ABSTRACT
The Conclusion identifies several themes that favour the retention of a chant-based repertory over other genres: these are broadly defined as the emphasising of alterity, the discipline of self-abnegation and the search for authenticity. The sense of individual selfhood is many-faceted: self as monastic; as a creative being; and as masculine or feminine. Monastics have rejected a fossilisation of their musical tradition in favour of modernisation, including embracing the internet for spiritual and musical outreach. Some neo-monastic communities have also benefitted from a strong musical community identity, while others are yet to do so, begging the question of whether they will harness music as a community-building tool in the future. Overall, the monastic metamorphosis from an inherited single-genre chant tradition to a functional multi-genre musical tradition is inexorable, and such willingness to change and remain relevant is a true indicator of the future survival of monastic life.
