The video was great, although the Mass is not the re-inactment of Calvary, but the re-presentation of Calvary in an unbloody manner. But besides for that point, everything else was dead on
First, just a little add on for Joe, I've been reading an old (70's) book "How to get more out of the Mass" by Joseph T McGloin S.J. and in the chapter on why to go to mass, it describes that when you do go to mass you are present at the sacrifice of Calgary. So I agree it is not just a re-enactment like a play, it is more than that.
And now for the topic at hand, Gregorian chant. Personally, I'm amazed that a young woman of all people is talking about this "old" form but the most proper music for liturgy when people my age (20's) are post Vatican II. I'm one of the few in this group that do know due to having spent high school in a private Roman Catholic school and in the music program there. While I'm glad that there are efforts to educate and to bring the chant back, I do feel that not enough is being done. In terms of music for youth, I'd bet that most people of the "millenial" generation and beyond (mine) would not know what it is and might even say upon listening to a clip that "It sucks." When it comes to music, today it's all about the MTV or MuchMusic or BET in Canada and what they show is "THE" music. Also there will be the inevitable handful in parishes everywhere that might not like their favourite modern tunes being replaced with songs in a language they cannot understand and may revolt or turn away or lose joy of the mass, like some Pre-Vat-II people did when their Extraordinary form became almost extinct (in the sense that most parishes removed celebrating it weekly save the SSPX and a handful of other parishes. Sadly I've heard of these complainers as I attend a mainly elderly parish).
However, it appears as if the new third edition of the Roman Missal will have a requirement of sorts for Gregorian chant in Latin. It's not the final text and needs the special Vatican Permission to be used yet, but you can see some of the pre-edition text at http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/current/revmissalisromanien.shtml and I found this under the part of The structure of the mass, its elements and its parts:
41. All other things being equal, Gregorian chant holds pride of place because it is proper to the Roman Liturgy. Other types of sacred music, in particular polyphony, are in no way excluded, provided that they correspond to the spirit of the liturgical action and that they foster the participation of all the faithful.50
Since faithful from different countries come together ever more frequently, it is fitting that they know how to sing together at least some parts of the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin, especially the Creed and the Lord's Prayer, set to the simpler melodies.51
Also I found this site of the head committee of this rendition of the Missal, the ICEL, with a section about the music for it:
http://www.icelweb.org/news.htm
Oh and feel free to correct me on anything, I am north of the border and getting this information from the USCCB, not my country's Canadian CCB.
Those documents seem very clear on the matter but it's important to recognise the cultural context of those documents - the emergence of rock and roll & swinging 60s - which the Church needed to protect itself again as most of the 'pop' music of the time was associated with social and moral rebellion, even if the song content didn't always suggest it directly.
I like how the US Bishops have put it, as quoted by Young Canadian "…provided that they (types of music) correspond to the spirit of the liturgical action and that they foster the participation of all the faithful." For me this gives license that any sacred (purpose written for worship) music is suitable as long as the gathered faithful can connect and engage more fully with the liturgy and ultimately with God. The style of the music is therefore unimportant.
At the time of creation most ancient Mass music was the cutting edge of modern music at the time and I completely agree with Pope Benedict XVI "An Adult faith does not follow the waves of fashion and the latest novelties." We should again be becoming the pioneers of modern music, creating music of such beauty that the world will stop and gawp again like it did when we created the organ, and see the beauty of God revealed in our creativity.
To do this will at times mean becoming undignified in our praise as David did in his abandon to the worship of God.
3 comments; post here:
The video was great, although the Mass is not the re-inactment of Calvary, but the re-presentation of Calvary in an unbloody manner. But besides for that point, everything else was dead on
First, just a little add on for Joe, I've been reading an old (70's) book "How to get more out of the Mass" by Joseph T McGloin S.J. and in the chapter on why to go to mass, it describes that when you do go to mass you are present at the sacrifice of Calgary. So I agree it is not just a re-enactment like a play, it is more than that.
And now for the topic at hand, Gregorian chant. Personally, I'm amazed that a young woman of all people is talking about this "old" form but the most proper music for liturgy when people my age (20's) are post Vatican II. I'm one of the few in this group that do know due to having spent high school in a private Roman Catholic school and in the music program there. While I'm glad that there are efforts to educate and to bring the chant back, I do feel that not enough is being done. In terms of music for youth, I'd bet that most people of the "millenial" generation and beyond (mine) would not know what it is and might even say upon listening to a clip that "It sucks." When it comes to music, today it's all about the MTV or MuchMusic or BET in Canada and what they show is "THE" music.
Also there will be the inevitable handful in parishes everywhere that might not like their favourite modern tunes being replaced with songs in a language they cannot understand and may revolt or turn away or lose joy of the mass, like some Pre-Vat-II people did when their Extraordinary form became almost extinct (in the sense that most parishes removed celebrating it weekly save the SSPX and a handful of other parishes. Sadly I've heard of these complainers as I attend a mainly elderly parish).
However, it appears as if the new third edition of the Roman Missal will have a requirement of sorts for Gregorian chant in Latin. It's not the final text and needs the special Vatican Permission to be used yet, but you can see some of the pre-edition text at http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/current/revmissalisromanien.shtml
and I found this under the part of The structure of the mass, its elements and its parts:
41. All other things being equal, Gregorian chant holds pride of place because it is proper to the Roman Liturgy. Other types of sacred music, in particular polyphony, are in no way excluded, provided that they correspond to the spirit of the liturgical action and that they foster the participation of all the faithful.50
Since faithful from different countries come together ever more frequently, it is fitting that they know how to sing together at least some parts of the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin, especially the Creed and the Lord's Prayer, set to the simpler melodies.51
Also I found this site of the head committee of this rendition of the Missal, the ICEL, with a section about the music for it:
http://www.icelweb.org/news.htm
Oh and feel free to correct me on anything, I am north of the border and getting this information from the USCCB, not my country's Canadian CCB.
Those documents seem very clear on the matter but it's important to recognise the cultural context of those documents - the emergence of rock and roll & swinging 60s - which the Church needed to protect itself again as most of the 'pop' music of the time was associated with social and moral rebellion, even if the song content didn't always suggest it directly.
I like how the US Bishops have put it, as quoted by Young Canadian "…provided that they (types of music) correspond to the spirit of the liturgical action and that they foster the participation of all the faithful." For me this gives license that any sacred (purpose written for worship) music is suitable as long as the gathered faithful can connect and engage more fully with the liturgy and ultimately with God. The style of the music is therefore unimportant.
At the time of creation most ancient Mass music was the cutting edge of modern music at the time and I completely agree with Pope Benedict XVI "An Adult faith does not follow the waves of fashion and the latest novelties." We should again be becoming the pioneers of modern music, creating music of such beauty that the world will stop and gawp again like it did when we created the organ, and see the beauty of God revealed in our creativity.
To do this will at times mean becoming undignified in our praise as David did in his abandon to the worship of God.
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