Francis Cardinal George: Funeral Liturgies
  • ronkrisman
    Posts: 1,388
    The PDF's for the first three of the funeral liturgies are posted at:

    http://www.archchicago.org/passing-of-francis-cardinal-george/schedule
    Thanked by 1Choirparts
  • RevAMG
    Posts: 162
    I am disappointed to see the liberties taken with the celebration of Evening Prayer for Tuesday, April 21. One would think a more proper hymn could have been sung (especially with Fr. Weber's Hymnal for the Hours.) The antiphon for psalm 130 has been changed from the ICEL translation in the Liturgy of the Hours, the singing of the Philippians canticle is unusual, and the Magnificat antiphon is also odd. Finally, my biggest disappointment is the use of a metrical Magnificat that is copyright by the Lutheran Church in America instead of the ICET text found in the ICEL translation. With all of the resources out there for the proper singing of the Liturgy of the Hours in English, why were so many liberties taken?
    Thanked by 1benedictgal
  • kevinfkevinf
    Posts: 1,184
    I am dissapointed but not surprised....clearly they did not ask the folks at St. John Cantius to assist.
    Thanked by 1benedictgal
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Why sing For all the saints at a funeral vigil ?

    [Edited by admin.]
    Thanked by 1chonak
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,160
    Good question. Reading the text of the hymn closely, it's a song of praise to God for his faithfulness to the saints, and a prayer of wanting to attain to blessedness with them. To me, that's all good material to sing about at a funeral: only the alleluias seem out of place. As a substitute, I'd recommend "O God, Our Help In Ages Past".
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 1,960
    My dad works in Chicago, and I told him to go to last night’s Solemn High Requiem Mass at SJC instead of the official liturgies...
    Thanked by 1benedictgal
  • TimTheEnchanterTimTheEnchanter
    Posts: 195
    FWIW, it's been reported on local TV that the good cardinal selected a good portion (though they didn't specify exactly how much) of the music used for his services.
  • TimTheEnchanterTimTheEnchanter
    Posts: 195
    The funeral booklet is now posted.
    Thanked by 3Choirparts kevinf StephenColbert
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Much good here.

    Much good here.

    Much good here.

    Some good not here.

    Thanked by 1Gavin
  • Caleferink
    Posts: 429
    The funeral Mass music is quite good, IMO. If indeed Cardinal George selected a good portion of the music, he certainly had good tastes! The other related events: hit-and-miss (and the music therefore probably NOT selected by His Eminence).
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    I'm also disappointed to see the odd canticle and Magnificat. What is so hard about just following the liturgical books?
    Thanked by 2benedictgal Chris_McAvoy
  • JaredOstermann
    Posts: 483
    Glad to see the Faure and Durufle requiems used as integral liturgical music for a major funeral, especially with strings! It's interesting to me that the Faure offertory had to be supplemented - it runs about 8 minutes. My own preference would be to just use the choral requiem, but at liturgies of this size there is just so much time to fill that even these major works aren't long enough.

    The only thing that struck me as odd was the troped Kyrie - is it allowed for the cantor to take these tropes rather than the priest?
    Thanked by 2Gavin BruceL
  • ronkrisman
    Posts: 1,388
    Jared, the Order of Mass, no. 6, dealing with the last form of the penitential act (what you refer to as "the troped Kyrie"), has this rubric:
    The Priest, or a Deacon or another minister, then says the following or other invocations with Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy):
    Thanked by 2G JaredOstermann
  • benedictgal
    Posts: 798
    It is a pity that GIA is not living up to its name. Why Land of Rest when there were other, better settings? Why not make use of the talents of Adam Bartlett? Why female servers when they've got a seminary? Clearly, Archbishop Cupich had a hand in that last one. Cardinal George deserved better than what he got.

    Thanked by 2Salieri irishtenor
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    Cardinal George deserved better than what he got.

    He got it at St. John Cantius.
    image
    Thanked by 2Ben Chris_McAvoy
  • mahrt
    Posts: 517
    EWTN broadcasts a number of pontifical liturgies, particularly upon the installation of a bishop. I have watched some, and this was perhaps the best I have seen. Are we moving in a good direction, or is this exceptional?

    Still, one could have expected more: 1) the archbishop clearly could sing, but didn't, except for two short spots required for participation. I remember Cardinal George singing a Latin Mass for the CMAA and singing it beautifully; I am sure he did as well in English. At least the archbishop could have sung the preface. 2) The use of the Fauré and Duruflé contributed some substantial music proper to a funeral, and a few short chant pieces added a bit; but, for the rest, the music didn't really distinguish the liturgy from any other kind of Mass.

    If this direction could be expanded for future cathedral liturgies, one should take seriously the place of Gregorian chant, "principal place," according to the Constitution on the Liturgy. If the Ordinary movements of the Fauré or Duruflé are not to be used, then a minimum ought to be a chant ordinary. The lynchpin of a truly musical liturgy, though, is that the celebrant sings his parts: when this takes place, all the music falls into a beautiful whole. Without it, the music tends to be a heterogeneous collection of pieces sung in different styles by differing groups of musicians, set alongside various spoken elements.

    We can pray (and work) for improvements along these lines.
    Thanked by 6Salieri CHGiffen melofluent Jeffrey Quick BruceL hilluminar
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    I am sure much of the same music is played at almost every Diocesan event from Installation of a Bishop to Ordination of Deacons to Funerals of Priests. That seems to be one of the hallmarks of Diocesan Liturgy in the U.S.: Same music for each function, which is why much of the music didn't distinguish that liturgy from any other kind of Mass.

    I went to the Installation of my Bishop last year, then about a month later the Bishop Emeritus-twice-removed died, and most of the music was the same at both liturgies; I assisted with the music at a Diaconate Ordination at the Cathedral a few years ago, and, again, much of the music was the same.
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