Modern Music at mass?

[Bullschuck]

Sure we do. Gregorian chant is based on ancient Jewish temple melodies.

Uhmmm, actually, that’s not what the most modern scholarship indicates. Do a Google search for “Western Plainchant,” most of the book is available. Go to page 484 - 486. Not that I’m knocking Gregorian Chant.

I still like the idea of all forms of music being used in Liturgy. Guitar and organ, flute and drum. Yup, if it speaks to the cultural background of the community, have at it, with one proviso, we need more Gregorian Chant in Liturgy, regardless if it’s a congregation of old blue-hairs or young 'uns. Regardless if they are of one ethnicity or several, throw in as much Gregorian Chant as they can handle. Go ahead and play some jingly-jangly guitar song with drums for the entrance hymn, but give me some Gregorian Chant in there for the rites, and every now and then mix it in for the entrance hymn.

 

[Ilroy]

However, in my honest opinion, if said Catholic composer writes P & W music, then, that would not be suitable for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

I am not completely averse to modern music. Just don’t give me the junk that the likes of Bob Hurd, the SJL, and other OCP standards compose.

I was looking for a beautiful traditional hymn, O Sun of Justice, for our choir to sing during Lent. OCP doesn’ t have it. Nor does it have very many Traditional hymns. By traditional, I mean something that dates back to the 6th century, or even to the Didache (as Father, We Thank Thee Who has Planted is based on it). But there are scores of SJL and Bob Hurd compositions. OCP is evidently adverse to anything that is Traditional.

FYI - It’s SLJ, not SJL…and their hymns are mostly if not all based on various parts of scripture which, as I’m sure you know, is previous to the Didache or at very minimum, contemporary to it. You may not like their style of music which is fine, but know that it is all in line with scripture and the magisterium.

Now for the OP…anything post Gregorian Chant is too modern for my taste.

 

[Leeta]

Yes, that is why Gregorian chant is supposed to be used even over traditional hymns.

 

[Wolseley]

Uhmmm, actually, that’s not what the most modern scholarship indicates. Do a Google search for “Western Plainchant,” most of the book is available. Go to page 484 - 486.

There seems to be an equal number of sources that say the opposite. Not that I care one way or the other.

I still like the idea of all forms of music being used in Liturgy. Guitar and organ, flute and drum.

I tend to agree with the Pope on this one.

Yup, if it speaks to the cultural background of the community, have at it

So if you have a Catholic parish made up entirely of converted Russian Communists, the liturgy should be made up of music that sounds like Soviet military marches?

Hmmm…

Go ahead and play some jingly-jangly guitar song with drums for the entrance hymn

No, they can eliminate that entirely as far as I’m concerned. I’d rather have no music at all if all they can offer is Glory and Praise.

 

[benedictgal]

FYI - It’s SLJ, not SJL…and their hymns are mostly if not all based on various parts of scripture which, as I’m sure you know, is previous to the Didache or at very minimum, contemporary to it. You may not like their style of music which is fine, but know that it is all in line with scripture and the magisterium.

Now for the OP…anything post Gregorian Chant is too modern for my taste.

I was in a hurry to get to a City Council meeting to save our animal shelter. Sorry about the typo.

There are some problems with the SLJ. Sure, there stuff may be based on scripture, but, a lot of it rests with how they read it and how it is worked. Sing to the Mountains is one very problematic song.

The style is also horrid. I’m not of the Woodstock generation; but, it seems that Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and Simon and Garfunkel could very well have sung what the SLJ wrote. I know. My dad listens to Sirius Radio 60s and 70s. Just a funny aside: for the first three weeks we had our new jeep (before it got stolen), I convinced him that the only music Sirius carried was 80s and 80s alternative. Oh, and that EWTN was also standard fare. Well, my uncle fiddled around and found the 50s, 60s and 70s. Having now listened to that genre (60s and 70s), I know that genre rather well and it sounds a lot like SLJ.

Worse yet, OCP treats the SLJ stuff with greater solemnity than it does hymns like Attende Domine (their translation of this venerable hymn pretty much butchers the song and only vaguely resembles the original). OCP doesn’t even include hymns like O Sun of Justice and Creator of the Stars of Night in any of their hymnals.