Music and the cup parade

This entry probably would have been better titled "how do I go back?". In the past year, God has led my family and I to the Traditional Mass and I have grown so much in my appreciation and awe of all things traditional. We have been going back to our "home" parish for daily Mass with the kids but I am still in such limbo. The weekday Mass is just fine, it's not a stress on me nor am I on guard, it's just simple as it should be. I just have a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality. Yes, I know, that's my weakness/my problem. I have just really felt a peace on Sundays for the last 7 or 8 months since we have regularly been praying the Tridentine Mass. Sundays are easy, relaxing, we treat each other nice and my children behave at that Mass. There is a sense of the sacred, a calm and a supernatural that I still can't find in the Novus Ordo(will I ever?). In a way, it saddens me. I missed going to daily Mass. Now, I just don't know what will happen. I thought I did, but the best laid plans....as it goes.
It is my hope that I will find the answers I am searching for while on vacation. I need to be away from here to pray and think clearly as I'm just stuck right now. How do people know what they are missing if they have never experienced it? I knew, but couldn't find it. Now that I have, can I go back to the cup parade and the heretical songs? I need a reason to go back to that. So far, I can't think of one. I can't do that "community" thing. It's not me. I miss being a part of a parish. A lot. I just can't sacrifice everything I have gained spiritually for the comfort of a parish. Baby steps. I hope that maybe Summorum Pontificum will have an effect on our parish and diocese. That is my hope. I have such hope in the future of our church. It is the present I am not so sure about.

American Liturgical Music Manifesto

Do you agree with these words?
{ducking....}


American Liturgical Music: Toward a Manifesto

Just curious. I found it in an unrelated search. Seriously, I did.

Music and Democracy

In the latest issue of Catholic World Report, there is an essay of interest regarding the last 40 years of liturgical music. Joseph P. Swain addresses how music(and actually the liturgy, for that matter) has taken up a democratic approach in both the writing and how it is brought into a parish. Since our Church is not run by a democracy, it is incompatible for any aspect of the faith to be moved through a democratic process or selection, this includes music. Just because the people in the pews in 1974 thought it was "cool" does not mean a form of music was correct or appropriate.

I have often read "polls" where they consider the plainchant/latin/gregorian chant to be ancient music, the Haugen/Hass/SL Jesuits to be "traditional"(cough, hack hack) and the rest contemporary(? I know, I was thinking the same thing) Here is one such poll conducted in a parish: News from the Liturgical War Front What makes a lay person an expert on sacred music, ever? Who is running our Church? Another example can be found here of polling: 'On Eagle's Wings' tops all songs in online liturgical music survey - For Discussion! I really don't care what Stacy from Arlington or Steve from Yonkers thinks should be played at a Mass, it's simply not a decision they should make or we should ask of their opinion. Until the Magisterium takes back the reigns, even to the chagrin of the people, we will never get out of this democratic music trap.

As a body, we no longer value our good musicians who have a respect for the sacred and the history of music in our parishes. I would venture to say in our diocese we may have 3-4 music/choir directors who know what they are doing and respect the liturgy. The majority are people pleasers. If music selection is run by the lay people and the lay people do not know their faith and feel they should "get something" from Mass, we will stay in this pit of hokey-hippydom for a long, long time. Students and professionals who classically train in organ and the classics should be employed by our parishes and be able to make a living serving the Church. The essay pointed out that if we as a parish needed a new roof or foundation, we would not put a notice in the bulletin looking for volunteers. We do that with music, and you get what you pay for.

If majority rules in a parish, it takes the democratization to another level and the priests and bishops will also pander to the masses. The hierarchy need to take back the job of calling the shots on liturgical music and be informed and educated on what constitutes sacred music as well. Just because it is pretty and easy to sing does not deem it appropriate for the supernatural sacredness of the Mass.

In closing, I have to add my favorite comment found at the end of the last linked article.

It's the latest "trend" in Christian music. I call them "Jesus is my boyfriend" songs. Instead of glorifying the Lord.........they are romantic love songs and they turn my stomach.

Uh, yeah. I wholeheartedly agree!

Liturgical Music. Excerpt from Sacramentum Caritatis

Found in the new exhortation:

Liturgical song

42. In the ars celebrandi, liturgical song has a pre-eminent place. (126) Saint Augustine rightly says in a famous sermon that "the new man sings a new song. Singing is an expression of joy and, if we consider the matter, an expression of love" (127). The People of God assembled for the liturgy sings the praises of God. In the course of her two-thousand-year history, the Church has created, and still creates, music and songs which represent a rich patrimony of faith and love. This heritage must not be lost. Certainly as far as the liturgy is concerned, we cannot say that one song is as good as another. Generic improvisation or the introduction of musical genres which fail to respect the meaning of the liturgy should be avoided. As an element of the liturgy, song should be well integrated into the overall celebration (128). Consequently everything – texts, music, execution – ought to correspond to the meaning of the mystery being celebrated, the structure of the rite and the liturgical seasons (129). Finally, while respecting various styles and different and highly praiseworthy traditions, I desire, in accordance with the request advanced by the Synod Fathers, that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and employed (130) as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy (131).

I have made bold that which I feel is especially noteworthy. The question is, who will employ its contents into the typical American parish?