Unfortunately, my parish has heavily bought into OCP. I personally have a strong disdain for the St. Louis Jesuits and the Spirit and Song (and Rise Up and Sing) hymnal that OCP puts out. My diocese is pretty much locked into it as well.
I would love for my parish to sing Songs of Thankfulness and Praise, When John Baptized on Jordan River and On Jordan’s Bank. But, we won’t hear it. I also yearn, during Lent, to hear Attende Domine, Parce Domine, Again We Keep this Solemn Fast and O Sun of Justice. But, I will be stuck with Hosea and some other lovely little gem from OCP.
In doing some reasearch, I came across this gem that the late Pope John Paul wrote, the Chirograph on Sacred Music. He makes some very telling remarks that I believe suit the discussion at hand:
Today, moreover, the meaning of the category “sacred music” has been broadened to include repertoires that cannot be part of the celebration without violating the spirit and norms of the Liturgy itself.
St Pius X’s reform aimed specifically at purifying Church music from the contamination of profane theatrical music that in many countries had polluted the repertoire and musical praxis of the Liturgy. In our day too, careful thought, as I emphasized in the Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia, should be given to the fact that not all the expressions of figurative art or of music are able “to express adequately the mystery grasped in the fullness of the Church’s faith”[14]. Consequently, not all forms of music can be considered suitable for liturgical celebrations.
- Another principle, affirmed by St Pius X in the Motu Proprio Tra le Sollecitudini and which is closely connected with the previous one, is that of sound form. There can be no music composed for the celebration of sacred rites which is not first of all “true art” or which does not have that efficacy “which the Church aims at obtaining in admitting into her Liturgy the art of musical sounds”[15].
Yet this quality alone does not suffice. Indeed, liturgical music must meet the specific prerequisites of the Liturgy: full adherence to the text it presents, synchronization with the time and moment in the Liturgy for which it is intended, appropriately reflecting the gestures proposed by the rite. The various moments in the Liturgy require a musical expression of their own. From time to time this must fittingly bring out the nature proper to a specific rite, now proclaiming God’s marvels, now expressing praise, supplication or even sorrow for the experience of human suffering which, however, faith opens to the prospect of Christian hope.
These are strong words, that, as far as I can tell, have unfortunately gone unheeded.
While many have made the argument that songs like Eagles Wings, Hosea and Lord of the Mountains are scripturally based, their melodies just don’t quite hack it for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It’s too Barry Manilow-ish and too much of a John Denver style that is a throw back to the seventies pop genre.
Furthermore, the use of contemporary Protestant Praise and Worship music (OCP’s Spirit and Song is heavily laced with it) goes against what JP II talked about. This genre is not consistent with Catholic doctrine, dogma and liturgical theology. Even the stuff like I, Myself, Am the Bread of Life, Anthem, Gather Us In, Anthem, Song of the Body of Christ and We Remember is so dubious in its theology, dogma and doctrine that it doesn’t even resemble what the Church believes and proclaims.
Remember, lex orandi, lex creendi. We pray as we believe. If I may add, we also sing as we pray as we believe.
I’m thinking of cases from experience where it appears that cantoring is the sole outlet for ambitions thwarted elsewhere … their singing is such a part of their indentity that criticism or even guidance is intolerable. I feel deeply for them and their hurt and also for the frustration of others when “management” won’t step in for fear of hurting feelings or provoking an explosion … sad for everyone. It’s one reason why I’m preparing handouts for prospective volunteers and trying to set up a personal (friendly) introductory chat/“interview” system in future … but more on that on another thread later.