Can my parish's musicians play Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, or Megadeth as liturgical music for Mass?

[Lepanto]

Some say that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and that “there are no standards of what’s appropriate” in liturgical music. And besides, Vatican II’s document Sacrosanctum Concilium (article 116) says that non-Gregorian Chant forms of music in “accord with the spirit of the liturgical action” can be used:

---

1. The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.

But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action, as laid down in Art. 30.​

So, assuming that the lyrics are not anti-Christian, can my parish’s musicians play Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, or Megadeth as liturgical music for Mass?

If not, why not?

 

[MarcoPolo]

So, assuming that the lyrics are not anti-Christian, can my parish’s musicians play Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, or Megadeth as liturgical music for Mass?

I think there is something in the rubrics about not having “commotion” in the mass. Megadeth might constitute that…

 

[Phemie]

I figure you’re just yanking our chains but I would say that you can use their music when they start producing “Sacred Music” and that means sacred by Church standards, not by metalhead standards.

 

[Windmill]

The quote from SC says that other forms of sacred music can be used. Megadeath is a secular group, their music has a secular connotation, and their songs are not liturgical or meant for that type of forum. Regardless of one’s intentions, Megadeath is inappropriate for the Mass by its very nature. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but that doesn’t mean that you can force any music to meet a liturgical need. By your question, you assume that any music in appropriate. It is not.

 

[VociMike]

I think you need to refine your question a bit. The correct question, it seems to me, is whether one could have liturgical lyrics, e.g. setting the psalms, to the tunes and styles of Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, Megadeath, etc. And if not, why not?

In a similar vein, for those who generally accept secular-sounding liturgical music, have you ever heard a piece of contemporary Christian music that had acceptable lyrics and yet that you would not find suitable for liturgical use? If so, what was it about the piece that would cause you to reject it for liturgical use?

 

[CapaxDei]

So, assuming that the lyrics are not anti-Christian, can my parish’s musicians play Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, or Megadeth as liturgical music for Mass?

You have WAY too much time on your hands.

 

[NewUlm1976_2000]

So, either accept Gregorian Chant and nothing else or it is the same as playing rock music?

Well, if you go to some Stubenville weekends, I believe they have music set to electric guitar during their worship periods. It is being done.

As for the rock music, I guess you could be eclectic and use them (though it is not top on my list for mass). Many have social justice lyrics that in theory could be adapted (it would make a great spiritual discussion group on the lyrics though).

For the record, I have almost all the Megadeth albums.

Yet, others have pointed out that this is a poor question in an apparent way to discredit the current non-GC music used in most parishes today.

 

[palmas85]

Some say that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and that “there are no standards of what’s appropriate” in liturgical music. And besides, Vatican II’s document Sacrosanctum Concilium (article 116) says that non-Gregorian Chant forms of music in “accord with the spirit of the liturgical action” can be used:

---

1. The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.

But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action, as laid down in Art. 30.​

So, assuming that the lyrics are not anti-Christian, can my parish’s musicians play Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, or Megadeth as liturgical music for Mass?

If not, why not?

Sure why not. Go to any Life Teen Mass and you will find music that sounds pretty much the same as the groups you mentioned… Just change the lyrics so that it can be considered praise and worship music It’s all good. Just ask Life Teen, they’ll tell you.

 

[Pax]

If I’m not mistaken Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, and Megadeth are reserved for the “Black Mass” as celebrated in the satanic parishes that operate underground across our country.

 

[LilyM]

This thread reminds me of the hilarious Simpsons episode where Bart substitutes Iron Maiden’s ‘Garden of Eden’ for the organ music at their church.

I do think there’s a point where music becomes about the performer and entertainment rather than about glorifying God. I would say that threshold is much lower with heavy metal music than with other styles, but I don’t think musical style should be the only consideration.

I’ve heard classical Masses that I don’t think should be played in church - Verdi’s Requiem, for example, seems to me very clearly to belong to the concert hall and not in a church. And the Church agrees - there are some classicial composers whose masses have in the past been stated to be unsuitable for liturgical use.

 

[paramedicgirl]

Some say that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and that “there are no standards of what’s appropriate” in liturgical music. And besides, Vatican II’s document Sacrosanctum Concilium (article 116) says that non-Gregorian Chant forms of music in “accord with the spirit of the liturgical action” can be used:

---

1. The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.

But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action, as laid down in Art. 30.​

So, assuming that the lyrics are not anti-Christian, can my parish’s musicians play Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, or Megadeth as liturgical music for Mass?

If not, why not?

Sure, why not? May as well get them to play Stairway to Heaven for an entrance hymn, and then they can all kiss and hug and sing the Barney song at communion. Sounds reasonable. And for the final song, Bon Jovi’s “You Can’t go Home” would be a good fit. It just might encourage some to stay a while and pray.

 

[RLT]

I’m a huge Iron Maiden fan…huge.
If I knew how to play guitar I would start an Iron Maiden tribute band…complete with full dress and a giant Eddie on stage.

Now, if a mass I attended started to play Maiden tunes I would get up and leave.

 

[patrick457]

This thread reminds me of the hilarious Simpsons episode where Bart substitutes Iron Maiden’s ‘Garden of Eden’ for the organ music at their church.

It’s actually Iron Butterfly’s ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’. Granted, I like that song but it’s hardly appropriate for liturgical music, in all senses (It’s even 17 minutes in length!). Perhaps it could serve as a processional hymn?

 

[RLT]

It’s actually Iron Butterfly’s ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’. Granted, I like that song but it’s hardly appropriate for liturgical music, in all senses (It’s even 17 minutes in length!). Perhaps it could serve as a processional hymn?

Urban legend has it that the actual lyrics were supposed to be “in the Garden of Eden” but the singer was so drugged up during the recording it came out ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’.

 

[patrick457]

Urban legend has it that the actual lyrics were supposed to be “in the Garden of Eden” but the singer was so drugged up during the recording it came out ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’.

Officially, there are two versions of how the title came to be:

-The drummer (Ron Bushy) was listening to the track through headphones and couldn’t hear correctly; he simply distorted what Doug Ingle (the vocalist) answered when Bushy asked him for the title of the song.

-Doug Ingle was drunk when he first told Bushy the title, so Bushy wrote it down. Bushy then showed Ingle what he had written, and the slurred title stuck.

 

[VociMike]

So, either accept Gregorian Chant and nothing else or it is the same as playing rock music?

What’s the point of setting up silly straw men? Nobody is saying “Gregorian chant and nothing else”. Nobody but you, that is.

 

[puzzleannie]

But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action, as laid down in Art. 30.​

So, assuming that the lyrics are not anti-Christian, can my parish’s musicians play Iron Maiden, Twisted Sister, or Megadeth as liturgical music for Mass?

If not, why not?

I don’t think there is a music major or conductor in the country who would put “sacred music especially polyphony” and “Iron Maiden et al” in the same sentence.

 

[NewUlm1976_2000]

What’s the point of setting up silly straw men? Nobody is saying “Gregorian chant and nothing else”. Nobody but you, that is.

Well, that is how it comes across in the OP’s post. Gregorian chant is preferred and everything else should not be considered worthy.

 

[VociMike]

Well, that is how it comes across in the OP’s post. Gregorian chant is preferred and everything else should not be considered worthy.

No, that’s just how it comes across in your own mind. The OP is apparently asking what the bounds are regarding (lyrically correct) sacred music, if indeed there are any bounds. That’s not only a valid question, it’s one that needs to be addressed.

Now it is true that Gregorian chant is preferred. The Church has said that many times, most recently by Pope Benedict XVI. But it’s not true that the Church says nothing else should be considered worthy. Rather, she gives clear guidelines on how we are to gauge the worthiness of different music. So the question regarding music in the style of Iron Maiden, etc should be discussed based on those guidelines.

 

[StBenMom]

This thread reminds me of the hilarious Simpsons episode where Bart substitutes **Iron Maiden’s ‘Garden of Eden’ **for the organ music at their church.

I do think there’s a point where music becomes about the performer and entertainment rather than about glorifying God. I would say that threshold is much lower with heavy metal music than with other styles, but I don’t think musical style should be the only consideration.

I’ve heard classical Masses that I don’t think should be played in church - Verdi’s Requiem, for example, seems to me very clearly to belong to the concert hall and not in a church. And the Church agrees - there are some classicial composers whose masses have in the past been stated to be unsuitable for liturgical use.

It was “Iron Butterfly” and the song is called “Inna Godda Davida”