St. Louis Jesuits: 'I don't think we're rebels at all' (liturgical music)

The Tidings ^ | May 5, 2006 | Mike Nelson

[Thorin]

>>>>I vote for the beauty. But there are also many English hymns that fall into that category.

I agree. And I enjoy singing them. But none of them were written by the St. Louis Jesuits, Marty Haugen, Dave Haas, and any of the other "giants" of contemporary church music.

[TotusTuus]

Things have been hectic lately from many quarters.

[Salvation]

Or Schutte or Hurd....

I am delighted that our priest has started singing oldies and goodies at Daily Mass. He is very persistent and I know he will eventually get around to our music director. A case of timing.

[redhead]

"In the past few years, after having gone their separate ways in the mid-1980s while remaining active in liturgy and music, the SLJs --- Dan Schutte and Jesuit Fathers Foley, Bob Dufford and Roc O'Connor --- have reunited for several concerts (including one at the recent Religious Education Congress in Anaheim) and a new recording of liturgical music ("Morning Light," on Oregon Catholic Press)."

Thanks for the warning, boys... Click here for more on OCP. (Oregon Catholic Press)

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

"nothing less than musical manna, in the minds of others"

Or musical Mammon.

[Desdemona]

Sorry, couldn't finish reading this. Just when it was all starting to fade away, they come back and want to relive it all.

[jrny]

"After Vatican II, liturgists couldn't wait to dump Gregorian chant, claiming that it limited the participation of the faithful in the liturgy. (They never proved this.) Ironically, the music that has replaced the chant has not increased congregational singing either."

Agreed. Chant is, in fact, the easiest form of music to learn due to its noble simplicity. For me personally, I can reasonably sight read any chant text (13 years of experience), while I still struggle to sing polyphony and other more modern forms of music. But, I'm not a music person, per se.

[ninenot]

Well, if not "rebels," they are incompetent, musically immature, and about as relevant to art as, say, American Idol-- but "rebellious" is a matter of semantics. NOT rebellious in terms of Jesuits in the last 50 years. YES rebellious in terms of the Church's understanding of musica sacra.

[ninenot]

"....music is written for soloists and small groups..."

Who usually occupy the stage in taverns and/or Las Vegas bistros.

[ninenot]

they come back and want to relive it all.

Hell, the Rolling Stones can do it...why not US???

[TotusTuus]

Hell, the Rolling Stones Bones can do it...

[Desdemona]

Hell, the Rolling Stones can do it...why not US???

Let's not have delusions of grandeur here.