Future of Liturgical Music

[JButky]

What do you see as the future of Liturgical Music? Where is it headed based on its current progression.

Joe B

 

[pm1853]

Honestly, your guess is as good as mine. If things continue the way they are, I can see multiple streams of progression. The folk movement thrives, the classical movement thrives, the “christian rock” movement thrives, the chant movement…well…I have hope.

Though I love the pipe organ and other instruments (I am a classical musician just so you know), part of me felt really, REALLY at home during a Ukranian Catholic Liturgy. The liturgy was totally unencumbered by the mechanics of instruments. There was a purity that I found not even at the most reverent of Tridentine Masses (though I attend a TLM whenever I can). People chanted the prayers (from memory) with no regards to the technology of instruments. At the liturgy, the music worked to support the words (specifically, it was not the focus of the liturgy, just an inseparable part) rather than to transcend them (as I see occasionally). This is the direction I would LIKE to see in the Latin Church, but I doubt it will happen (though I have hope). I would also love to see eastern hymnody enter the Latin church.

Back to your question though, unless there is a major decree from the higher authorities (and in there is precedent, most recently from Pope St. Pius X and the Solesmes movement) I can see liturgical music branching off in any number of directions.

 

[JButky]

Thanks for the reply. I’m a little surprised, given the importance of Liturgical Music, that so little discussion is the result.

pm1853:

Honestly, your guess is as good as mine. If things continue the way they are, I can see multiple streams of progression. The folk movement thrives, the classical movement thrives, the “christian rock” movement thrives, the chant movement…well…I have hope.

Do you observe reasons for this? Are there more secular and cultural influences causing this or lack of response from the hierarchy? Are all these forms healthy and appropriate? Is there a “culture war” going on with liturgical music and why?

Joe B

 

[harinkj]

I hope traditional gregorian chant will always be available, but I wouldn’t want to push it on everyone.

• Kathie :bowdown:

 

[mosher]

I just hope that Musicam Sacram is followed one of these days.

 

[pm1853]

Do you observe reasons for this? Are there more secular and cultural influences causing this or lack of response from the hierarchy? Are all these forms healthy and appropriate? Is there a “culture war” going on with liturgical music and why?

To quote myself earlier, your guess is as good as mine. Secular influences have always played a part in liturgical music (the numerous mass settings based off of the Medieval “L’homme armé” are a testament to that). Culture likewise has always played a role; There are differences between Western and Eastern Chant, just as there are differences between Gregorian, Ambrosian, Gallic, Celtic chant etc… (I don’t know if there are any examples remaining of the latter two, I just have to go by my text book). In terms of polyphony, Italian polyphonic works are very different from German, and German is very different from French, etc… ad nauseum. The difference is that nowadays the layman’s ears are not necessarily attuned to hearing those differences (the professional’s ears are not always attuned either).

Do I observe any particular reason for the currents threads of music? I think because we have more contact with other cultures, we see more and more of their influence in places historically unexpected (think of the Beatles and their contact with Indian music, or Ravi Shankar and his sitar concertos). I think that in general this is wonderful and needed, but must handled carefully. In the hands of a poor composer, this multistylistic music sounds forced and gimmicky. What often happens is you get the stereotype rather than the actual style (think of “Native American” music in any 1950’s western…Native American music does not sound like that, its just the work of certain composers getting their hands on a superficial part of a beautiful music).

For me, the Our Father setting done to the Caribbean beat with the call and response is the most dreadful example of this (Our Father, Our Father; Who Art in Heaven, Who Art in Heaven, Hollowed be thy, Hallowed be thy Name).

Healthy and appropriate? I don’t know honestly. Perhaps, perhaps not. To my own ears, current church music (with some exception) sounds to be composed for the sake of music rather than the sake of worship. I could very well be wrong of course, thats just my own impression. I can’t tell whats going on the those composers’ hearts.

 

[MEP]

I think traditional music is making a comeback, just as a lot of more traditional elements of the liturgy are making a comeback. The generation of kids who were raised by the Boomers have realized that their parents’ thirst for novelty and revision was misguided. A lot of young people are going to Tridentine mass now. I think that there will be a slight resurgence in more traditional hymns and good old fashioned organ music as more and more people start to look for something stable in their lives.

That’s not to say I want liturgical music to remain static forever. I would just really like if new liturgical music was not so heavily informed by whatever trend happens to be popular at the moment of it’s authorship. I think a slight return to traditional music will facilitate that eventual goal.

Or at the very least, I can hope.

As far as “culture wars” in the church go, yes, I think there is a cold war of sorts surrounding liturgical music. Quite a few catholics despise some of what’s found in modern hymnals, not because it’s inappropriate for any reason, but because some of it really is just terrible music (subjectivity and different perspectives aside, there is such a thing as just plain bad music, only the tone deaf (like one parish music director I know of) don’t understand that).

 

[JButky]

MEP:

As far as “culture wars” in the church go, yes, I think there is a cold war of sorts surrounding liturgical music. Quite a few catholics despise some of what’s found in modern hymnals, not because it’s inappropriate for any reason, but because some of it really is just terrible music (subjectivity and different perspectives aside, there is such a thing as just plain bad music, only the tone deaf (like one parish music director I know of) don’t understand that).

If it is terrible, wouldn’t it be considered inappropriate anyway? If music is to be appropriate it must be of high quality. Wouldn’t you agree that if it is “terrible” it would therefore also be inappropriate?

Joe B

 

[MEP]

Terrible is in the eye of the beholder I guess. Personally, if I wanted to attend an Abba concert I wouldn’t be at mass on Sunday, but some people seem to disagree with me. I can’t wait until our civilization forgets the 70s.

 

[pm1853]

Very true, very true. It often takes a while to discern “terrible” from “good” (in his day, Bach was second rate, and only considered as a 3rd choice for the position at Tomaskirche). Perhaps we’ll see the current terrible slowly dissappear, though I’m sure its death knells will be particularly horrifying. ( ).