T
THurifer2
Guest
Speaking of bad christian “pop” music of the 1970’s. The absolute worst name for an album called “swing that Gospel Axe” by a group called upward bound. http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y87/onionhead/gospel_axe.jpg
- Status
C
Cat
Guest
That album cover looks like dozens of other Christian album covers from the 70s! My husband and I have a whole stack!
I found the words for Gospel Axe:
josephschell.com/fest/archives/000044.html
I always try to keep an open mind when it comes to Christian music/lyrics. But I have to admit, this one just doesn’t seem very well-thought out. But then, probably the Holy Spirit used this song to convict someone out there of their need for the Lord, so I will NOT criticize! Besides, I write songs, and perhaps somewhere, someone is reading one of MY songs right now and saying, “Wow, does this stink! This person should take a vow of writing silence!”
I found the words for Gospel Axe:
josephschell.com/fest/archives/000044.html
I always try to keep an open mind when it comes to Christian music/lyrics. But I have to admit, this one just doesn’t seem very well-thought out. But then, probably the Holy Spirit used this song to convict someone out there of their need for the Lord, so I will NOT criticize! Besides, I write songs, and perhaps somewhere, someone is reading one of MY songs right now and saying, “Wow, does this stink! This person should take a vow of writing silence!”
T
THurifer2
Guest
Personal Pref I guess.
C
Catholic_Dude
Guest
How about this: WHY does HAWAIIAN style pizza have CANADIAN bacon on it?
I agree. Somebody came up with the idea of putting pineapples on pizza. I like pineapples and I like pizza but for my tastes, they don’t mix well. OK, some people like pineapples on pizza.
I like wine and I like ice cream, but they don’t go together well
L
LJN21
Guest
ROFLI went to a teen Mass a few times because of ill-scheduling, and the contemporary music did not do it for me. One of the lyrics to a song was, and I kid not: ‘I am waiting for you like a lover’ A lover? Is the Lord in lingere? C’mon, this is Mass…Keep the soft rock for the prom please
I hate that song, every time I hear that song I have to squash completely wrong images out of my head.
J
Jimsdun
Guest
There has to be a worse one. “Ballad of the Lukewarm” (I forget who recorded it) has got to be the worst Christian song ever.That album cover looks like dozens of other Christian album covers from the 70s! My husband and I have a whole stack!
I found the words for Gospel Axe:
josephschell.com/fest/archives/000044.html
I always try to keep an open mind when it comes to Christian music/lyrics. But I have to admit, this one just doesn’t seem very well-thought out. But then, probably the Holy Spirit used this song to convict someone out there of their need for the Lord, so I will NOT criticize! Besides, I write songs, and perhaps somewhere, someone is reading one of MY songs right now and saying, “Wow, does this stink! This person should take a vow of writing silence!”
J
Jimsdun
Guest
Lyrics are something like this:
You’ll find my name in the telephone listing
my credit is better than fair
my daughter is runnin for sophomore princess
I’m making my son cut his hair.
I never mis voting or church every sunday
I do what I can to support
the church and the state will be satisfied someday
and then I can give to the poor
my mortgage is paid and my Chevrolet
I seldom ever beat my wife
I can’t understand why my name isn’t there
listed in the book of life.
D
dandn5000
Guest
Hah. I’m very much a traditionalist when it comes to music. I’m 14, by the way.
A few weeks back, near the end of school, my eighth grade class went to the Cathedral for a “Graduate’s Mass” that all of the eighth grade classes in our section of the diocese went to. During the Mass, the music was very contemporary - piano(which I didn’t mind too much), guitar(blech), and a bunch of modern music that I certainly didn’t like but wouldn’t kill myself over. No big deal. But before the Mass, the cantor went to the front with a bunch of her kids(she was principal of one of the schools) and did this big thing, showing everybody how to do the Alleluia. It was a beyond annoying setting for it, and then we were told that we needed to do the sign language for it - a clap and this swirly thing down, I have no idea if it’s actually legit sign language or not - that I despised. It was bad. Way bad. Enough to send me seething. And then, after the barrage of guitar and junk music, they have the recessional as a beautiful instrumental for the pipe organ! I about died. Why, I wondered, couldn’t they have had that throughout the entire Mass? Why did they assume that because we are young, we’d enjoy the stupid songs and not-so-good accompaniments?
A few weeks back, near the end of school, my eighth grade class went to the Cathedral for a “Graduate’s Mass” that all of the eighth grade classes in our section of the diocese went to. During the Mass, the music was very contemporary - piano(which I didn’t mind too much), guitar(blech), and a bunch of modern music that I certainly didn’t like but wouldn’t kill myself over. No big deal. But before the Mass, the cantor went to the front with a bunch of her kids(she was principal of one of the schools) and did this big thing, showing everybody how to do the Alleluia. It was a beyond annoying setting for it, and then we were told that we needed to do the sign language for it - a clap and this swirly thing down, I have no idea if it’s actually legit sign language or not - that I despised. It was bad. Way bad. Enough to send me seething. And then, after the barrage of guitar and junk music, they have the recessional as a beautiful instrumental for the pipe organ! I about died. Why, I wondered, couldn’t they have had that throughout the entire Mass? Why did they assume that because we are young, we’d enjoy the stupid songs and not-so-good accompaniments?
J
Jimsdun
Guest
I’m sorry, but a lot of middle-aged Catholics are total jerks, and I’m talking about my own age group. I am 50. They are so clueless [and patronizing] to think that teenagers will only be interested in happy-clappy contemporary praise and worship. Blech! Aren’t they forgetting the time when they were teenagers once?
When I was a teenager, I liked traditional during worship services as well. I wasn’t raised Catholic, but when I was a teenager in San Diego I often went to the organ concerts at the Presbyterian church.
M
melissa09
Guest
traditional…definitely. I can’t remember the last time I heard the organ in my church…i miss it so! However, at other events like youth rallies or youth gatherings outside of mass I do like comtemporary christian music - as long as it doesn’t go against Church teachings as a way to reach out to kids in music styles they may prefer on a day to day basis. I see no harm in having contemporary christian music in these settings especially over the immoral music some teens listen to. But in mass, keep it traditional, it’s much more beautiful and meaningful that way. I don’t see the reason why some people want to turn mass into youth group…it doesn’t make sense!!
J
Jimsdun
Guest
I agree. I have nothing against Contemporary Christian music. I even like some CCM artists such as Casting Crowns. But I agree that CCM doesn’t belong in mass.
In my former teenage Protestant youth group we sang contemporary music only in the youth group, but never in the main church service. There was a guitarist in the youth group but in the main church there was only an organ and piano. That is what it should be.
D
dconklin
Guest
WOW! Someone forgot to take their happy pills. Oh wait - they don’t like happy stuff.
People are putting too much ‘I’ into these ranting discussions. The liturgy is about us worshiping God together. Short of God doing the burning bush thing again, we may never know what kind of worship makes him happiest. My guess is God likes chanting as much as drums and guitars. He gave us many forms of music. Use them all is my vote.
C
Cat
Guest
Boy, I sure agree with this.WOW! Someone forgot to take their happy pills. Oh wait - they don’t like happy stuff.
People are putting too much ‘I’ into these ranting discussions. The liturgy is about us worshiping God together. Short of God doing the burning bush thing again, we may never know what kind of worship makes him happiest. My guess is God likes chanting as much as drums and guitars. He gave us many forms of music. Use them all is my vote.
We need to be more accomodating and always consider the interests of OTHERS above our own interests. Certainly we have a right to have personal preferences–that’s the way God and our families made us.
But we have no right to condemn the personal preferences of others.
To the young teen–don’t do this. I urge you to squash the criticial spirit that is just beginning to form in you. Of course you can love traditional music forms, and I think a lot of teens share your preference and liturgical planners need to realize this–that “CCM” is more for boomers than teenagers and that teenagers will not flock to Mass because someone is playing a guitar.
But don’t look down on or criticize other teens and the 50-somethings like me who DO like contemporary music, guitars, piano, etc. Our parish offers a Life Teen Mass that is attended by hundreds of teenagers who seem to really enjoy the contemporary music. I see many of these kids in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament several times during the week, and several of the young men and women are discerning vocations. These kids do so many service projects in the parish and for the community. We shouldn’t criticize their tastes in music, especially when the priest and bishop have given the approval to the songs used in Life Teen.
And to everyone else, don’t look down on boomers who still enjoy CCM. That’s just snobbery. Frankly, I would love to hear a Country Music Mass, and I know that many of you think that Jesus couldn’t possibly tolerate country music. Well, I don’t agree, and I think that there’s nothing innately irreverent or unsacred about the style of country music. We just don’t have a “Garth Haugen” or “Dolly Haas” out there yet.
M
melissa09
Guest
do you know the purpose of sacred music? I’m not trying to be judgemental, but when there is music during the Eucharistic procession about bread and wine instead of body and blood it makes me wonder if that isn’t one of the reasons why many don’t believe in the Real Presence…
J
Jimsdun
Guest
WOW! Someone forgot to take their happy pills. Oh wait - they don’t like happy stuff.
Who said we didn’t like the happy stuff? It’s not a matter of taste as much as it is what is appropriate. I suppose a “Country music mass” like someone suggested might be appropriate in some instances. Yeehaw!
The underlying question revolves around how music sets the tone. And the tone of music affects all of us, whether we want it to or not. Next time your at a movie, take note of the musical score. There will be a different kind of music during tense action scenes than there will be during tender moments of the film.
I just got home from mass a little while ago, and it was a joyous occasion for me. But there was no clapping, no guitars or rock bands. Only a pipe organ, grand piano and violin. As I mentioned before in one of my posts somewhere, there are two different kinds of happy. One is reverie, and the other is being amused, and it is possible to have one without the other.
D
dandn5000
Guest
I was about to make the same point. My issue with contemporary isn’t quite so much the sound(although it most certainly can be, and often is), but the lyrics. For some reason, contemporary seems to be where the majority of doctrinal issues pop up. I know for a lot of people that that puts the nail in the coffin for contemporary music in the Mass. Too often it is stupid and incorrect. If composers of contemporary music would bring the quality of their music and the lyrics way up, I’m sure that a lot more people would be more open to having more contemporary music in the Mass. Right now, it’s just not good enough.
B
brotherhrolf
Guest
We have this already at my local geographic parish. If I had wanted to be Southern Baptist, I’d move down the street to First Baptist Church - they do country every week but “dey ain’t Catlick”.
Cat, there is no “Missa Chank-a-Chank”. If the Cajuns can recognize dance hall music as dance hall music why can’t the rest of the world?
I also refer you to the discussion I had with the young man who said it was perfectly all right to have Bourbon St. stripper music as long as the lyrics were OK.
We have 1500 years of liturgical music under our collective Catholic liturgical belt. I make no apologies for our musical traditions.
Cat, you consistently put us cradle Catholics on the spot. I love and welcome all of y’all into HMC. That’s not the problem. I grew up with the Mass in Latin. I was an altar boy. I sang in the boy’s choir as a child and I sang in the choir in high school. I’ve sung in our cathedral choir for 20 years.
No, Cat, no. We have nothing to be ashamed of in our 1500 year tradition. We don’t need Garth Brooks or Dolly Parton. Brooks and Parton are not Mozart, Gabrielli, Bruckner, Vivaldi, Haydn, Vittoria, Durufle, Faure, etc. And no - that music is not out-of-reach…
I was a teenager 40 years ago when all of this started. I can tell you in no uncertain terms that my graduating class in 1969 did not want to sing Simon and Garfunkle at our graduation Mass.
Change is coming. I wish I could bring you down here and plop you down in the midst of our choir.
S
Sarabande
Guest
Geez, I wish I had a computer and these forums when I was a teen. I wouldn’t have felt like such a Catholic alien. As a teen in the '90s, it seemed like I was the only one, with the exception of a few others, who thought there was something amiss with the sacred music. It just seemed so lacking in substance for me as a child and a teen - And believe me, I did try to see what others saw in it. Some of it was nice and pretty for a kid, but as I got older it wasn’t enough. And it always had me wondering why whenever the Church was represented in documentaries, movies, etc., they always used such glorious sacred music or very contemplative and trance-like chant, and then when I’d attend mass in my area it would be nothing like that.
(Later, I discovered from my fellow sibs and contemporaries, most of them couldn’t stand the music either. So, I guess I wasn’t as alone as I thought.)
For you teens now, just know that even though it may seem like you’re alone, there are other young people out there who share your beliefs in sacred music. You could potentially be the next generation to help bring this back to our younger Catholics. Just don’t forget about how you felt as a teen. (Keeping a diary is a great reminder. I love going back and reading all of mine once in a blue moon.)
(Later, I discovered from my fellow sibs and contemporaries, most of them couldn’t stand the music either. So, I guess I wasn’t as alone as I thought.)
For you teens now, just know that even though it may seem like you’re alone, there are other young people out there who share your beliefs in sacred music. You could potentially be the next generation to help bring this back to our younger Catholics. Just don’t forget about how you felt as a teen. (Keeping a diary is a great reminder. I love going back and reading all of mine once in a blue moon.)
J
Jimsdun
Guest
Why stop with a country music mass? Why not a hip-hop mass? or a ska/reggae mass? Or a heavy metal mass, or a grunge mass? How about a Motown mass? Let’s have masses for all musical tastes.
.If you can answer that question, perhaps you can help me with this one: Why weren’t there jazz and big band masses in the 1930s and 1940s? And why weren’t there Vaudeville masses in the 1920s?
- Status