Lecture in Scranton: Gregorian Chant as a Love Song between Christ and His Church

Scranton, PA area readers take note: I will be in nearby Mocanaqua at St. Mary's on Sunday, May 6 at 6:30pm to give a lecture on sacred music. I don't know how many people from that area visit NLM on a regular basis, but I thought I'd put out an advertisement, thinking that it's likely there are at least a few.

Since Puritanism and utilitarianism have both helped to create a culture that does not understand the importance of beauty, I will be starting this lecture with a short discussion on the worthy place of beauty in the liturgy and in the relationship of Christ to his Church. Then I will discuss the place of music in Salvation History and how that applies to the Mass. Following this will be the larger portion of the talk, which will focus on Gregorian chant and the ways in which it is well-suited to and intrinsically part of the liturgy (specifically the Mass), along with some practical advice on how to get started with the implementation of chant in the parish setting.

Here is the text of the official flyer distributed throughout the region by the parish:

SACRED MUSIC LECTURE

Michael Lawrence, organist-composer-conductor

Gregorian Chant & The Modern Roman Rite

-An exploration of sacred liturgy and music with emphasis on Gregorian chant
-Learn why Gregorian chant is treasured by the Catholic church and how your parish can be part of its current revival

Sunday, May 6
6:30 p.m.

St. Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church
Mocanaqua, Pennsylvania

Free and open to the public