Research Guides
Jackie Lungmus
Honors 394B
Final Paper
Come as You Are:
A Historical and Ethnographic Study of the
Practice of Compline at Saint Marks Cathedral.
The lights dim, whispers echo gently throughout the nave, teenagers are sprawled across the floor, and a crucifix hangs in the background. It is Sunday evening at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in the Capital Hill burrow of Seattle, Washington. For a few decades now people have wandered in on Sunday nights, satisfied from the weekend and hoping to start the new week off on a good beat. The choir, ranging in size from 12 to 18 men across the years, quietly slips into place in their rows in the back corner of the church. At 9:30pm promptly, the service begins. The a cappella harmonies reverberate against the concrete walls and echo back, creating an eerie and engulfing sound. This is the practice of Compline, a weekly tradition that keeps the community coming back in the hundreds every Sunday. In this paper I look into the historical development of compline as a religious practice, the development of Saint Mark’s Cathedral as a pillar of the community, and then the role of compline at Saint Mark’s. Further, I will look at a few of the ethnographic characterizations that classify this specific practice of compline in the Pacific Northwest. Then in conclusion, I will consider some of the archival issues faced when attempting to preserve and document a practice such as this.
The practice of compline dates back as far as the first six centuries of Christianity, and can even trace its roots back to before the Great Schism of 1054 that divided the church in to the Catholic and Orthodox sects. The practice, most common today in the Anglican tradition, is used as the final sermon of the day and is performed after work for the day had been completed. Derived from the Latin work completorium, meaning completion, it is used to bring a peaceful and reflective end to the day. It is believed by historians to be credited to Saint Benedict, but actually may have developed from the much more ancient and far spread tradition of praying before going to bed. It specifically consists of psalmody, short passages from scripture, hymns, Gospel canticle, litany, and additional prayers added in between the songs. The song style of compline comes from the practice of “plainsongs”, a body of chants historically utilized by the Catholic Church. It is characteristically monophonic, comprised of a single unaccompanied melodic line. The development of compline over the centuries is vague and still being explored by medieval historians. Because of this much of our understanding of compline comes from current practices at churches such as Saint Mark’s.
Saint Marks Cathedral in Seattle has an equally rich, if more specific history. Saint Mark’s developed out of the tradition of the historic Trinity Church, the oldest Episcopal Church in the Seattle area, dating back to 1865. The first Saint Marks church was built in 1890 on 5th Ave and Stewart, but by 1896 it had outgrown its space and officially moved to First Hill in the downtown area. After World War I, the community wanted to expand the church space and to build “Victory Cathedral”, and so construction began in 1928. However, due to the market crash and the ensuing Great Depression, construction ground to a halt as funds dwindled. In fact, the current structure remaining today is all that could be built with the money that was available. By 1941 the bank supporting Saint Marks foreclosed, and as a result the physical church space was put up for sale! By 1943 the United States Army purchased the space to use for anti-aircraft gun training, but soon after in 1944, through negotiations with banks from around the region, Saint Mark’s finally reopened. It was after this second opening that the church began its long musical tradition.
The development of the practice of compline at Saint Mark’s Cathedral can be traced back to a man by the name of Peter Hallock, who was the choirmaster at Saint Mark’s Cathedral from 1951 to 2009. In fact, the entire musical tradition at Saint Mark’s, including the twelve separate choirs and the prestigious choir school, can be credited to Hallock. Compline began when Hallock and a group of music students from the University of Washington wanted to practice the tradition of plainsong together, and would meet at the church to do so. In the beginning they would spend their weekly meetings singing to an empty nave, but before long people began attending in small groups to listen to the choir. From there it quickly turned into weekly performances for a full church of people. When if first began in 1954, it is believed that Saint Mark’s Cathedral was the only place in America were compline was regularly practiced outside of a monastery. The practice of compline really flourished in the 1960s with the influx of eastern religious traditions compelling people to experiment in new types of religious observance. Hallock commented on the rapid growth in popularity of the practice of compline, stating that he believes it “can only be accounted for by the search for new cultural values being promulgated by the younger generation of that time”. Today the compline singing done at Saint Mark’s is controlled by a non-for-profit corporation, and is broadcast on the internet, on the local Seattle NPR stations, as well as the local classical music station KING-FM, live every Sunday.
Ethnographically, the demographic that attends compline services on Sunday evening is a unique combination of peoples from all walks of life, and can be hard to easily characterize. Though you could find people of all ages, outsiders tend to immediately notice the youth population that attends regularly. Specifically, there is a passionate following among college-aged students, with the medium age of attendees probably in the mid twenties. The congregation consists of groups, almost in its entirety. Very few people appear to come completely alone, with the groups seeming to range from as few as just two people, to upwards of ten. Though the attendees appear to be on the young side, one may also notice a following of older men and women who bring chairs and attend the service together as couples. Because of this, services appear to be mostly comprised of young college students in groups of friends, and elders who come with their spouses. Similarly, there appears to be an even distribution of gender, with the same of amount of males and females dispersed around the nave. These events on average get upwards of 200 people in attendance, however in the years 2009 and 2010 Saint Marks had to shut its doors on more than one occasion due to the fact that they reached capacity for the building!
A similar characteristic that classifies this group is the way in which they would define their own religion. Through interviews with attendees it became clear that this service consists of everyone from devout Christians to atheists, and is a very welcoming environment for all walks of faith. Two young women I interviewed, last names Hardt and Wisehart, had gone with a group of peers. Interestingly, one of the young women was quick to classify herself as agnostic, while the other young woman attends church and youth groups on a weekly basis and is secure in her Christianity. In this way it becomes evident that this practice is attracting a wide range of people. Similarly, when I asked the young women I interviewed to describe what they believed to be the average “religiousness” of compline attendees, they described it as “mixed”. One interviewee, last name Roberts, responded by saying that, “I wouldn’t say they’re religious, I would say they’re spiritual”, drawing a distinction between those that have a strict affiliation with a religion and those that do not necessarily have that type of affiliation. Off of that, something that would be interesting to further explore is whether the “spiritual” nature that is considered characteristic of this practice is simply perceived, or if it is in fact a valid characterization. In other words, is this community indeed more “spiritual” than “religious”, or is it in fact made up of “religious” individuals who are simply under the impression that the community as a whole is more “spiritual”?
One of the most interesting things that came to the forefront of my research was the existence of multiple dichotomies within the congregation of Saint Mark’s Cathedral, specifically surrounding the practice of compline. To start, there is a very interesting relationship between the individualism of this practice, and the community aspect of the church itself. Compline is considered to be individualistic by many of the people who practice it, with the emphasis being on one’s own moment of relaxation, meditation, or connection with the divine. While people almost always attend the event in groups, once they enter the church most talking is subdued to whispers, but more often talking ends entirely until after the service has concluded. This minimal amount of interaction between people may be one of the drawing factors to the greater community. Attendees seem to appreciate the service’s ability to help them escape from the chaos of the real world and reflect inwardly, even if just for a small time. Roberts reflected that, “That 45 minutes of singing reminds me that I’m not the center of attention, God is”. Similarly, Wisehart commented that “It’s a place of rest”, as Hardt agreed and furthered, “Which is something we don’t really get a lot of in our society”. In contrast to this is the strong community aspect that exists in this place as a whole. As I stated earlier, nearly everyone in attendance is comprised of groups of peers, ministries, friends, and many other well-defined social circles. They sit together on their blankets, sharing pillows or lying on each other for comfort and support. In this way the area can be clearly viewed as a community space, but this is uniquely contrasted by the individual nature of the reflection and worship.
Another dichotomy that exists is between the formal and informal atmospheres of the church. When asked to reflect upon it, those I interviewed emphasized the respectful and formal atmosphere of the service. There is a no talking rule, and attendees are encouraged not to even whisper, which to my surprised is followed very closely. There is undoubtedly an air of respect and appreciation through the entirety of the service. Most are aware that for many people this is a religious experience, one that deserves reverence and understanding. However, while people acknowledge the formality of the service, they never seem to feel like it is an overwhelmingly formal place. There is a distinct “come as you are” atmosphere, resulting in people wearing everything from ripped jeans, to baseball caps, to flannel.
The interviewees noted this as well. Roberts explained that, “the building itself is really formal with the pews” but “[attendees] have hats, haven’t shaved and were very hipster” which she brought into contrast with the way she was raised wearing her “Sunday best” to church every week. Hardt and Wisehart also mentioned this interesting relationship in their interview, describing the congregation as not caring, “what you were wearing, or who you were, or if you were a member of the church” but still being sure to explain that “at the same time the performance was very formal, and you respected it very formally”. The people who attend spread out across the floor, often times dozing off or spacing out, things that would often be considered inappropriate at a regular Sunday mass. In these ways there remains a strikingly interplay between the formalities we would expect from a religion as ancient as Christianity, and the informality of a tight knit and youthful Seattle community.
The practice of compline at Saint Mark’s Cathedral faces a pretty usual set of problems in regards to archiving its musical culture. Interestingly, Saint Mark’s may have it own archive already in the making. Because they have the technology to record their services and are already transmitting them into the community, it would not be surprising to find that the church has long been archiving its musical practices. When it comes to copyrighting, complications arise due to the music’s association with an institution, not a single person. As stated earlier, Saint Mark’s broadcasts its services every week through a variety of mediums, so in this way there is already a problem due to the wide availability of the service. Any money that is made off of donations or record sales goes directly back to the program and the choir school. Therefore any copyright issues would stem from the existence of monetary gain by an individual outside of or other than the church. Making sure any profit from a project such as this goes entirely back to the church and choir school would be of paramount importance.
Ethically, it would be necessary to take into account this musical practice’s relation to a religious tradition. Like any ethnographic program, researchers and archivists need to remain sensitive to the religious aspect of this musical tradition. Cataloguing of the practice would be done most efficiently by date, in chronological order of when the service was conducted. Interestingly, because there is a very ritualistic way to conduct this practice, it does not vary week to week in a way that would allow for straightforward stylistic or generic categorization. In regards to access to archival recordings of compline, it seems that total access/low restriction would be most appropriate. The church itself is completely open to the public, and because it does not prevent anyone from entering the sanctuary and listening, it would seem counterintuitive to prevent any person, whether in the community or across the country, from listening to it at any given moment. Stemming from that, in many ways full access may be beneficial to the entire church community in the sense that it would allow other churches with choirs to possibly attempt a service of this type as well. The practice of compline, since it was started at Saint Mark’s, has grown in popularity across the country, and wider access would only further its popularity and success.
As anyone with a background in religion will know, money can be very tight in churches and programs run by churches. However, compline has been able to maintain a strong enough following and fan base to support itself through the years. It may therefore be possible, with a little more community outreach, to further increase funding for an archival project. Through the production of more CDs, wider access to CDs, and better marketing of records produced by the church, a substantial amount of income could be produced and put back into the program and any archival efforts. In relation to this, outreach remains an important aspect of Saint Mark’s and the support it receives. This religious practice continues to grow in popularity both in the Seattle community, and in other communities across the country. The choir school at Saint Mark’s could easily increase outreach programs to surrounding churches interesting in implementing this or other musical services.
In conclusion, justification for a project such as this is clear. As I described in the historical section, when the practice of compline began in 1954 it was believed to have been the only non-monastic community practicing it in the entire country. In this way, any other non-monastic communities now practicing compline across the country may be accredited to inspiration gained from Saint Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle. The rebirth of the practice of compline as a religious service is integrally tied to Saint Mark’s Cathedral and former choirmaster Peter Hallock. Because of this, Saint Mark’s and its variety of musical traditions are a unique and authentic aspect of Seattle culture that deserves to be protected, documented and preserved.
Saint Mark’s Cathedral in Capital Hill has been an important aspect of the religious community of Seattle since it developed from Trinity church back at the turn of the 20th century. It remains a unique way for youth in Seattle to get in touch with their faith, and for the rest of the Seattle religious community to stay in touch with theirs. But what I believe makes Saint Mark’s truly unique is the fact that people with no religious affiliation, in fact people that do not even believe in a God, will still put time aside in their week to attend a service such as compline. In this way, compline is a fascinating and inspiring religious practice. With continued support from the Seattle community and the religious organization of Saint Mark’s, compline will be around to be meditated to for years to come.
Works Cited
The Cathedral of Saint Mark: A Brief History. Seattle, 2010.
Compline. Seattle, 2010.
Hardt, Gabriel, and Susie Wisehart. Interview by author, Savery Hall, May 26, 2012.
Ho, Vanessa. “Saint Marks Choir Strikes and Untraditional Chord.” Seattle Post, November 1, 2002. http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/St-Mark-s-choir-strikes-an-untraditional-chord-1099985.php#page-2.
Roberts, Emily. Interview by author, Savery Hall, May 26, 2012.
Saint Marks Cathedral. “Compline at Saint Marks.” Saint Mark’s Cathedral. Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.complinechoir.org.
Seagull India. “Archives for the Future.” Archives and the Future: 1-13. http://seagullindia.com/archive/chapter01.pdf.
Seeger, Anthony. “The Role of Sound Archives in Ethnomusicology Today.” Ethnomusicology 30, no. 2 (Spring-Summer 1986): 261-276. Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.jstor.org/stable/851997.