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The Franciscan Legionnaire Newsletter of the Friars Legion of St August 2014 The Franciscan Legionnaire Newsletter of the Friars Legion of St. Peter’s Church in the Loop 110 W. Madison St., Chicago, IL 60602 Phone: 312-853-2357 E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.stpetersloop.org arm, while holding a bent bow in his right hand, FRANCISCANS & MUSIC drawing it over the stick as if it were a viola and Fr. Bob Hutmacher, ofm would sing in French about God.” Felix Timmerman wrote a fictional “I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing biography of St. Francis in 1931 praise to my God while I live.” A lovely couplet called The Harp of St. Francis. from Psalm 104 expresses what Timmerman said and Contemporary scholars would pan it certainly what Francis lived for at least twenty years. for historical accuracy but the author Inherent in every human being, music naturally flows does capture some of the spirit of from our hearts. We sing in the shower, we sing Francis, just as did Johannes lullabies to our infants, we sing at ball games and we Jorgensen in his 1917 biography. sing on endless birthdays. National pride, personal Here is a quote by St. Francis in love, happiness, mourning and everything in between Timmerman’s book: “A friar minor – we sing. And yes, we sing in and about our lives should own nothing but his harp. His with God. harp is his soul, which should praise God without ceasing.” I’ll be the first to admit I love that analogy I like to call music the Queen of All Languages because I’ve played the harp for thirty years. because we don’t need words. Witness thousands of Timmerman clearly expressed how the human heart people at the World Cup or crowds at the can rejoice in constant praise of our Creator. Olympics…music takes us far beyond political differences and unites the human spirit. That’s why I’ll bet you didn’t know a harp can produce sound I’ve always wondered why politicians don’t sing even when it’s standing alone and untouched. Yes around tables instead of pointing fingers. It could indeed! If I have the harp outdoors and a wind rises create some fascinating melodies to say nothing of up, the strings will catch even the smallest breeze. possible musicals! I may be naïve in that arena but Just the movement of air creates a very ethereal when you consider what happened in one football sound of harmonics caused by both the length and game in Rio on any given day of the World Cup, my different kind of strings (steel, nylon and gut) moved money would be on a stalled Congress being moved by the wind. Timmerman was correct in saying a to actually pass a bill once in a while were the harp can play constantly. members to sing or listen to music in depositions, hearings and full sessions. Can you imagine a There are many stories about the musical Conclave? I believe Francis could get musicality of our founder and people to sing anywhere! some of the early friars like Bernard of Quintavale. The The Assisi Compilation, section 83 quotes Francis: Assisi Compilation tells us in “What are the servants of God if not his minstrels chapter 38: “Sometimes a sweet who must move people’s hearts and lift them up to melody of the spirit would spiritual joy. At dawn, when the sun rises, everyone bubble up inside him and would should praise God who created it, because through it come out as a French tune; the the eyes are lighted by day. And in the evening, thread of a divine whisper which when it becomes night, everyone should praise God he heard secretly would break for another creature, Brother Fire, because through it out in a French song. He’d pick the eyes are lighted at night.” Guided by the cycle of up a stick and put it over his left creation the prayer of Francis was both constant and Julian of Speyer was a brilliant as honest as an Umbrian sunrise. That is a rhythm of German musician of the early 13th prayer embraced in the early Church, expanded century who taught music and, as through monasticism and lived by the Poverello. It’s composer and conductor, was hired an example of faith and dedication to prayer, one to supply music for the royal which we can also enact in daily life. chapel. After Julian joined the friars he wrote liturgical texts for Clare was also wrapped in that daily rhythm of the Offices of Francis and Anthony of Padua along prayer guided by Brother Sun and Sister Moon. It’s with a biography of Francis. He returned to important to remember that the Ladies of San Germany for a short time and traveled to Assisi in Damiano originally lived under a Benedictine form 1230 to witness the transfer of the body of Francis to of life. In her ground- breaking historical biography the newly constructed Basilica. Julian then returned Clare of Assisi, Ingrid Peterson, OSF, wrote: to the University of Paris where he lived till his death “Because the rule of Cardinal Hugolino given to in 1250. Friars on the Paris faculty with whom he Clare in 1219 was based on the Benedictine way of lived were our brilliant theologians Haymo of life, the monastic routine of prayer was the clock of Haversham, Alexander of Hales, John of La the Poor Ladies.” [Clare wrote her own Rule of Life Rochelle, John of Parma and Bonaventure of for her followers that was accepted by Rome just one Bagnoregio. He taught music to students and the day before her death in 1253. She was the first proper singing of the Divine Office. His work woman in Church history to have written a rule for continues to enhance Franciscan history and his women religious. hymnody is still sung after 800 years! We can safely assume that Clare Many of us older friars may remember Julian’s and the sisters sang in choir antiphon for the Feast of Anthony: Si quaeris because of the nature of the miracula, mors, error, calamitas, daemon, lepra Divine Office, its structure of fugiunt, aegri surgunt sani. If you ask for miracles praying eight times a day and the death, error, calamities, leprosy and demons flee, Benedictines’ love for chant. I and health overcomes infirmities. I still remember also know from my own research the melody after 50 years and to now know that that the earliest hymns written Julian of Speyer wrote this text makes me appreciate about Clare are found in Codex our Franciscan musical heritage even more. 338 in Biblioteca Comunale of Sacro Convento in Assisi. They are songs about Italian friar Costanzo Porta (+1601) reformed Clare by her contemporaries that were used in prayer. liturgical music after the Council of Trent. As They are filled with images of Clare being a new respected as was Palestrina, this composer was a constellation or a star, etc. The most musical text I master of counterpoint. The Venerable Bartholomew worked with is Inclarescat melodia from the 14th Bauer (+1621) was a German musician who joined century: the Church after rejecting Calvinism. He experienced God’s presence by contemplating beauty The melody is famous, the harmony rings clear, and caring for the terminally ill. And Croatian Ivan the heralds proclaim it with full trumpet blare; Marko Lukacic (+1648) was instrumental in the symphony begins its bright angelic dance, popularizing the transition from polyphony to more the Trinity now adorns the lovely Lady Clare. interesting textures in liturgical music. The “Bach of Bohemia,” friar Bohuslav Cernohorsky (+1744) was That’s just the first of four verses. Franciscans have a music director in Prague, Assisi and Padua. I was been, are and will be musical in our prayer! This privileged to have lived with Padre Evangelista year we celebrate Lady Clare’s feast on Monday, Nicolini (+1998) who was director of Cantori August 11; I’m sure around the world parts of the d’Assisi for 40 years and mentored me in medieval Franciscan family will use these 790 year old words music manuscripts over three years I was with the to praise God for her example, life and ongoing friars at Chiesa Nuova in Assisi. Our Province of the healing. Sacred Heart has been blessed with at least sixty friars who’ve served the Church as musicians and music educators in our 135 years as an independent for their songs about courtly love, conversations entity in the United States. between lovers and even politics. Jongleurs, sometimes are called minstrels, were professional Decus morum, dux minorum is yet another 13th story tellers and entertainers, most often paid by century hymn text about Francis that I found in the nobility. Both were popular from the 11th to the 13th Biblioteca Comunale in Assisi. Here’s the first centuries. So when Francis used the image of a verse: minstrel he really wished the friars to take the Gospel into the daily lives of people, right into the Francis, now adorned in glory, marketplace. Our most famous preachers are friars minor honor you. renowned for having drawn huge crowds that either In your life we see the life of Christ, filled churches or public squares. Perhaps that Redeemer, crucified. challenge from Francis needs to be rekindled today We acclaim our father’s fame, as we friars discern how we can bring the message of for all in heaven sing his praise. salvation to the world in new ways.
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