This section conceived by the Chair of Sacred Music of the Padre Félix Varela Cultural Center within Palabra Nueva, aims to dedicate himself to valuing the sacred contemporary musical heritage to use in our liturgies and congregations. With a specialized criterion, the sacred repertoires will be analyzed and suggested new approaches to musical interpretation within the liturgical celebrations, so that faithful and practical musicians have tools that facilitate the musical-rite relationship at different times of the liturgical calendar.
Many are known for the socio-cultural impact of the renewals of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council (1962-1965). In the field of music, in the post-reconciled stage a repertoire has been generated in dialogue with the cultural substrate of our people, particularly visible in terms of rhythm, rhythm and musical genre, with sones, guarachas, “Afro lament”, guajiras, among others, all accompanied by the text of the songs in Spanish to facilitate a greater closeness of those who participate in the rites to the music that accompanies and supports the liturgy.
What in the seventies and eighties was then that “new” post-conciliar musical repertoire, was gathered in a laudable editorial effort of the Catholic Church entitled Cuba sings his faith, coordinated by the sacred musician Ada Rabelo, holder of the Church of Charity and connoisseur of works and composers, as well as the premises and conciliar perspectives. The valuable compendium Cuba sings its faith, articulated in several volumes at the service of liturgical times and festivities – Advent, Christmas, Lent / Easter / Easter , Ordinary Time and Mariana Festivities – grouped at the time of publication the main musical authors who before and after the Council presented creative concerns related to liturgical renewals. In this way, some emblematic names of the music of the twentieth century in the Catholic Church of the Island such as Perla Moré, Alfredo Morales, Jorge Catasús, Toni Rubí, Emérita Sorí, Rogelio Hernández, Frank Gómez… they were crystallized in that ridge and became part of the post-reconciled “sound of Mass” in our country.
After several years of use of this repertoire, many congregations with musician-composers consecrated in their memberships have spontaneously created new compositions for liturgical use in tune with their needs of faith, sometimes more consistent with conciliar renewal and others less. In Havana, it is the case, for example, of the Community of Sant’Egidio, with a particular repertoire and cantoral of internal circulation within the community. This shows that it is perhaps the time to systematize and compile a second version of Cuba sings its faith, to collect a selection of these recent compositions, with new interpretations of our folkloric tradition, with other puppet combinations that are not only the key stereotypicals, maracas and tombs, as well as new names of composers emerging from among younger Christians. However, although subsequent generations are perhaps unaware of the origin and origin of the songs of the pioneering cantoral Cuba sings its faith, in many other congregations this compendium remains a reference material, useful and everyday use.
In line with this concept, it seems appropriate then to begin by commenting on the worth of some works of the repertoire of Lent and Holy Week treasured in Cuba sings his faith, being close to living this time of the liturgical year in our communities. Lent, the period in which the Church prepares for easter, is also a cycle of penance and reflection that leads to the Lord’s death and glorification in our lives in The Great Week or Easter. The liturgy of this time itself travels through various phases or moods and also music, that of yesteryear and pre-reconcile and contemporary and post-Second Vatican Council. In this way, the ridge of Lent proposes a song of the beginning of time as A ti raised my eyes (No. 246) of the authorship of Miguel Manzano inspired by Psalm 122, which thematically enthrones with the gradual Miserere mei Deus belonging to the ancient liturgy of Ash Wednesday that begins Lent. Without any generic identification that links music to gesturalities or danceable rhythms consistent with the sobriety and gathering of the rite of the Ashes, the rhythm of the antiphon of A ti raised my eyes circulates in our day even in a more attenuated version, of long values, without the emphasis of the pointed figures of singing in his original writing, turning the martial tone conceived by the author in a Cantabrian style.
Others of the Psalms musicalized and used at this time are: Help comes from the Lord (No. 249, Psalm 120) by María P. Rudisill and From the Deep (No. 248, Psalm 129) by Miguel Manzano. As with Psalm 122, the celebratory practice of our congregations has dictated in several of them new ways of intonation of these songs, almost never complying with the generic indication of “ballad” of The Aid… or “alegretto” from the deep, but getting into a quieter tempo, kind of slow songs in keeping with the spirit of Lent.
With regard to Easter chants, related to the office of Palm Sunday and inherited from the last liturgy, appear in the hosanna ridge to the Son of David – No. 273 and 275, of Cantalapiedra and F. Palazón, respectively, antiphon of the time of Tercia Hosanna filio David – and Gloria, praise and honor (No. 253, by F. Palazón), both related to the procession of the bouquets. In these cases the processional functionality seems to have determined that they are very simple rhythmic and melodic chants, hence to the present they sustain their stable use within the liturgy of that day.
Considering the repertoire, in other centuries, of the cathedrals of Santiago de Cuba and Havana, by authors such as Esteban Salas, Juan Paris and Cayetano Pagueras, we see that the period of Lent and Easter has a special tone in the catalogues of composers like those. Although perhaps its musical languages are more “fashionable” at other times of the year such as Christmas, Easter is treated as a space to make music in the use of centuries past, without rhythms or raucous or outstanding instruments, but imitating the masters of ancient polyphony. This return to the tradition of origin is what perhaps determined that the Spanish author named Cantalapiedra has special relevance in this fragment of the cantoral. In the works of his authorship collected, we see complete austerity in musical resources, perhaps because we do not understand the characteristics of the Cuban musical tradition – in particular that condition of an always provocative rhythmic – or possibly to be more attached to the spirit of liturgical time, at least to the sobriety prior to the Resurrection of Christ. And so did the composers of the past: that the passion and death of the Lord happened once and for all and demands reverence and solemnity even in a context of cultural renewals lived today by the universal Church.
From Cantalapiedra then are other works: The Mandate (No. 271) from Mandatum novum do vobis antiphona for the Lavatory of the feet of Holy Thursday and Why have you abandoned us? (No. 276) version of Psalm 21, in Latin Deus, Deus, réspice in me, previously used in the liturgy of the time of Maitines on Good Friday. None of these pieces have indications of Cuban genres, however, we have lived the effectiveness of their functionality – particularly in Friday’s liturgy – where the Church recalls the words of King David, “My God, my God, why have you helpless me?” in association with the suffering of Christ.
Even in the context of the sobriety of the Passion, a success is the song My People, what evil have I caused you? (No. 277) by Frank Gómez in guajira rhythm, inherited from the popule meus verse of Friday’s pre-reconciled liturgy. The choice of guajira to say in music that text, accentuates God’s closeness to the Cuban people, asking in his own cultural keys “my people, what evil have I caused you?, in what offended you?, answer me”.
Finally, as for songs dedicated to the liturgies of Holy Saturday and Resurrection Sunday, the cantoral offers works such as Protégeme, my God (No. 262) by F. Palazón y Señor, you will teach me (No. 263) by Toni Ruby, both inspired by Psalm 15 Conservame, Master of the hour of Maitines of Holy Saturday, as well as Joyful morning (No. 282) of J. A. Espinosa; This is the day (No. 301) of Apple and Psalm 117 of the hour of Resurrection Vespers, and Hallelujah, the Lord was resurrected (No. 284) from V. Morales, ancient Introito of the Resurrection Mass. All of these, well known in our congregations, reflect the tone of jubilation emanating from Jesus’ victory over death, palpable in the major shades that predominate, although once again there is no absence of rhythms and folkloric genres. Ω
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