Lecture: Chinese Catholic Plainchant – Sources, Repertoires and Perspectives, 30 March 2026
Chinese Catholic Plainchant: Sources, Repertoires and Perspectives
The Boston University Center for Global Christianity and Mission invites you to a lecture by Lionel Li-Xing Hong, Dean of Fu Jen Academia Catholica and Associate Professor at Fu Jen Catholic University (Taiwan), currently serving as a Visiting Scholar at Boston University.
📅 Monday, March 30, 2026
🕓 4:00–5:30 PM
📍 Faculty Lounge (Room 325)
Boston University School of Theology
745 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA
Click here for the PDF.
Abstract
This presentation explores Chinese Catholic plainchant by examining its historical sources, diverse repertoires, and analytical perspectives. It investigates the localization of Gregorian melodies into Chinese through three models: the adaptations of Vincent Lebbe before the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, and the post-reform works of Tao Zhenzong and Peter Ma.
In addition to analyzing the musical tension between Latin traditions and the Chinese language, the study introduces new perspectives from Digital Humanities. These vernacular repertoires demonstrate a unique synthesis that preserves the “Gregorian spirit” while enriching the spiritual life of the contemporary Chinese-speaking Church.
Speaker
Lionel Li-Xing Hong (洪力行) is Dean of Fu Jen Academia Catholica and Associate Research Fellow and Associate Professor in the Department of Music and the Holistic Education Center at Fu Jen Catholic University. His research focuses on Catholic sacred music and the interdisciplinary relationship between music and literature.
He is a leading scholar in the study of Catholic sacred music in China and the history of Chinese hymnals. His book Sung Prayers: Sketching the Development of Chinese Catholic Music Before Vatican II (2020) received the Scholarly Monograph Award in the Humanities and Social Sciences in Taiwan.
Sponsors
This event is co-sponsored by:
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Boston University Center for Global Christianity and Mission
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Boston University Center for Early Music Studies
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Boston University History Department
with support from the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston.