15 dec

Back in Taradeau. Back to sunshine during the day. Back to the jacuzzi. Back to: ‘Lauft, ihr Hirten, allzugleich.

Or more accurate, to the Gregorian mass that was sung at Le Thoronet abbey, the most perfect Cistercian abbey that we returned to today.

Gregorian chant, I haven’t figured it out completely. There were several important Gregory popes. They wanted to reform the church, in 600 at least, and around 1100 again – anytime when a pope calls himself Gregory, there is reason for hope, for change (it has been a long time ago for the catholic church!). The focus on Gregorian chants – sober, melodically, enchanting – music, was right around the same time that St Bernard preached his solemn thoughts.

During the mass today there were three different sense of sound. First there was actual talking. Not a lot of it, but the sermon was in french, about St John Baptist and the lessons that we had to get out of his life. Couldn’t follow it really, except for that the real difference was made by the behaviour of us individuals, by the choices we were making, by the way we were living, which I found an inspirational message, somehow.

That was not the most amazing thing. When we visited Le Thoronet two weeks ago, I saw the sign for the ‘messe gregorienne’. I thought it would be a perfect thing to visit when we would come back from Italy.

Imagine a deserted 12^th century abbey, perfect in its dimensions, not perverted by any foolishness from later centuries, just bare, and perfect.

We walked in and heard the sound of gregorian chant, performed, it seemed, by a well practised group of at leats 25 singers. Walking up the church we found out there were three men singing. One of them mainly making back ground sounds. MMMMMMMMMMMMM, MNMNMNMNMNMNMN, NNNNNNNNNNNNNN, mmmmmmmmmmmm, mnmnmnmnmnmnm, nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

But it sounded like an orchestra.

It was an stunning experience. There were exactly 17 people attending the mass, including four children under ten who floated through the church, adding a different level of liveliness, which wasn’t necessary, but welcome anyway.

When I first looked I thought it was Peter Smith performing. I am still not sure it wasn’t him, although he didn’t walk up to us immediately afterwards, and just wished everyone a ‘bonne dimanche’ and told them to come back for the christmas eve celebration.

Maybe he did recognize us and didn’t want to spoil his disguise. If anyone of the Paddockhurst community did miss Peter today (mainly you Sue!) he was in Le Thoronet, doing an amazing performance, for the main part as a solo performance, of Gregorian chants. Just to be sure, ask Peter to sing a Gregorian Credo at one of the Christmas parties, if it was him, we weren’t really sure still, he will do an amazing job.

And so the morning gradually shifted into the afternoon, and the afternoon gradually got us ready for our afternoon Jacuzzi. I am not sure where our life will bring us after this trip, but I am pretty sure it will have to include the possibility of a late afternoon, preferably late evening – not possible in Taradeau – dip in a jacuzzi. Gregorian chant maybe guiding you to heaven, the jacuzzi (37,5 degrees, powerful water pumping) is directing you to heaven on earth itself.