Rome Newsroom, Jul 23, 2023 / 08:30 am (CNA).
A common struggle for elderly Mass-goers is being able to hear in church. It seems, then, that the unveiling of a new sound system in St. Peter’s Basilica couldn’t have had better timing. It was inaugurated on July 23, after 10 months of work, just in time for the papal Mass for the third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.
Some 80 new speakers and a state-of-the-art digital system replaced the previous sound system, installed nearly 25 years ago in the lead-up to the year 2000 jubilee.
The new system allows for “precise” and “perfect” sound, cutting down on the echo and reverberation that is typical of such a large space, according to the lead architect, Carlo Carbone.
With the new system, the sound seems to come from the altar, giving the congregation a more “natural” experience during the liturgies, he said. Voices and singing are heard more precisely as the sound distribution has been improved. “Before this renovation, there was an unnatural volume,” Carbone said. “The sound was overwhelming, as if coming from everywhere.”
The Dicastery for Communication’s Technology Department worked with the technical offices of the Fabbrica di San Pietro and Bose Professional to bring about the upgrade.
According to Vatican News, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, said the project was “a great team effort, a beautiful synergy,” with the collaboration of experts from various fields.
Much of the work was done in the evening hours after the basilica was closed to the public. And it was no small effort. The sub-floor wiring that had accumulated over the last 70 years was replaced with 200 kilometers (about 125 miles) of fibers. The sound system now allows for some 20 distinct areas that can be engaged simultaneously or separately, depending on the celebration. It also seamlessly interfaces with the radio and television broadcasting systems.
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This piece reminds me of the Vatican II decree on the media of social communication, Inter Mirifica. Even as it is now dated in many technical details, its principles still need to be received, studied and implemented at most on the parish level. The basic understanding of the dynamics of communication to consist in the sender conveying the message in a manner that can be heard or perceived by the receiver clearly has a lot to say today to many pastoral leadership teams in parishes about the need of a sound system that is in top notch condition. In what may appear to be simply a technological matter such as the church sound system, it is actually vital to the building up and nurturing of the parish community. A communication malfunction due to a bad church sound system can consequently affect or even break the communion of the parish family.
We read: “The new system allows for ‘precise’ and ‘perfect’ sound, cutting down on the echo and reverberation that is typical of such a large space, according to the lead architect, Carlo Carbone.” “Echo and reverberation?” The wonders of modern technology, but then (with T.S. Eliot), “falls the shadow” or maybe the echo…
Now hear this….
“When the early Christians adopted the form of the Roman basilica meeting hall for use as a church, they adjusted themselves to buildings with large volumes, hard stone surfaces, and [acoustically] long reverberation times [like the tubes of a pipe organ]. It was not possible simply to verbally preach the good news in such halls, for the words resounded up to six and eight seconds after being uttered, and the multiple overlays were unintelligible.
“The solution was to chant the liturgy, and by a process of trial and error no doubt, a basic acoustical principle was discovered. [Some science here about harmonic intervals, then…] Hence, theoretically, if the priest chanted the liturgy using harmonic intervals around [pitch note] ‘A’ the air in the vast volume of such basilicas would soon vibrate on its inherent upper resonant frequencies, and the air vibrating in the building would carry the message to the worshippers. Thus, the plainsong or Gregorian chant, was born” (Leland M. Roth, “Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning,” 2007).
So, yes to the sound-system upgrade, but also, too bad about the passing of Gregorian chant!
Replaced by modern technology, the same as much else of “backward” Catholic living memory–not by 80 speakers, but by the technology of countless word processors at the service of ersatz, focus-group theology and all manner of textual abuse. As with Gutenberg’s tiny moveable type, so too, now even tiny children are trafficked and interchangeable with techy sex toys. Meaning that the real “seamless garment” extends from contraception, to abortion, to homosexual license, to gender theory, to sex trafficking, and even to transformer-toy transgenderism.
So, let’s crowd into Rome’s St. Peter’s Basilica.
We understand that Latin is still permitted at one altar buried in the crypt. And, that it was only the Lateran that was handed over to an Anglican service—said to be due to a “communication problem” not fixable with new speakers.
Sound. This writer is beginning to feel like the British captain Durrance in Four Feathers, who sighted the approaching Dervish enemy, becomes blinded by the sun, awakes back at camp yelling ‘Alarm! Alarm!
Yes. Upgrade the sound system at St Peter’s. Assuage our angst. Pacify the unwitting sheep.
Sound. This writer is beginning to feel like the British captain Durance, who sighted the approaching Dervish enemy, becomes blinded by the sun, awakes back at camp yelling ‘Alarm! Alarm!
Yes. Upgrade the sound system at St Peter’s. Assuage our angst. Pacify the unwitting sheep.
All roads lead to Rome. His Eminence Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica and his experts are lending a meaningful service to devotees and pilgrims to the Eternal City.