I have read the documents on music. I am not a liturgist. I am a christian who believes 100% in the teachings of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church allows many styles of music for the Mass, in recognition that God made everyone different.
I was under the impression that the worship of the Mass is the fulfillment of the OT worship model.
I don’t know about that but I do know there were times when composers who are now church music “gold standards” were rapped on the knuckles for producing music that was considered likely to distract worshippers by drawing too much attention to the music itself, unlike chant.I wonder if people were arguing about this stuff 1000 years ago when Chant was new on the scene and all the rage with the youth!
I don’t know about that but I do know there were times when composers who are now church music “gold standards” were rapped on the knuckles for producing music that was considered likely to distract worshippers by drawing too much attention to the music itself, unlike chant.
It’s funny you should say that, because coming from a perspective of not having been around Chant my whole life, I find Chant to be very fascinating and I become involved in *it *for it’s own sake at times. So I think that this argument could be made for just about anything that takes place where we humans have a difficult time with distraction of all kinds, sometimes we just have to let go of the argument and get on with the business of worship. At least you see the china. You don’t have the cabinet in the basement and covered in a cloth. That’s what happened to chant and Latin. It got concealed and hidden… it’s not even on display.
One does not understand the essence of the Mass if their interest revolves primarily around musical style. There are youth I know of who simply don’t go to Mass on the weekends when the youth Mass is not offered. (Why their parents allow this I don’t know?)
Well, I hope latin and chant are never lost. As mentioned, I attend the Life Teen Mass, and, in fact, I run the sound. Prior to Mass, I play a CD of Gregorian Chant. It sets a more reverent tone.
I agree completely. The main focus of the Mass is the Eucharist. However, the Church allows different styles of music at Mass to meet the preferences of a diverse people.
Have we then established that young people prefer contemporary music at Mass over all other styles?
Actually, neither. We have made available to the youth a Mass with contemporary praise and worship music. Those who don’t like it choose to go to other Masses.
It sounds as if the parents in question haven’t gotten their priorities right, which is not the fault of the style of Mass that is preferred.
So then you also have youth Masses with e.g. Gregorian chant and polyphony? If not, if your youth Masses only (or primarily) have CP&W music, then how is that not forcing music you (or somebody in charge) thinks is the “correct” music for a youth Mass upon the young people?
When I lived in a city with 15 parishes I could do that. The people where I live now have two choices: anticipated Mass with bad a cappella congregational singing or Sunday morning Mass with most of the same hymns except now accompanied on organ by a good guitarist.It sounds as if the parents in question haven’t gotten their priorities right, which is not the fault of the style of Mass that is preferred.
I think parents should make it a point to bring their children to several different styles of Mass each month so they become accustomed to the variety the Church allows without becoming too rigid in their preferences, which seems to be a problem all around now days.
And it all comes back to the point that it’s not really the form or style but the heart of the worshiper that really matters. God is pleased with a heart that loves him and wants to worship him no matter what song is being sung with what instrument accompanying it.
Furthermore, the Cardinal states that
Regarding the issue of creativity, Cardinal Arinze is very clear on the subject:
How many times have we seen that happen? People may have the best of intentions; however, when they deviate from the norms, big problems creep up.
Funny you should mention that. Polyphony chant was first thought as too wild and secular when it was first introduced into Mass, was discouraged, allowed, then embracecd. I was surprised to learn this recently when I read “Spirit of the Liturgy.”I wonder if people were arguing about this stuff 1000 years ago when Chant was new on the scene and all the rage with the youth!
However, you then get into the issue of “how to make the Mass more interesting.” In my previous post, I quoted passages from a speech given by Francis Cardinal Arinze to a group of liturgists. He really got the juices going when the issue of "making the Mass more interesting:
The big problem with using Praise and Worship music during the Mass is precisely the fact that it focuses too much on the horizontal. It’s not even liturgically appropriate. Perhaps the Protestant praise anthem, “Lord I Lift Your Name on High” or “Shine, Jesus, Shine” works well with a group of young
Palestrina had his knuckles rapped once or twice, if I recall correctly from a couple of early music lectures.
I wanted to ditto this. In my involvement with a college ministry I have seen this over and over again with kids coming form “life teen” parish backgrounds that lose interest and go protestant at an alarming rate when faced with a student run liturgy that actually follows the GIRM and uses often lively but always meaningful music. The custom masses are not doing them any favors.