Here’s my setting of the Responsorial Psalm antiphon for the 9th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. Download the entire setting and others by Jeffrey Ostrowski, Richard Rice, et al. over at Chabanel Psalms.
Colloquium XXI Preliminary Schedule
I posted the preliminary schedule just minutes ago.
The Colloquium will begin with a reception at 5:00pm on Monday, June 13, and wrap up with a brunch on Sunday, June 19. That should be over by around 1:00-1:30pm, for those of you who have been wanting to get your flight reservations locked in.
Aside from the list of distinguished and usual suspects, this year’s faculty includes Dr. Ann Labounsky of Duquesne University; internationally known chant expert Dr. Edward Schaefer; Dr. Paul Weber of Franciscan University; Jeffrey Morse of St. Stephen’s in Sacramento, California; organist and Jordan Prize winner Jonathan Ryan; and Monsignor Andrew Wadsworth, Executive Director of the International Committee on English in the Liturgy (ICEL).
The Digital Age Will Kill “Community” Obsessed Worship
In an article this morning on InsideCatholic, I riff a bit on a thesis by Richard Beck. He argues that digital social networking is taking over the social function of church attendance. I argue that he might be right and this makes the case for reclaiming those aspects of faith that the digital world cannot duplicate, namely theological and liturgical tradition:
Excerpt:
The digital age offers a profound challenge to religious believers who continue to desire that the faithful gather to praise God. The Church has served other purposes as well, and this is all to the good. But to the extent that these are not theological and liturgical purposes, they are in danger of being displaced.
Many Catholic thinkers and writers have for decades chosen to emphasize the communal and social aspects of the liturgy over its theological dimension. This comes through in their recommendation of music that “people like” and “can sing” with gusto. The presider should be friendly and accessible, like your best friend. Homilies should be upbeat and funny. We must greet our neighbors and extend a hand of friendship, dragging out the “sign of peace” as long as possible.
This perspective now faces a serious problem. What is it that the Church offers uniquely? Here we must embrace a deeper understanding of why we gather: not only the traditional teaching concerning the Real Presence, but also the traditional liturgical structure that makes that awareness an integral part of the experience at Mass. This goes for music, vestments, architecture, and every other aspect of liturgical life.
The world is crying out for sacred space, and there is little that the digital world can do to create that. There is nothing that the digital world can do to create the Real Presence of Christ. This is the “app” that the Catholic Church offers, and it is a very serious matter because it deals with eternal, immortal things.
The Church does have something unique to offer, even and especially in the digital age. But if we do not embrace the liturgical forms that underscore that unique offering, we are as much in danger as Professor Beck suggests. Facebook may indeed kill the touchy-feely form of Catholicism that many have urged on us for decades. Community feeling will not fill the pews in the future. However, re-embracing ritual, solemnity, and truth will.
By the way, please fan us at the Cafe Facebook page.
One page description of musical rubrics for the schola, EF Mass
Short Antiphon This Week
This week’s Responsorial Psalm poses a real dilemma. How do you make something worthy of the Mass out of seven syllables? Your answer might be that it is not possible, especially in light of the function of the Gregorian Gradual, its predecessor and still the ideal, whose intent is to lift the ear and mind to higher things in contemplation of the text.
Since most choirs still won’t be singing the Gradual this weekend, something had to be done with the short text given us: Rest in God alone, my soul. One way to treat it might be to lengthen some of the more important syllables – God, -lone, or soul; give them a melismatic treatment, in other words.
But I’ve opted to lengthen the words God and soul by just a couple of pulses, and keep the rhythm of the sung text in alignment with its spoken rhythm. There has to be a wedding of form and function to make it successful given the expectation that the antiphon is to be sung by the congregation. People will be able to remember this stab at a melody after one or two repetitions, kind of like their being able to memorize a seven digit phone number. Mode II seemed to work well here, and so did moving on through the word alone on one pulse per syllable. Singers should be careful to sing the “n” of alone and the “m” of my clearly but without even the slightest pause between the two words.
Below is a quick peek at the verses. You can download the whole setting at Chabanel Psalms. Since I’ve started posting these on the Cafe, I’ve gotten lots of helpful and interesting correspondence concerning Psalm setting and Psalm singing. Next week I’ll discuss options for setting the verses.
Sacred Music is the Easier Path
Fr. John Hollowell of the diocese of Indianapolis, Indiana, posts an interesting reflection on his experience with music, and draws attention to the reality that teaching chant and using a cappella singing in plainchant is a much simpler path than more conventional routes.
When I celebrate Mass at Holy Rosary, almost all of the music is without any instrumentation or the organ, and it is the most beautiful stuff I’ve ever heard. Sometimes the organ is used to intone a piece, but then goes silent, such as the Gloria. The Kyrie, the Creed, the Alleluia, the Sanctus (holy holy holy) etc. are all done there a capella some of the time, and it isn’t hard because at least half the choir there is little kids – chant can be taught easily. I taught the kids at Ritter a Latin Sanctus, and a) they love singing it, and b) picked it up after hearing it three times. The Sanctus needs no instruments, and parents visiting at one of our Masses, when they hear our kids chant it, usually cry. We’re going to be implementing the “Christ has died” in Latin next – brick by brick!
Contrary to the common opinion here, to put a Mass together with guitars, pianos, and the music that typically goes along with all of that in the typical parish today is actually a TON MORE work. People hear Gregorian Chant and think, “Oh wow, that is surely not possible in most parishes.” In actuality, a parish that does what the 2nd Vatican Council asks only has a couple of pieces to prepare for – a) MAYBE an opening song (although the documents also allow that to be done solely on the organ) and b) MAYBE a song to sing while the people come forward for Communion and c) MAYBE a closing song, although again that can be just organ.
If a parish is deciding to take the tambourine and guitar approach to music then they have the following “set list”
Opening song
Gloria
Psalm response
Alleluia
Preparation of the gifts
Holy, Holy, Holy
Christ Has Died…
Great Amen
Lamb of God
Communion song (or two)
Closing SongTrust me, I’ve seen it from both perspectives, and doing music as the Church asks is a LOT easier and more beautiful.
The other myth here is that “Peter Paul and Mary-ish” Church songs are easier to learn, and will get the people to sing more. However, the success of such changes is non-existent in the lived experience of the Church. Most of the pieces performed by parish “bands” are MORE difficult to sing and seem to turn people off more than the simple yet more prayerful chant.
His entire post is very wise, and reflects real-world experience.
Simple Propers for Most Holy Trinty, Corpus Christi, and Sacred Heart
Download Simple English Propers for the feasts at the conclusion of the Easter Season:
Pictured above: Painting of the Most Holy Trinity by Guido Reni, over themain altar of Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini in Rome. (H/T Fr. Z)