Among the many ongoing themes of Pope Francis’ pontificate to date, one that has received relatively little attention is his critique of petty bureaucracies that hinder the work of the Holy Spirit. In a recent homily, for example, he said,
Many times we in the Church are like a company manufacturing impediments so that people cannot arrive at grace. May the Lord make us understand this.
For those of us working in sacred music, the experience of bureaucratic impediments is a constant theme. A well-prepared choir singing beautiful music is not enough, for example. Instead, the music sung must meet certain strict criteria. Specifically, the parish’s music program must be seen as “normal” and “progressive” by the most aggressively liberal members of our congregations.
Time and time again, we musicians are ordered by pastors to end or radically modify excellent sacred music programs in order to conform to the strident voices of a few angry parishioners, for whom any music besides the most blatant singalong pablum signals a “turning back of the clock” that must be avoided at all costs—as if the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy had never been written, or as if its clear endorsements of the Latin language, Gregorian chant, and polyphony had never been the will of the Holy Spirit as discerned by the Council Fathers. It’s as if liturgical prayer, focused on the Lord God Himself, were an affront to human power, instead of the direct preparation for our activity throughout eternal life.
Meanwhile, the future looks brighter than ever. Personally I had been a bit worried about this torch that has been passed on to the next generation: the chanters I know are reaching their 20s and beyond, and I’ve been wondering if the trend would continue to swell. From here and there, though, I hear about very young people so excited about our authentic musical and liturgical heritage that they are passing it along to their peers and to those younger than themselves. There is a movement, and a growing movement, and it is such an honor to play even a small part in making it happen.
If only their pastors would listen and be moved more by the desires of the young people for truly sacred liturgical experiences! A few voices so often drown out an entire parish’s longing for beauty!
Thank goodness our Priest supports singing the Propers.
Thanks for this article, a small ray of encouragement for our Gregorian chant and Latin polyphony parish choir.
Yes, a couple of people complained there were no hymns at the early Mass on Easter Sunday this year – there never are any hymns at the early Mass on any Sunday! – so, lo and behold, next Easter the glorious introit "Resurrexi" is to be replaced by a hymn, as will the communion antiphon. And now the Sanctus is apparently NEVER to be sung again in Latin; I suppose we should be grateful we're still allowed to sing just Kyrie and Agnus but it doesn't feel like that.
In our parish I calculated that on average 2% of the ordinary at Sunday Masses was sung in Latin; half that now that we are banned from singing the Sanctus. We sing at only one of three Sunday Masses, on first and third Sundays. We also sing introit, offertory and communion antiphons in Latin whereas, on the alternate weeks when we don't sing, no singing replaces them. Singing at all other Masses is of English hymns, Yet our new assistant priest would apparently like to see "more balance between Latin and English". Contrary to all conceivable forms of logic, this apparently means more English and less Latin …
Please remember us and those struggling like us in your prayers.
Thank you, Alastair. I am terribly sorry to hear about your situation. It is not surprising–by now it is a very familiar story–but it is extremely sad.
You are definitely in my prayers.