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Posted on by Nathan Knutson

On Roman Cannons, Missiles, and Liturgical “Planning”

On this Feast of Saint Barnabas, Apostle, the Roman Canon provides us once again with great wisdom. The Sacred music of our beloved Catholic Church should unite mankind with Heaven and “graciously grant some share and fellowship with Thy Holy Apostles and Martyrs: with John (the Baptist), Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia, and with all Thy saints.”

Gregorian chant is the most perfect expression of this Divine fellowship.  A Treasure of Inestimable Value.  Instead, it appears altogether easy in our present age to avoid this Heavenly banquet, in favor of personal taste.    Unfortunately, and often unintendedly, the result is one of a liturgical jukebox mentality.  Shorten the prayers, omit sung orations and responses, even favor simple vernacular chants over the true, beautiful, and universal.  We put our quarter into the offering, and expect to choose “D4” for the offertory ditty.The Sacred Liturgy is not a jukebox, subject to our eclectic, and often taste-deprived aural palate.  The Mass is not a “chant café” in which one should be free to ask: “What music did you do for Pentecost Sunday?” 
How many sang/prayed Spiritus Domini, Veni Creator, Factus est Repente?  If not, what’s stopping you?

Certainly there are local considerations of ability, leadership, social and sometimes financial resources—one can make a case with nearly any fathomable excuse.  We can even say that the Church allows for such substitutions.  The reality, however, is that as Church musicians and clergy, it is our undeniable duty, our service, to simply comply with Sacred and Liturgical norms.  We conform our will to that of the Fathers.  We decrease, so that HE may increase!  As a dear friend so wisely remarks in light of musical directives, only strengthened at Vatican II: “Obedience alone would be an adequate response.” 

One must be vigilant and careful to mistake a brick-by-brick approach with that of lethargy.  There is a clear distinction between prudence and procrastination.  Are you taking steps toward the Liber Usualis, Graduale/Gregorian Missal?  Has your choir even heard of these books?  What is your timeline? 

Certainly this has been discussed before, although it is worth repeating with a resounding cannon or non-roamin’ missile:  too much time and money are spent “planning” the Mass. Many parishes pay musicians to choose alternate music and styles for Mass.

Instead, use that time to PREPARE for the Sacred Liturgy, both musically and Spiritually.  Start a schola.  Improve your choir.  Encourage them and trust them with real music, rather than feeding them the latest hit from 1970.  Choir members are the heart of the parish!  They need your trust, confident smile, and liturgical leadership!

So as the Saints throughout the year are named and remembered at Mass, either at the Altar and/or in the pew, may we remember our beautiful music and worship are Sacred, Universal, and outside of ourselves.
Posted on by Ben

Network AND Grow your Knowledge – The Musica Sacra Forum

Needless to say, the Musica Sacra Forum is one of the most valuable locations on the web for musicians (and others!) wanting to learn more about the church’s deep music tradition, network with other musicians, or even have more general liturgical discussions sometimes. Not to mention you can hang out with some of the Cafe writers who often drop in over there! If you’re a musician working in a parish, or just someone with an interest in liturgical music, it’s worth checking out once and a while! If you have a question, jump right in and start a discussion, and you could get an answer from some of the finest musicians throughout the country.

Now here’s your MSF recap for the week! And don’t forget to visit the forum directly as well, because this is just a small selection of the discussions going on over there right now!

Let’s chant!
Posted on by Mary Jane Ballou

Lux aeterna from the Requiem by Steve Dobrogosz

Here’s a lovely lush piece of writing for chorus and orchestra by Steve Dobrogosz, an American composer who resides in Sweden.  In some ways, it reminds me of Eric Whitacre or Morton Lauridson.  Don’t be distracted by the somewhat cheesy effects on the video. Nice soprano solo around 5:10.

See – I can do other things than nag you about the CMAA XXIV Summer Colloquium.  (Of course, there’s still the possibility of late registration.)

Right now?  Enjoy the music.

Posted on by Ben

Magnificat Monday: Willan

This week we have another English magnificat from Healy Willan. Appropriately, this was contributed by reader Scott who hails from the Anglican Ordinariate. Thanks Scott! As astute readers will note, the chant begins with an antiphon, because it was recorded in a liturgical context. As always, let me know if you have contributions by clicking here!

Posted on by Mr. C

Time for a new Pentecost? Let it happen!

First as I forwarded an annotated version of this article to my pastor and administrator this evening, I ask you to go to the link first and read, let its wisdom take hold in good ground, and bloom in your hearts. Then I offer the letter of my thoughts about its sentiments that accompanied my memo to the pastor.

http://www.ccwatershed.org/blog/2014/jun/8/pentecost-babel-tongues-latin/

This is the memo forwarded to our pastor:

Please read the attached and I ask prayerfully consider the wisdom it . We may be on the cusp of seeing this potential great vessel of worship, the mother tongue and mother ship of the Barque of Peter cross the horizon never to return to our city. Liturgy is not about literal comprehension alone. As Fr. Friel and CS Lewis recognize that vernaculars are temporal, then would it be too much for us here to consider redressing the absence of the only timeless tongue of our Roman Rite? One Mass a week, one Mass a month? Or better yet one in each parish under the Missal of Paul VI? As Chesterton once said I now paraphrase, “Latin has not been tried (in the Ordinary Form) and failed, but has failed to be tried.” The readings and homily (even the Universal Prayer) in our vernaculars can move our minds and then our wills to leave the doors after Mass and try to bring both the Word and the Great Commission to fruition. But the status quo, the Mass which is expedited by the ease of words that become formulaic and thusly subject to unconscious distraction or worse, antithetical to the deeper Word that lies with the Ritual, the real locus of worship and mystery, will cripple ritual worship’s very viability and future in my estimation. There, I’ve said my words about my intuition and inclination. If it’s not in the cards, then “amen, so be it.” Blessings, C. 

Can it be done? Really?