Actually, if you re-read the posts in this thread, many of the ones coming from the younger crowd indicate that they would rather have music that is solidly grounded in Church teaching and tradition and that is truly sacred as opposed to the rock genre that is currently offered today. They want something out of the ordinary because they perceive that Something greater than themselves is there. They want to be enveloped and enfolded into that sacred mystery. The P&W stuff just doesn’t work for that because it comes from a style of worship that is not at all based on the Holy Sacrifice by only in the Word. It is not conducive to appropriate liturgical worship.
Incidentally, if you noticed at the Australian WYD Mass that the Holy Father celebrated, noen of the P&W stuff was used. We didn’t hear “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High” nor was “Shine, Jesus, Shine” performed. The music, for the most part, was rooted in tradition. While the settings for the parts of the Mass may have been a tad operatic and performance driven, it wasn’t pop culture. It was more along the lines of Pope culture.
Young people are craving a sense of the divine, a sense of something greater than themselves. The pop and rock genre doesn’t offer that. I believe one of the posters asked if the Holy Fahter’s book, Spirit of the Liturgy was referenced. It probably was, about a dozen or so pages ago on this thread. But, it bears repeating when he notes that:
The Holy Father has pretty much describvd, in the passages highlighted in red and dark blue, a lot of the style of performance for the P&W music used in these so-called Youth Masses. He doesn’t call it by name, but the descriptions fit the bill. In fact, the Fathers of the 2005 Synod on the Eucharist echoed this same concerned when they deemed such music “problematic.”
You’re making some huge generalizations about teenagers and young people (and boomers, too–a lot people my age do not enjoy “traditional” music).
I hardly think that the teenagers who post in the Traditional Section of Catholic Answers Forums are representative of the broad spectrum of teenagers. Try Face Book.
The scenario that I described is real, in my city, at my parish.
We HAVE a TLM in our city (and have had one for years), and it is not populated with large crowds of teenagers and their families. OTOH, the LifeTeen Mass is quite full, usually standing room only, and many of the attendees are teenagers and young people.
So apparently not all young people crave the ancient.
Yes, there are teenagers who like traditional and ancient music. I have not suggested that we get rid of traditional music in Mass. What I am saying is that as long as Life Teen Mass is reverent and done according to the rubrics, it should be done. It provides a great draw for many teenagers who are NOT interested in Traditional music, and who have gotten to a place in their families where their parents can’t or won’t just say, “You go to Mass because I say so!”
And as I said, I have no problem teens learning the ancient music. But how practically, other than in Catholic school music class, which I believe is usually an elective at the junior high and high school level. Perhaps in the elementary schools? Well, our large and thriving Catholic school just hired the best music teacher they could find who was interested in the job, and she definitely doesn’t teach ancient music to children.
Right now, I am accompanist for two projects in our city. Mozart’s Requiem Mass and Handel’s Messiah. Both are offered to Catholics; in fact, our Cathedral’s music director is producing the Mozart Mass. There are teenagers involved, but very few. I think most of them prefer to be part of teenaged activities.
We do have a world-renowned boys’ choir in our city, and this is extremely popular, but they do a mix of music, and it costs a fortune to be part of (they do international tours). But even thought a certain group of teenaged boys wants to be part of it, it’s definitely not turning away
hundreds or even dozens of auditioners.
I am chair of a classical music competition in my city. The “Vocal” Division is available for 9th-12th grades and college through age 25. These Divisions are very small. The voice teachers in the area tell us that teenagers simply aren’t interested in learning the classics. They want to be Mariah Carey or Kelly Clarkson.
Again, I’m not saying that teenagers are never interested in the classics and tradition. Of course there are “classical” teens–I know them. However, they are quite unusua compared to the teenagers who prefer rock music, even in church.
I believe, based on personal experience with Life Teen Mass and also in Protestant churches, that most teenagers are NOT interested in Traditions. And rather than seeing them avoid Mass and start going to the very lively Protestant megachurches in our city featuring very talented rock bands (not pop), I would rather see a Life Teen Mass available for these Catholic teenagers. Yes, of course, it’s pretty lame rock compared to the Protestant churches. But it’s rock and to many teens, that’s the only kind of music.
I do think that many teenagers grow into more traditional styles of music and develop broader tastes in music and Mass as they grow in their faith and grow up in their bodies and minds. But there’s nothing wrong with having a "teenaged "faith and enjoying “teenaged music” and “teenaged life.” After all, that’s what they are–teenagers.
I’m going to repeat it again–I’m NOT saying that all the traditions and traditional music should be trashed. There are teenagers who do prefer this.
), or any number of classical pieces.