Friday, August 11, 2006 Music ministers urged to emphasize unity, not agendas

Archdiocese of Los Angeles ^ | August 11, 2006 | Mike Nelson

[AnAmericanMother]

Well, except for "Gather Us In" (the choirmaster's nod to the folks who LIKE that stuff . . ) it was all good. "In Christ There Is No East or West" is not one of my faves, but it's o.k. The other hymns were fine - "O Sacrament Most Holy" and one of the German chorales (can't remember which).

Anthems: O Taste and See (Vaughn Williams) and the Ubi Caritas (first the chant, then the beautiful Durufle setting).

Barn-burner of a homily from our parochial vicar.

[Carolina]

Ubi Caritas is sublime and Durufle's setting is one that I sing in times of distress. This setting, Howells' Mag and Nunc, and David Hurd's "Love Bade Me Welcome" were the signature pieces of my former Episcopal choir. I had to pop in a couple of our CDs just to cleanse my mind of "Oh, taste and seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, taste and seeeeeeeeeeeeee, the gooooooooooooooooooodness aaaaaaaaaahv the Loooooooooooooooord, oh, taste and seeeeeeeeeeee....ad nauseum"

[Krista33]

We sing a combination of both the old and the new. Our music liturgy tries to align itself with whatever the scripture readings are for that day. As my choir director was telling me last night, it can be difficult to find old music that aligns itself with the scriptures for the day. Maybe the move is more toward an emphasis on the scriptures rather than the mass parts? Or am I wrong to assume that the old music did not do this? I don't profess to be an expert in that area. I am trying to think how "Panis Angelicus" fits into scripture (I'm sure it must) but I think you can definitely see scripture in the newer music, it's almost word for word. I have sung my whole life. I have a great love for the great old hymns, the great latin pieces. I love that they magnify God. I would be fine with just singing that. However, I am not sure that everyone would feel that way. You aren't going to please everyone all of the time. I will say though, that when I see things like "Paroties of the new hymns". I do not find it funny. I find it very unchristian and judgmental. (And forgive me Lord, because that statement is probably just as judgemental). I think there is a better way to make a point. When people start lowering themselves to that kind of mockery it makes me want to shut my ears. If there is a want, a need, to go back to the original music of the church. Let's find a mature path there. When we make fun and change lyrics in that music, it is no different than mocking scripture itself. And my body would tremble in fear of God doing that.

I'm sure I'll get ripped a new seam for stating these things. And I am not trying to cause problems. I'm just not sure that it is the message that you want to convey. If I were a non-christian and I saw that kind of thing in the church, I would run. As Christians, our actions speak very loudly.

I too, am a big believe that choirs are not performers. I cringe every time someone claps at the end of mass! The glory and praise go to God alone. But if the music can bring people closer to God, if the music causes someone to study more, to go home and pray more.. then I see that only as a good thing in God's eyes.

Okay, so that's the other side of the story. Please don't think that I don't understand the push for a return to the old music. I'm just not sure the way to do it is through bashing the new.

This message is a general one and not targeted to any one person! I'm not trying to offend anybody!!! :)

[AnAmericanMother]

My favorite Magnificat is still the Vaughn Williams. Wow do I love that setting!

Hurd is one of the composers I was scratching my head trying to remember! We sang a TON of his stuff at our old Episcopal parish . . . I ordered a bunch of samples from sheetmusic.com to share with our music director!

[Convert from ECUSA]

I think the arm-waving thing is a signal to the pew sitters that we're supposed to start singing at that point. I don't know if it it in the GRIM or not; if it is, it should be struck out. Distracting when some yutz is up in front waving their arms like a game show contestant.

[AnAmericanMother]

I disagree that parodies of some of these awful hymns are the same as mocking Scripture! That would elevate Haugen, Haas, etc. to the level of the Evangelists and Fathers . . . . uh-uh. Not happening.

Unfortunately, the worst of the contemporary words are themselves a mockery. "Gather Us In" is a good example -- it never mentions God by name! An anonymous "you" is mentioned 2-3 times in 4 verses -- 95% of the hymn is sung in praise of "us" - "we are" this, "we take" that -- "called to be light to the whole human race" -- high opinion of ourselves there . . . it's all about us, and that's just wrong. In fact, it's a travesty and borderline blasphemous. "I'll praise my Maker while I've breath" -- but I'll also make fun of "hymns" that praise the creation rather than the Creator.

I still would be interested to know exactly what you are singing in the way of modern music. Composers, titles, you know . . . details. As I said, I've nothing against music just because it's new, as long as it is appropriate from a liturgical standpoint and has merit from a musical and poetic point of view.

[AnAmericanMother]

When I'm in another church and the congregation is singing a psalm, I do find it helpful for the "song leader" to gently and unobtrusively lift one hand to let the congregation know when the refrain is coming around. I wish I knew the Psalter by heart, but I don't, and I'm never sure where they are going to stick in the refrain anyway.

But this arm waving stuff is ridiculous . . .

[Krista33]

I guess I see "Gather Us In" as a calling for us to come together as the body of Christ. The Catholic Church teaches that we are a communion of people, called together to give worship and praise to God. We use this only as an entrance hymn. The song calls all the broken people (lost and forsaken, rich, proud, haughty, blind, lame)-is that giving us praise or admitting we are sinners? The song asks for teaching in how to make our hearts meek and humble, to bring our fears to God. Only he has the peace that we need (I'm thinking of Phil. 4)

What do we sing? Well, here is a sample schedule from May.

Gath: Jesus is Risen
Gifts: Come Taste and See
Comm: (1) Ubi Caritas (2) Christians Let us Love
Sending: Allelua! Alleluia! Let the Holy Anthem Rise

Gather: The Strife is O'er.
Gifts: We have been Told
Comm: (1) Taste and See (2) Jese, Joy of Our Desiring
Sending: Rain Down (I have to say, I can't stand this one!) :)


Acension
Gather: Crown him with Many Crowns
Gifts: Now is the Time
Comm: (1) All that is Hidden (2) We Remember
Sending: Alleluia! Alleluia! (hymn to Joy)

For Pentecost our gathering was the chant "Veni Sancte Spiritus"

That's what I mean by a mix...

I guess my point is that both types of music have a time and place. I do agree that there is too much emphasis on 'me, me, me' in our society today, and it seems to have infiltrated our churches. Too many 'feel good' churches out there, I think it is used as a ploy to get people in the building.

[AnAmericanMother]

Some of the hymns are not familiar to me -- but you can't beat "Crown Him With Many Crowns" (I assume to the melody "Diademata") and "The Strife is O'er" (set to "Victory" by Palestrina?) (although I think of that as specifically an Easter hymn). Is the "Hymn to Joy" the Beethoven setting of the Schiller poem from the Choral (9th) Symphony? We use that a lot, with the religious words ("Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee").

If that's the Durufle "Ubi Caritas", it's got my vote! Which "Taste and See"? I know of at least five settings (we used to sing a really wild Gerald Near setting in our old ECUSA church - modern but beautiful, and very difficult to sing!)

And PLEASE tell me that they didn't change the words to "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring". Like the congregation is too stupid to tell the difference between mankind and a male person . . . shoot, just sing it in German ("Jesu bleibet meine Freude") and avoid the whole problem! But you can never, never go wrong with Bach, even an old warhorse like that!

The other anthems are completely unfamiliar to me. Who are the composers?

Do you not sing another anthem during the collection, before the Offertory hymn?

[Krista33]

Let's see, yes on the Didemata, Palestrina and Beethoven's 9th with the religious words. Ubi Caritas is Rosania. Taste and See is Hurd (1950)

And it is the word change for "Jesu, Joy of OUR desiring" We do seem to use the 'alternate' text for those pieces that have it (like in the Prayer of St. Francis) The rest are pieces from Haugen, Haas, Farrell...

again, it's a mix, at least in our church. Of course, that is just for our choir. We are the traditional 4-part choir. There is also a gospel choir, a more contemporary choir, and a Life teen mass with it's own music. Just depends on what time you go!

Our choir also does some gospel too, some of my favorite music is from that genre (Deep River, Don't Be Worried).

...and *gasp* I personally have used the tamborine! Sending song "Soon and Very Soon"....

I guess I just love music and as I have said in other threads... the Lord knows what is in your heart. If you sing the music, whatever the music is, with your eyes set on God, He will know.

Also I have never seen anyone waving their hands around frantically when they were cantoring. Just a gentle hand raise.

[AnAmericanMother]

Sometimes it seems like Hurd wrote half the chant settings in the Episcopal hymnal!

You know, the Episcopalians may be heretics (I can say that - I used to be one) but they DO have good music. The trick is to steal it quickly and quietly without anybody noticing that it came out of the 1982 Hymnal. < g >

I agree that the Lord knows what is in our hearts, but we also have an obligation to offer Him the very best we have. And of course we have an obligation to follow the norms set out by the Church.