Prof. William Mahrt speaks on sacred music

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These are usually VERY good. I have wanted to attend one, but haven’t had the chance to yet.
 
I listened to most of that clip. It’s interesting, but would entail a huge culture change from the churches I’ve attended.
I understand that the readings would be sung in Latin, which was not the original language they were written in, by our priests, some of whom don’t like to sing at all.
I’m curious where you’ve heard mass done this way?

It reminds me of many of my friends Jewish bar mitzvah’s I’ve attended. All the Torah readings are sung in Hebrew by the Cantor who also taught the bar mitzvah children their readings. It was very beautiful, but everyone I asked afterward told me they could not understand the Hebrew during the service. Remember that Jewish children attend years of Hebrew school to learn it, unlike the average Catholic’s minimal exposure to Latin.
 
VAC said:
I listened to most of that clip. It’s interesting, but would entail a huge culture change from the churches I’ve attended.
I understand that the readings would be sung in Latin, which was not the original language they were written in, by our priests, some of whom don’t like to sing at all.
I’m curious where you’ve heard mass done this way?
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I’m pretty sure Prof. Mahrt’s parish does a Novus Ordo Mass, not TLM. The readings would be in the vernacular. I have heard the readings chanted in the vernacular at my own church on special feasts, and it certainly makes you sit up and pay attention. 🙂

I have only heard the readings chanted in Latin in some televised papal Masses. I understand the TLM readings are first read in Latin, then in the vernacular. That is one place where Vatican II explicitly called for use of the vernacular.
 
VociMike said:
I’m pretty sure Prof. Mahrt’s parish does a Novus Ordo Mass, not TLM. The readings would be in the vernacular. I have heard the readings chanted in the vernacular at my own church on special feasts, and it certainly makes you sit up and pay attention. 🙂 QUOTE]

We also have had either a seminarian, deacon or a priest chant the readings in the vernacular on special feasts, especially during Christmas and Easter. They do a beautiful job and truly makes you listen. There are people who don’t mind this at all. I’'ve also met people who prefer it to be read, mostly because they don’t want to be in church longer than an hour. rather than an hour and 15/20 minutes.

My friend is actually currently in DC for this. I’m anxious to find out what he thought of it.
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Professor Mahrt’s church does indeed offer the NO mass in Latin. However, it is perfectly possible to have the readings at a NO Latin Mass sung in Latin. The Lectionarium exists precisely for this purpose.

The “culture change” was foisted on the masses (pun intended) forty years ago, after centuries of doing otherwise.
 
Thank you MIke for posting that. I listened to the whole talk and it was excellent.

We were fortunate that Fr. P, who is our diocese’s judicial vicar, also has a great voice and was resident in the cathedral parish.

Holy Saturday was awesome. Fr. P. and our cantor sang the readings finishing up with Fr. P. singing the Exultet. Raise the hair on the back of your neck!

Gradualism. Indeed, indeed. Granted mine is a cathedral parish in a university town (something Mahrt reflects upon) but we have been singing the ordinary in Latin during Lent for years - my kids learned it.

I think a lot of folks have said, “Oh no, we can’t do this”. To which I say at 55 - hey, there’s a whole bunch of us who’re not dead yet in your parishes. We may be rusty but we remember the music of our childhood. Dollars to doughnuts, have you music directors even tried to reach out to the now graying baby boomers?
 
brotherhrolf said:
Dollars to doughnuts, have you music directors even tried to reach out to the now graying baby boomers?
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In measured doses.

Do you have any idea how many baby boomers love the guitar masses and yearn for more Shutte, O’Conner, and Foley?

As for your original point, we have done this in the parishes I have been at. I usually sing the “Kyrie” and “Agnus Dei” in greek and latin, respectively, during lent. We also try to incorporate chant and polyphony - along with the better Haugen, Hass, etc.

Today’s Church music is really about all things in moderation.
 
PaixGioiaAmor said:
In measured doses.

Do you have any idea how many baby boomers love the guitar masses and yearn for more Shutte, O’Conner, and Foley?

As for your original point, we have done this in the parishes I have been at. I usually sing the “Kyrie” and “Agnus Dei” in greek and latin, respectively, during lent. We also try to incorporate chant and polyphony - along with the better Haugen, Hass, etc.

Today’s Church music is really about all things in moderation.
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Yes, I do. But I am also a Been there, done that Catholic, and I maintain that there is an equal number of us who had our roots yanked and are perfectly ready to resume what we knew in our childhood. I was not happy to have to sing Simon and Garfunkle at my graduatation Mass from a Catholic high school in 1969. I wasn’t asked. Didn’t have any (name removed by moderator)ut. So, I’m standing up and representing all of us who’s voices were not heard in 1969.

Today’s church music is not about moderation. Go back and read the documents about V II. Chant and polyphony have precedence. This is exactly what Prof. Mahrt speaks about.

Mike, I believe your stats but I reject the premise. I cannot believe that there is not a number of us who reject what was foisted upon us back in the late 60s.

May I be so humble as to submit that we were the kids who did not protest the Vietnam War. The whole idea of protest would have been anathema to us. We followed HMC and rolled over and played dead in 68 and 69. We have been faithful members of HMC since then. We see the MP as a return to our roots.
 
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