tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14247942.post1911585983078471714..comments2023-08-10T05:32:21.163-04:00Comments on An Examined Life: Music and the Form of the GoodVitae Scrutatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12808120163472036743noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14247942.post-39005812140634246702007-06-07T17:24:00.000-04:002007-06-07T17:24:00.000-04:00"I also think that it is the height of stupidity t..."I also think that it is the height of stupidity that we don't use our long tradition of music that proceeded VII. I never understood why people have been so willing to throw out music that satisfied the Church's needs for so long. "<BR/>Have you ever noticed that when AFI, or whomever, does a "100 Greatest XXX of All Time" poll, the overwhelming majority of XXXs are of recent vintage? It's ignorance of history, lack of imagination, self-centeredness that prevents them even recognizing anything that happened or was created before their births.<BR/><BR/>(Save the Liturgy, Save the World)Scelatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08674226359189392827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14247942.post-86351223739820449902007-06-07T17:16:00.000-04:002007-06-07T17:16:00.000-04:00Excellent, thought-provoking piece, your highness ...Excellent, thought-provoking piece, your highness ... well, thought-provoking, to be sure, (because it has provoked me to thoughts of various types,) but its excellence is only a guess on my part, as though I can vouch for what you have to say about music, I have forgotten most of what I may have once known of philosophy.<BR/>But I ask you, no, beg you not to be too hard on the musicians and music directors.<BR/>Many of us know better, and would even do better but our hands are tied.<BR/>At some point, many of us must make the decision, swallow our gorge and obey the mandates of a pastor or liturgy committee or director of catechetics or school principal or diocesan office of worship and hope to make what changes we can, incrementally, for the inside -- or throw up our hands, quit, and seek refuge at early morning "silent" Masses or Byzantine Divine Liturgies.<BR/>You say "there are few musicians who seem to have the motivation to volunteer to help put together a truly beautiful musical experience at our liturgies," but it may very well be that their talents were offered and rejected.<BR/>Long story: I have friend, fine unassuming professional singer, deeply involved in his parish on the other side of town. He was asked repeatedly to cantor and join the choir, begged off with various excuses, but actually because he couldn't bear to sing much of what was programmed, (some merely banal or ugly, some borderline heretical,) offered to lead chant at a "music-less" Mass, and was turned down (4 hymn sandwich with piano was instituted instead.)<BR/>A new music director who knew the situation and guessed why the singer wasn't part of the parish's program came on board when the old director retired, and got him to cantor.<BR/>But after a few months of chanted lectionary psalms and a not-bad ordinary and even some chanted propers, the new music director was ordered, period, the end, to switch back to Mass of Remembrance and the "Celebration Psalms" (I think that's what the Haugen Hass, "psalm" settings are called,) and asked to submit hymn lists monthly because "our favorites" weren't being done.<BR/>Singer withdraws as gracefully as possible, but is thought lacking in loyalty to parish, elitist, etc.<BR/>I would like him to sing for me at my parish, but I don't have complete freedom in my choices of music, and can't promise him that some of what will come up isn't truly dreadful. (I don't know whether I'm a complete wimp or prudent in picking my battles...)<BR/><BR/>Paul, it may be significant that the tune dates from the early part of the century, the second golden age of Anglican sacred music.Scelatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08674226359189392827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14247942.post-89394210752775383012007-06-06T17:40:00.000-04:002007-06-06T17:40:00.000-04:00Scott,I half agree with you about ditching most of...Scott,<BR/><BR/>I half agree with you about ditching most of the music produced after VII: most of it is not conducive to prayer (I say this even ithough I am a lot more tolerant of the modern stuff e.g. guitar music, than the average conservative Catholic is). However, I still think there are many good songs that have been produced in the last 40 years. I don't know if "Oh God Beyond All Praising" was sung before VII, but in St. Louis the song has become so customary at ordinations that seminarians joke that the rites are not valid without singing it. <BR/><BR/>Part of the problem, methinks, is that we are comparing 800-900 years of a musical tradition to 40 years of music. As one of my friends said, 40 years is not enough time to produce an abundance of timeless music, and the pieces that are timeless get overplayed due to their scarcity. However, I think patience will solve this problem. In 200 years, "Here in this Place" will be a forgotten hymn, replaced by a more mature selection of music.<BR/><BR/>Of course, I also think that it is the height of stupidity that we don't use our long tradition of music that proceeded VII. I never understood why people have been so willing to throw out music that satisfied the Church's needs for so long.Paul Hamiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04409326820999824855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14247942.post-17762108699272596072007-06-06T13:50:00.000-04:002007-06-06T13:50:00.000-04:00Your fine essay's last graf reminds me of Aquinas'...Your fine essay's last graf reminds me of Aquinas' dictum that 'sin darkens the mind' (or to that effect.)<BR/><BR/>It's not unreasonable to compare excellent music to light; which then opens the whole "light/dark" door to further discussion.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for a great read!Dad29https://www.blogger.com/profile/08554276286736923821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14247942.post-47794805683985669542007-06-05T16:42:00.000-04:002007-06-05T16:42:00.000-04:00Great post! I've been Catholic for ten years, and ...Great post! I've been Catholic for ten years, and have avoided bad liturgical music for seven of those by attending a Byzantine Catholic parish. No guitars, no drums, no harmonica solos (yes, all of that and more at the Roman rite parish we previously attended). We didn't start attending the parish because of the music or liturgy (I was hired by the parish to teach catechesis), but now, when I am at Mass and experience lousy liturgical music, it drives me nuts. Still, I really like great Western liturgical music, and hope and pray it will continue to come back.Carl Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06263617208227820470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14247942.post-7313804161320291602007-06-05T15:02:00.000-04:002007-06-05T15:02:00.000-04:00If you ever come to Austin (you know, just out on ...If you ever come to Austin (you know, just out on the weekend), you'll probably enjoy St. Mary's Cathedral. I don't think I've ever heard a homily there that reminded me why I experience the Catholic Church as a kind of magnet for my soul, but their music is just amazing. And yes, they do Gregorian chant. In comparison, the parish up the street has some excellent priests and I almost invariably weep during Mass. I think their music is fine -- their performers are certainly talented -- but I doubt you'd find it quite so impressive.djrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07752946730851928276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14247942.post-77027403202777034662007-06-05T07:56:00.000-04:002007-06-05T07:56:00.000-04:00Scott, you'll be happy to know that the large Cath...Scott, you'll be happy to know that the large Catholic parish in Chapel Hill is doing a better job with music these days, at one of the Masses anyway, where Mozart, Michael Haydn, Mendelssohn, and Palestrina have been performed recently. <BR/><BR/>But, sadly, they were alongside some 70's favorites, and Fr. still forbids Mozart Masses from being sung as parts of the Mass, rather than "special communion music". <BR/><BR/>I often wonder what possessed (figuratively, I hope) the majority of the composers of the Boomer generation.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18246397058738761011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14247942.post-74387829146623326952007-06-05T05:54:00.000-04:002007-06-05T05:54:00.000-04:00Why must every Mass be equally banal? Why not offe...<I>Why must every Mass be equally banal? Why not offer at least one Mass where there is fine, classical music, with Gregorian chant for the texts? Why not restore the tradition of the sung Gospel with procession? Why not sing the Our Father? To the old chant tune, not the new, crappy tune.</I><BR/><BR/>Indeed. This is basically why I find myself getting up at the crack of dawn so often to drive 20 mins into the city in order to visit St. Anthony's on Arch Street.<BR/><BR/>They don't have <B>any</B> music at 6am and the liturgy is mercifully free of BS.<BR/><BR/>Excellent post.John Farrellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18280296574996987228noreply@blogger.com