Christopher Jasper on Low-Key Yet
Highly Popular Chant Workshop
The first thing that comes to mind for many people when hearing of Pasadena is the Rose Bowl. With a seating capacity of nearly 90,000, this venerable stadium hosts its eponymously-named football game every January 1 or 2. For over a century, two of the best college teams in the country have squared off in the game called the “Granddaddy of Them All” because of its status as the oldest of bowl games.
This west coast tradition may not seem to have anything to do with sacred music, but there is a parallel. Gregorian chant is commonly referred to as the “Grandfather of Western Music” because it is the earliest and most influential form of music in the western world. It laid the groundwork for several other types of music (bowls in the football analogy) that would come about in the future.
Furthermore, the very name Pasadena means “Crown of the Valley” in Chippawa. Crowns are for royalty and valleys are for humility — and Gregorian chant is associated with both. The end of the Christian life is to reign with Christ in Heaven, but this noblest of all noble aspirations is accomplished through humbling work here. Chanting the Church’s music — which embodies simplicity, patience, and reverence — is not a self-centered vocal performance, but a great aid toward virtue.
Saint Augustine said that there is something in humility that strangely exalts the heart, and Pasadena-born Christopher Jasper has found this to be true — not only in simple Gregorian chant (often called plainchant) — but in life overall. Jasper’s twenties and early thirties were filled with both strong successes and severe setbacks — including a COVID-associated period of underemployment.
The now 38-year-old father of five experienced a big turnaround in early 2021 when his online Gregorian Chant Academy took off. Since then, Jasper has been able to share the Church’s traditional music with several thousand souls.
Jasper is now a member of the FSSP’s Saint Joan of Arc Parish in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where he had been the choir director and where he is still associated with the music program. The hills of rural Idaho are literally alive with the sound of music — specifically the Church’s traditional melodies.
Jasper recently shared his adventurously music-filled life story in the following Q&A.
How did you first become interested in music generally, and sacred music specifically?
I was born and raised in the traditional (extraordinary form) liturgy and experienced the beauty of Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony (simultaneous yet independent Gregorian melodies) at Mass, but also in the home. We had lots of vinyl records and audio cassette tapes — and later CDs — of chant and polyphony and I would listen to those all the time.
We listened to other music too, of course: a lot of classical and operatic arias (Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, etc.) as well as American and Irish folk music. Since my maternal grandmother is from Spain and maternal grandfather was an American-born Lebanese (his parents immigrated from Lebanon as children), we also grew up listening to a lot of traditional flamenco and Lebanese music, both secular and religious.
Music was a huge part of my upbringing, but Gregorian chant was always my ultimate favorite — and for reasons I don’t fully understand even to this very day. Perhaps it was just something God put in me in order to pass it along to others. It’s meant for all Catholics to participate in to one degree or another, but not all Catholics are meant to teach it in classes.
What do you say to people who think that Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony are relics of the past — or that they should only have limited use today in Traditional Latin Mass parishes?
That can be understandable if all they have experienced is really amateur musicians singing it. The singers may be very holy and operate with the best of intentions, but if they lack the musical abilities to do the music justice, well, that can be detrimental to those who hear it. It can be distracting or sometimes outright painful to listen to.
On the other hand, when most people, regardless of religion, do hear chant or polyphony sung very well — especially if they hear it live and in a beautiful church — [they] are typically very moved by it and immediately sense the sacrality and transcendence of this kind of music.
Other times, those complaining about it might just be too attached to the “feel good vibes” they get from your typical “praise and worship” music. While some of that kind of music might be fine and beautiful in its own limited way, is it really appropriate for the sacred liturgy — the official worship of the Church passed down through the ages? That’s a question that needs to be asked.
What does the Church say? The Church has said quite a bit about sacred music and there’s really too much to quote here. However, I will try to highlight a few points. In Pope Pius X’s motu proprio, Tra Le Sollecitudini, the Holy Father says the following fascinating things:
Sacred music should possess, in the highest degree, the qualities proper to the liturgy, and in particular sanctity and goodness of form, which will spontaneously produce the final quality of universality.
It must be holy (in itself and also in the manner in which it is executed). It must be true art…It must be universal in the sense that…nobody of any nation may receive an impression other than good on hearing them.
These qualities are to be found, in the highest degree, in Gregorian chant, which is, consequently the chant proper to the Roman Church … Gregorian chant has always been regarded as the supreme model for sacred music, so that it is fully legitimate to lay down the following rule: the more closely a composition for church approaches in its movement, inspiration and savor the Gregorian form, the more sacred and liturgical it becomes; and the more out of harmony it is with that supreme model, the less worthy it is of the temple. [emphasis added]
…Special efforts are to be made to restore the use of Gregorian chant by the people, so that the faithful may again take a more active part in the ecclesiastical offices, as was the case in ancient times.
Gregorian chant is meant for all Catholics, not only to enjoy listening to, but to join in at church and at home. This can be done with the ordinary of the Mass, which is the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei — as well as hymns such as Salve Regina, Pange Lingua and Veni Creator Spiritus. Pope Pius X goes on to explain the development of Gregorian chant into Renaissance polyphony:
The above-mentioned qualities are also possessed in an excellent degree by Classic polyphony, especially of the Roman School, which reached its greatest perfection in the sixteenth century, owing to the works of Pierluigi da Palestrina, and continued subsequently to produce compositions of excellent quality from a liturgical and musical standpoint.
Classic polyphony agrees admirably with Gregorian chant, the supreme model of all sacred music, and hence it has been found worthy of a place side by side with Gregorian chant…”
The Holy Father goes on to say that sacred (i.e. liturgical) music must not be composed in a manner reminiscent of secular popular music as this is unsuitable for the liturgy. He also mentions that while the organ is permitted with certain limitations, “the piano is forbidden in church, as is also that of noisy or frivolous instruments such as drums, cymbals, bells and the like. It is strictly forbidden to have bands play in church…”
Pope Pius XI in his apostolic constitution, Divini Cultus Sanctitatem and Pius XII in his encyclicals Musica Sacrae and Mediator Dei reiterated and reinforced the same sentiments of Pius X. Now, one might think that because those were written prior to the Second Vatican Council, that they are somehow no longer valid. On the contrary, Vatican II’s document Sacrosanctum Concilium, chapter 6, mentions Pius X by name and says:
Therefore, sacred music is to be considered the more holy in proportion as it is more closely connected with the liturgical action… The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given principal place (principem locum) in liturgical services. But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action, as laid down in Art. 30.
In contrast with the previous documents, it only mentions Gregorian chant twice and uses language which is more ambiguous than previously. But whenever the Church publishes something that is less than explicit, it is to be interpreted in continuity with the past, not as a break from the past.
This same document alludes to this, saying:
Accordingly, the sacred Council, keeping to the norms and precepts of ecclesiastical tradition and discipline, and having regard to the purpose of sacred music, which is the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful, decrees as follows…
Pope Paul VI approved of the instruction Musicam Sacram to further clarify and reinforce the teachings on sacred music. It says
Above all, the study and practice of Gregorian chant is to be promoted, because, with its special characteristics, it is a basis of great importance for the development of sacred music.
Likewise, Pope John Paul II produced his Chirograph on Sacred Music in 2003 where he reiterated the teaching of Pius X and his successors; Benedict XVI upheld the same, most notably in his Apostolic Exhortation, Sacramentum Caritatis, in 2007. Even Pope Francis, as modern, progressive and controversial as he was, in his Address to the Italian Association of Saint Cecilia in 2019, said:
Gregorian chant, in particular, is a treasure of the Church, with its sobriety and purity, capable of expressing the depths of prayer. It is not just a historical artifact but a living tradition that can still inspire us today.
And in his message to the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in 2017, Pope Francis said:
The study and practice of sacred music, particularly Gregorian chant, must be promoted to ensure that the faithful may participate more fully in the liturgy… Chant, with its universal character, helps to unite the assembly in prayer and contemplation.
Of course, our current Pope Leo XIV has shown himself to be no stranger to Gregorian chant, prompting the dean of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music to begin producing short videos under the banner of “Let’s Sing With The Pope”. These are just brief points and quotes, and there are many more. So, as you can see, the Church has never promoted the expulsion of Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony, but on the contrary, has continuously upheld them as the primary forms of liturgical music and, in the case of Gregorian chant specifically, the supreme model of all [Roman Rite] sacred music.
What resources (books, sites, recordings), before any extensive programs, would you recommend to people who have little to no musical knowledge, but want to understand the music of the Catholic Church?
For websites, I would recommend the Church Music Association of America, Corpus Christi Watershed and the Musica Sacra Project. Each of these have links to a ton of resources for listening, reading and other learning.
For books, even though I am not a fan of the Solesmes Method of Dom Mocquereau, it’s hard to find any introductory books that don’t teach it. Therefore, I would recommend the Laus In Ecclesia level 1 or Square Notes: A Workbook in Gregorian Chant. These are very beginner- friendly, especially the Square Notes book. I actually plan on writing my own introductory book, but that will be yet a while.
For books that give more of an overview of chant’s history and theory, I might recommend Gregorian Chant: A Guide by my former mentor Dom Saulnier and I would recommend the translation by Dr Mary Berry.
As for recordings, I might recommend those from Solesmes under the direction of Dom Jean Claire (such as the Tenebrae albums), as well as albums by Nova Schola Gregoriana, directed by my friend Msgr. Alberto Turco. Of course, I also make some of my own recordings as well.
Are you currently a choir director at a parish (and if so, do you have albums, workshops, polyphony performances, etc.)?
I have directed a number of different parishes since 2007, beginning with Mel Gibson’s private chapel in Agoura Hills, California; then the historic Five Wounds in San Jose, the Cathedral of St Thomas in Reno, Nevada; and most recently at St Joan of Arc in my current hometown of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I directed here for about 5 years until I had to retire at the end of 2018 to devote more time to my growing family of five young children. So, while I don’t direct an actual choir anymore, I still sing in the choir on occasion as circumstances permit.
I still give some in-person workshops and in fact, I just completed a 3-part workshop with my parish choir. My parish choir does not make any recordings, but as I mentioned, I do make my own recordings. My previous attempts suffered from a lack of knowledge and skills in recording and mixing, but those have greatly improved (as well as my voice) over the last year and I plan on making some new, professionally-produced albums, hopefully with the help of some friends who are fantastic singers.
How did your recorded chant program start and what has been the response?
It was an idea I had all the way back in 2010. I had originally studied and pursued a career in acting and filmmaking, graduating from the New York Film Academy (in Hollywood, ironically) in 2008. Pretty soon, because of the immorality in the industry, I decided to give up on that career and pursue one in sacred music instead.
In 2010 I had the opportunity to study chant at the Abbey of Solesmes in France under the direction of the now late Dom Saulnier. Since I had talent and skills in acting and filmmaking, as well as knowledge and skills in chant that many others do not, I really wanted to put the two together and offer an in-depth, systematic study of chant in digital format to make it easier for everyone to learn.
But everything works in God’s time and the time wasn’t right yet. In 2014, I entered the traditional Benedictine monastery in Norcia, Italy (the birthplace of St Benedict) and lived life as a postulant monk for several months with other men united in chanting the Divine Office and Mass, before returning to the United States.
It wasn’t until 2021, while experiencing a period of severe underemployment, that I thought it might be the right time to try launching this endeavor. My wife agreed, so in January of 2021, I started the Gregorian Chant Academy on YouTube (not really knowing anything about YouTube at the time) and after one year it had already grown to over 10,000 subscribers.
In March of 2022 I introduced my online master course, or in-depth, systematic study. It sold out immediately and the Academy has been my full-time job and sole source of income ever since. As for my master course itself, what I have tried to do is distill everything I know about chant into this course, focusing on what really matters and makes a difference for the actual performance of chant in the liturgy.
People can get doctorates and post-doctorates in Gregorian chant just like any other field of study, but a lot of that doesn’t have a significant impact on actual liturgical singing. I have tried to weed out anything that is overly academic, focusing on what actually does make a difference.
What do you say to people who think it is better to have in-person instruction rather than recorded lessons?
I absolutely agree, but not everyone has the ability to do so. Maybe they can’t take the time off work or family. Maybe they don’t presently have the confidence to sing at all in a group setting, but want to build up to that point. Maybe they can’t afford it. That’s a big one. Many of these in-person seminars / colloquiums / symposiums often cost
500
−
500−1000 just for registration. Then you have to add travel costs, lodging, food, and anything else you might buy while you’re there (books, for example).
And that’s for an event in the U.S. If you want to go to one in Europe — and I have several times — you have to pay for international airfare and other things mentioned, but at even greater prices. So yes, in-person training is preferable, but it can also be very restricting, because you aren’t always allowed the time for organic, personal growth. The clock and the rest of the students matter, too.
A self-paced online course — which, while it may not have live interaction and feedback, still provides a lot of very valuable information — is incredibly accessible and a fraction of the cost. If the student is diligent and actually does the homework and practices, it can still produce amazing results as many of my students have already experienced and testified to.
However, because a pre-recorded, self-paced course does not provide that direct interaction and feedback that one would receive from an in-person training, that is exactly why I will be introducing a (tentatively) 12-week live cohort program beginning in January, 2026. This will be live but still online, meaning that students will get that in-person interaction and feedback but without having to travel and disrupt their lives and schedules.
The only drawback to this is that they will have to commit to meeting once a week every Saturday morning for the duration of the program. But if they can do that, it really offers the best of both worlds: in-person style training, without having to travel to be in-person.
Who are your favorite polyphonic composers and why?
Right off the top of my head I would say the great four: Palestrina, Victoria, Byrd and Tallis. Others I really like are Henry Purcell, Edward Elgar, Philip Stopford, Ola Gjeilo, and Arvo Pärt, to name a few. I also really like a lot of Russian / Ukrainian choral music by composers such as Rachmaninoff, and also traditional Corsican and Georgian music.
What are your current musical goals?
Well, I love teaching, but I also love to keep learning about chant, choral music, conducting, the human voice, specific methods of teaching, etc. I am currently enrolled in a 2-year, fully-accredited program from Vocal Process LTD to become an internationally-certified singing teacher, so completing that would certainly be a goal.
I am also in discussions with a friend who has 30+ years as a professional choral conductor, has earned master’s degrees in composition, conducting, organ and musicology — and nearly has a doctorate — about forming our own sacred music ensemble. It would be somewhat of a Catholic American version of Voces8, if you will.
We are still in discussions and evaluating possibilities. Aside from that, I guess you might say my musical goals are to keep doing what I’ve been doing with the recorded Gregorian Chant Academy workshop and individual instruction, keep getting better at it, and other ideas or opportunities may very well present themselves as time goes by.
Timing is essential in making music great; God’s timing is perfect, so I trust that the music of my life will turn out well in His time.
Trent Beattie is the author of Scruples and Sainthood (Loreto Publications) and Fit for Heaven (Dynamic Catholic). He is also the editor of Saint Alphonsus Liguori for Every Day (Mediatrix Press), Finding True Happiness (Dynamic Catholic) and Apostolic Athletes (Marian Press).
