but it is also a kind of musical icon, an exceptional point of reference, and the source of inspiration for all those who compose music connected with the Christian worship. That is why, twelve centuries after its creation, the Church still regards Gregorian chant as the unrivalled prototype of any liturgical music and up to now it has been a source of inspiration for great composers. However, to discover the real depth of these tunes, it is indispensable to listen carefully and look for the beauty which once was captured by their brilliant composers.

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