No, we haven't gone baptist, but I'd like to propose a series of specific tracts on sacred music published by the CMAA or a like-minded institution, usable for the purpose of evangelization. The FAQ on Sacred Music is a great resource, to be sure. However, I think it is too general. Let's consider a situation:

Let's say you meet a musician in a Catholic church who does the standard fare, complete with the occasional guitarist. They may be a fine, talented, learned musician (I know many who fit that description) and simply know nothing but the status quo. They may have an interest in chant, but don't know how to get started or even if it may legally be done. I suppose there are many who fit that description. So you hand him the Sacred Music FAQ to help answer his questions (let's assume that you don't have time or a relationship to mentor them). He opens it up and finds out that guitar isn't appropriate for church! (I don't recall the FAQ saying such a thing, but let's assume it does) He's offended, throws it away, and resents anything but his status quo.

Or maybe you have a priest at your parish who is reasonably orthodox, but doesn't chant the liturgy. You'd like to encourage him to chant. So you hand him the Sacred Music FAQ to try to convince him. He reads of how musicians need to be well-paid (and you're a volunteer!) or about the difficulties of the Church's polyphony, and becomes frightened of church music and chanting.

The fact is that improving the liturgy has nothing at all to do with chant, or Latin, or organs, or even all those things put together. The key is that people today see the liturgy as something innovated up, rather than handed down. Many of us, myself included, went from a position of seeing the liturgy as our property as creators to our custody as servants. However, most of us didn't reach that conclusion overnight, but rather as a gradual process of accumulating a desire to propagate chant, Latin, quality choral music, etc. Or maybe we know someone on that road to discovery; maybe a guitarist who recently became disenchanted with versus populum Masses (I know such a one!), or a "progressive" individual with a fondness for chant.

We need to hit people where they're vulnerable. If someone has an interest in chant, let them learn about chant. If they are questioning the suitability of some modern genres at Mass, let them read what the Church and theologians say. If they are wondering about Latin, let them read about why it's used. Don't take an inquisitor and demand a full conversion! So I am proposing, for whomever wants to write them, a series of smaller tracts and FAQs on more specific topics for dissemination to more specific needs. A few that come to mind:

- The glory of Gregorian chant (why & how)
- Suitability of different genres in Mass
- The use of Latin in the Roman Rite
- The proper role of instrumentation in the Mass
- The use of propers
- The necessity of sung dialog & prayers
- Funeral music principles

The possibilities are endless, and we have a great many quality authors in the CMAA. In the meantime, by all means distribute the Sacred Music FAQ at any parish you visit, and make sure your parish's literature racks are filled with them! Throw out the copies of NCR if you have to ;)