[markomalley]

Ugh

[RobRoy]

Tired, trendy, dated music:

Are they going to do “Sailing” by Christopher Cross?

[Fiji Hill]

How about Lead, Kindly Light, the words of which were written by Newman himself? The music was written in 1857 by Charles Purday, a noted English hymn writer and church music director.

[LibFreeOrDie]

Could be worse...

“The Simpsons - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PyBWLALFLQ&feature=related

[RegulatorCountry]

Look on the bright side, it's not the Hokey Pokey.

[Desdemona]

Now, now. I disagree Peter Jones and the Salisbury Alleluia are all that bad. We sing them in various seasons.

Just as an aside, from the choir perspective, papal visits are rarely planned more than twelve weeks in advance. Choir directors or music directors have to go with what their choir either knows or can learn in twelve weeks. (I hear tell that the director at the National Shrine lost all the blood in his face when he heard that a papal visit was on the horizon.) The choir in which I sing learned a Magnificat in the parking lot before the evening service of a Papal visit, but we're a lot like studio musicians in that sight reading is a requirement to be in the choir. Not everyone can do this and twelve weeks, for many choirs, is not long enough to learn Bruckner caliber of music. Sad, but true. It's yet another testament of how low the value of musicianship has sunk in the Church.

[bronx2]

I so wish they had requested Elton John and a reincarnation of Princess Di as they have so much experience performing at these important affairs. Might I suggest some tune from Marty Haughen or Haas with an accompanying guest appearance of Guy Fawkes just to provide equal time to the other side. After entertaining this motley crew who would be your favorite guest? Mine would be Elton who would demonstrate the inclusivity of the Church,