Brother Sergi d’Assís Gelpí is a monk of Montserrat Abbey in Catalonia and headmaster of the famous Escolania, the boy choir school of Montserrat. He was recently at Saint John’s Abbey in conjunction with our Benedictine Volunteers Corps which places graduates of St. John’s University at places such as Montserrat for a year of prayer and service. Pray Tell visited with Br. Sergi d’Assís. Anthony Ruff, OSB, conducted the interview.
Tell me about yourself.
I’m Brother Sergi d’Assís, monk of Montserrat since 1998. I was a chorister in the Escolania of Montserrat choir school when I was a child. And so my links with the school are really strong. And I’d like the current choristers to have special experiences as I had when a child.
How large is the monastic community, and how is it changing?
Our community is really old: almost 1,000 years!! It was founded in 1025. We are now 65 monks of widely varying ages. We have some vocations, but people joining the community nowadays are older than 50 years ago.
I believe the Abbey of Montserrat was involved in the Liturgical Movement in the first half of the 20th century and worked for active participation, vernacular in the liturgy, and liturgical reform.
Yes! We were very involved in the liturgical reform. Montserrat Abbey held meetings to talk about liturgy, and to learn liturgy from different perspectives. It still organizes courses for people who want to do music in the churches.
How much of your monastic liturgy is Latin, how much vernacular?
The liturgy of the monastic community is mainly in Catalan, as a result of the Second Vatican Council. I think that perhaps in some years we’ll sing a bit more Latin, but it’s just my impression. It’s mainly in vernacular.
What are your impressions of the monastic liturgy at St. John’s Abbey?
It’s nice and interesting to see similarities and differences between our liturgies. What strikes me in your liturgy is the beauty of the singing, but at the same time the simplicity of this singing. Sometimes at Montserrat we sing very difficult music. And I think it shows me that simple music can communicate beauty also!
I’ve heard that Catalan society is quite secularized – one of your monks told me at the Abbots’ Congress in Rome that it is “the Netherlands of Spain.” How does your community react to this challenging situation?
It’s true that Catalan society is quite secularized. But it’s also true that there are many pilgrimages made by Catalan people! Sometimes people do not participate at the parish level, but they come to the Montserrat sanctuary! We try to communicate the Gospel welcoming all the people from society who come to us… and there are many! Sometimes they don’t know exactly what they are seeking, but they are really searching for something deeper in their lives. And by means of culture (museum, library, publishing house, Escolania) we can build bridges to people who are far from the church.
Tell me about the Escolania.
We have 53 boys in the choir school (12 are probationers, and 41 singing in the choir). They are from 9 to 14 years old, and they come from all Catalonia. They can be boarders or not, but most of them are with us from Sunday to Friday afternoon. On Friday afternoon they go home until Sunday morning for Mass.
Tell me about the liturgical singing of the boy choir.
For 700 years (at least!) the boy choir has served the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montserrat. This is its main mission. They sing at noon, and also for Vespers. So they sing in church twice every day. But since the 1960s, the choir has also been touring to different countries when invited. In recent years we have gone three times to Russia, and also to Poland, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy… and now to United States!
How much of your repertoire is in Latin, how much in vernacular Catalan or other languages?
We sing many liturgical pieces in Latin (the “Salve Regina” every day, for example). But we sing pieces in Catalan also, and in other languages. But we always use the universal language, music! It crosses boundaries of all kinds, and it speaks directly to the hearts of the people who listen to it.
Does the boy choir sing Gregorian chant? And the monastic community?
The community and the choir sing the hymn of each office in Gregorian chant, in Latin.
What is the range of musical styles of the choir repertoire?
The musical style ranges from medieval ages until 21st century, with new pieces composed for our choir. It’s an interesting variety, and we think very formative for the boys.
Is your repertoire entirely European and Western, or do you ever use sacred music of non-Western cultures?
Our specialty is music composed by monks of Montserrat from different centuries. We call it the Montserrat school. And when we sing abroad, we’re often asked to sing this music, as it is our specialty.
How is the Escolonia financed? What is the work of the Foundation for which you’re fundraising in the U.S.?
As you may know, the situation in our country is not easy. We have always offered this education to any musical talented boy who wanted to join us. And we do this because we think it’s a nice thing to give opportunities to any boy who has musical abilities. But nowadays this is a big challenge for us! So we’re looking for sponsors who believe in this mission of the choir, and who want to support us!
Where will you sing in the U.S.?
We’ll sing on March 13th at St. Thomas Church in New York. And on March 16th at Strathmore Auditorium in Maryland. On our website there is further information about these concerts. It’d be great to have many American people coming to our concerts! It’s the first time we are singing in continental America, and we are really excited!
Can we hear samples of the choir online?
Yes, we have an Official YouTube Channel with videos of the choir.
It’s visited much, and we are really happy that people from all over the world watch the videos and are moved with them. We have received some invitations to tour from people who watched these videos. We’d like to receive financial support from people who want keep our work alive! On our website we explain how to do that.
Thank you very much for your interest! We hope to meet many people when we visit the United States next March!
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