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Thursday 17 November 2011

Celebrate in Song---Conflicted Interest

Well, well well...isn't this interesting.  It seems that two of three composers of the less than appropriate Mass settings in Celebrate in Song are actually on the National Council of Liturgical Music under the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Now, how much did your parish pay for this? Um, did the Bishops not command that you "only" sing these? Does all this seem a little out of the ordinary?

Nah, it must be just me.

Nota bene: Perhaps those who have foisted upon Catholic in Canada the banality of Celibate in Song might be interested in this:

Vatican instructions on liturgical music, architecture coming soon RSS Facebook November 22, 2011

The Vatican will soon unveil a “liturgical art and sacred music commission,” and issue new guidelines for the construction of churches and the renewal of liturgical music, according to Andrea Tornielli of La Stampa.
Tornielli—who has compiled an enviable record for predicting new developments in the pontificate of Benedict XVI—says that the new commission will mark an important step in the Pontiff’s long-cherished plan for a “reform of the reform” in the liturgy.
 
The commission will be part of the Congregation for Divine Worship, Tornielli reports. He notes that in September, Pope Benedict relieved that congregation of its responsibility for several canonical issues, explaining that the Congregation for Divine Worship should devote its energies primarily to “giving fresh impetus to the promotion of the Church’s sacred liturgy.”
 
That congregation, under the leadership of Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera, will now issue instructions on liturgical music, architecture, and art, Tornielli reports. These instructions will be designed to insure that all artistic elements are oriented toward a reverent celebration of the liturgy.


10 comments:

Anonymous said...

No - it's not just you. I noticed the same thing on Monday and thought the same thing.

JP said...

Huh! Hadn't noticed. Our Bishop only mentioned one Mass Setting and it's American (and rather awful).

We are choosing our own.

Thesy said...

As far as I am concerned, every diocese should have mandated the Chant setting from ICEL to begin with. It is singable and reverent. Our diocese has open season - every parish chooses one of the Canadian settings. I am totally devastated that so little mention was made to encourage the Chant setting.

Teresa B. said...

I thought every parish was to learn the chant setting AND one of the musical settings.
When getting together for archdiocesan celebration - we are to use the chant setting that everyone is suppose to know.

Gabby said...

Some dioceses have given no direction beyond the use of the Celebrate in Song. Some dioceses have mandated use of one specific setting + chant.

maria k said...

To be honest, I like them all, though I'm glad our parish is doing the Angeles because it is the most musical. I think his Gloria is very expressive. Pianos are a fixture at many churches now and that probably won't change. People react differently to the same music. Some people get spooked by Gregorian. Some people get irritated by bouncy hymns. Eventually there will be more choices, and we can always write our own music. The clergy now are being pushed by the system (I think) to have things in place for Advent, and the fastest way to get it done is to pick one Mass setting and concentrate on it.

Here's a link with some info about the composers: http://www.celebrate-liturgy.ca/fileadmin/Roman%20Missal%3AGIRM%20website/REidMusic1SPRING2011_low.pdf

Sorry I can't figure out how to make it a live link. I'm so used to awful music that these Mass settings seem quite normal to me (excepting the electric guitar accompaniment). Take away the accompaniments and the sing songy voices and the music itself is not so bad.

Anonymous said...

Maria - It's fine that some people like the Angeles setting and are free to choose it if they wish. But why force it on everybody? If you are going to force the use of a single setting why not force the use of one more connected to tradition. And if you are going to do it in the name of Unity, why not do it in the name of universal unity and choose a setting from the missal rather than a merely local one?

I'm glad you like the Angles setting. For me the Angeles Gloria is one more reason to look forward to Advent and Lent.

Thesy said...

Yes, it will be a relief not to hear Dawson's Gloria during Advent. Just came home from Mass and I get so frustrated with Dawson setting. It certainly does not help me to pray and it is difficult to learn. What a let down from this summer when we were using the ICEL chant. Indeed, Benedict is right - it's a good example of "religious entertainment". Why are we cheating the people of good liturgy?

Anonymous said...

Our diocese (Valleyfield, Quebec) and my own parish have done NOTHING to prepare for the new translation - I suspect politics at work here, since English speakers in Quebec are treated usually as non-persons (i.e., they wish we'd all quietly disappear). For whatever reason, nothing has been done to prepare for next Sunday, and since we have been w/out a bishop since Bp. Cyr was moved to Sherbrooke a few months ago, there is a definite leadership vacuum - although Mgr, Cyr was never vocal about anything - at least en anglais. The missal was on sale this weekend, w/ the new translation, but I suspect it will be business as usual at the English-language Masses next weekend - or, the new translation will be used, people will complaing, and they might just go back to the old version again. It's enough to make you wish Mass was in Latin again - it would sure simplify matters, and I wouldn't have to listen to the priests whose second/third language is English struggling their way through the prayers.

Please pray that here in V'field we get a good shepherd who at least recognizes the existence of "nous autres" - and pray for the Church in Quebec. Thank you.

Chloesmom

Gabby said...

Chloesmom, we have not received our Roman Missal yet. I'm hoping it comes in by the weekend.