Interesting article from V.II. In certain parts of the world, especially mission lands, there are peoples who have their own musical traditions, and these play a great part in their religious and social life. For this reason due importance is to be attached to their music, and a suitable place is to be given to it, not only in forming their attitude toward religion, but also in adapting worship to their native genius....

Of course, don't forget this part too: The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.

And that the Council called for more editions of Chant to be put forth!

http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html#_ftnref42

On these grounds Gregorian Chant has always been regarded as the supreme model for sacred music, so that it is fully legitimate to lay down the following rule: the more closely a composition for church approaches in its movement, inspiration and savor the Gregorian form, the more sacred and liturgical it becomes; and the more out of harmony it is with that supreme model, the less worthy it is of the temple.

Pope Pius X, in his 1903 Motu Proprio.

a Marian Celebration

The opportunity to direct the singing for a Marian Mass offered by the Bishop of Lincoln in honor of Our Lady of Fatima. We sang Salve Regina and Ave Maria as Communion meditation--the same as are and have been sung for years at the sites of Lourdes and Fatima and throughout the Church.

for starters

I guess a good thing to start with is the idea of Advent versus Christmas music.

Many people have their Christmas trees up already and are listening to Chrismas music. As exciting as that is, by the time Dec. 25th rolls around, they will be pretty tired of Christmas music and lights.

We should take the beautiful example set by the Church of celebrating and preparing for Christmas through the Advent Season. This year, we begin Advent on Nov.29. We light the first purple candle in the Advent wreath and no longer sing the Gloria (Glory to God) at Sunday Mass. The purple vestments and candle call to mind a more somber time of preparation and waiting for the Birth of the Lord.

We can meditate on the hundreds of years spent waiting for the Messiah by the Jews. We hear in the readings prophecies announcing His coming, and we begin to prepare our hearts in joyful anticipation for Christmas!

In music, besides no longer singing the Gloria, we are to no longer have instrumental music before and after Mass and to cut back on accompaniment as well. At my parish and many others, we take this opportunity to sing the parts of the Mass in a simple chant setting. Father offers Mass "ad orientem" (towards the East--facing the altar) in order to call to mind how it is that we are all waiting for the coming of the Lord--in His birth at Christmas and in the Second Coming.

Let us prepare our hearts in silence and awe.

blogging

It's hard to always remember to update the blog here. Especially as I haven't gotten into the swing of exactly what kinds of things I want to include. Suggestions welcome. :)

work in progress

Hymns/songs not to be sung at my parish. The list as worked on by my pastor and I--still in progress!
There are many things that must be evaluated in choosing music for the liturgy, including its musical quality and singabilty, its sacred character, and its theological correctness. Then, of course, there is the liturgical suitability: is this song appropriate for today’s scriptural texts, the season we are in, and the particular part of the Mass.

In the degrees of importance, we want to give first place to singing the parts of the Mass and the responses of the faithful. This should eventually include our learning to occasionally sign the proper Introit antiphon (entrance chant) and Communion antiphon.

Although newer songs are welcome and can be enriching, pride and place should be given to Gregorian chant, and then to hymns that form an important heritage of Catholic music.

The following points are in no particular order…

• Overplayed, stale, banal or uninspiring, and not sacred music

• Uses term “Yahweh”

• Refers to the Eucharist as only a symbol/sign

• Attempts to speak for God

• Focus is on us (the congregation) instead of God.

• Songs which should not be done from Heritage Missal or Music Issue because they have changed the traditional text.

• Finally there are probably others that are not mentioned, simply because they are not common / familiar, but would also be evaluated as unsuitable.


For hymns/songs that fall under these categories, please contact me.

ad orientem?

From the Catholic Thing, a consideration of ad orientem, the Tridentine Mass, and the exhortations of our Holy Father.