This is very true. Although the organ is supposed to represent the “cosmos” (and it certainly can when played well and on a wonderful organ) it can certainly seem to represent the underworld when played horribly. LOL.
And this is what the problem is in certain areas of the country from what I’ve seen on the forums and people I have spoken to personally… there aren’t any organists or well-trained organists or organ teachers, for that matter, in some of these areas. And I can understand how people still want music at their liturgies. As a musician, that is major way of prayer for me. The Church will definitely have to set up schools, programs, funds, etc. to begin training young musicians so that at least the next generation will have organ music. And we, as musicians or people who are proponents of sacred music and arts, have to put our money where our mouths are either by working in the Church, teaching or providing money for lessons, etc.
A sensible and accurate post. Once again this year, I am in charge of a classical music competition for youth in our area (49th year of the competition!), and once again, I know of absolutely no organ students in our area, which is a city of 150,000 near Chicago. (The competition covers 10 counties in Northern Illinois.)
If the Church insists on eliminating all other instruments besides pipe organ and all other music besides Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony, there will be three possibilities that I can see.
Ideally, many parishes would attempt to bring themselves into line with Church pronouncement. This would mean devoting time and money to re-educating the parish about music, teaching them chants and other traditional styles, hiring an organist if possible, and planning the Masses to accomodate all the new “old” music.
I personally think that this won’t happen in most parishes. Most of the good musicians I know (and I know many) are liberal politically, and have left the Catholic Church to attend churches that are pro-homosexual marriage and pro-choice.
Another possibility is no music in most Masses in the U.S. IMO, this would result in a “mass” exodus from the Catholic Church to the evangelical churches that offer a rich menu of musical styles (including classical and traditional in many evangelical churches) and congregational singing.
A third possibility is using modern technology to “skype” (or whatever it’s called) into live Masss somewhere in the world (Vatican Square?) that use organ and chant and all the “correct” church music. This way, all the Masses in the U.S. would use exactly the same music, organ, and organist.
This would save a bundle of money for U.S. parishes. I’m guessing that it’s a whole lot cheaper to buy the video equipment and large-screen TVs for a parish sanctuary than to install a pipe organ and bid to hire one of the few hundred (and that number is decreasing) pipe organists in the U.S.
The “skype” or “electronic broadcast” option is already done by many of the evangelical megachurches–the pastor/speaker is skyped in from Willow Creek or one of the other huge megachurches and the people in the auditorium listen to him on a screen. Although much megachurch music is live, there is also transmission of music via electronics.
So the technology is already in place. I believe that Pope Benedict is a supporter of using modern technology in the Church. I actually think this would attract many people to the Mass, including young people who eat, sleep, and breathe “electronic” nowadays. It would seem “normal.”
And it would please all the people who desperately want “good” traditional Catholic music in the Catholic Mass. Instead of listening to “secular” instruments like the piano or guitar, or listening to less-than-competent organists and cantors, we would be able to listen to the finest Catholic music from the most talented Catholic musicians. The Masses broadcast to the U.S. could actually be hand-picked by the Pope and in complete compliance with all the Church documents.
This would also eliminate the need for a parish “music minister” or “liturgical director.” The parish would need to hire an “electronic media specialist,” but that could be a high school kid.
I know that recorded music is not allowed in the Mass. But this wouldn’t be recorded, it would be live, and therefore, I think it might just be acceptable. Basically we would participate in the same Mass that other Catholics are participating in somewhere in the world, but since we can’t all travel to the same building and fit into the same building, it would be done through electronic means.
The timing would have to be studied, and time left in the broadcast for the local priest to give the homily, consecrate the bread and wine, and of course, for the Holy Communion to be received by all the people. But I think that if the Church is serious about bringing the music of the Mass into harmony with Church documents, they can work this out.
Obviously the electronic option is not the best. The best would be live, local musicians and instruments. But as Sarabande points out with such intelligence, it isn’t going to happen in the U.S. if the Church decides to ban “secular instruments” and “CCM.”
I personally don’t believe that the Church will ban “secular” instruments (piano, guitar specifically) and CCM. I think that they will be forced to realize that without these options, many parishes in the U.S. (and probably other countries) will be without music at Mass, and that if this happens, many Catholics will leave the Church for more musical evangelical churches. I think that whatever pronouncements come out of Rome will be broad and general and allow plenty of wiggle-room for music options in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. JMO.
