Where this whole soloing is inappropriate for Mass came from I'd be interested to know.
the orgainist really hasn't the desire to put in the extra time to learn solo repertoire accompaniments that are usually a good deal harder than the choral stuff
considering all the things you think an organist should be able to do, couldn't you share a bit of that with a co-director vocalist and not work yourself to death for a pittance?
CharlesW why does it say zero for your posts number? I know you are far ahead of most here!
The typical edition of the books of Gregorian chant is to be completed; and a more critical edition is to be prepared of those books already published since the restoration by Saint Pius X. (Sacrosanctum Concilium 117)
The use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites. (SC 36.1)
In sung liturgical services celebrated in Latin: Gregorian chant, as proper to the Roman liturgy, should be given pride of place . . . . (Musicam Sacram 50)
I'm not even going to address women servers or "taking the wine." You'd better check with Susan on those.Steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them. (SC 54)
Well, that very much depends on whether one's pulling one's weight.singing a solo with an accompanist is NOT the same thing as singing as part of an ensemble.
singing a solo with an accompanist is NOT the same thing as singing as part of an ensemble.
There is no necessary conflict between scholas singing beautiful chant and polyphony (on the one hand) and congregations singing Ordinaries and hymns (on the other).
Meanwhile we vocalists who have skill and put in the sweat are pushed aside because the [organist] really hasn't the desire to put in the extra time to learn solo repertoire accompaniments that are usually a good deal harder than the choral stuff I have been hearing at Masses where the choir does the vocals. Most choir members are untrained and often don't read music so this keeps the MD (keyboard player) in an authoritative and unchallenged position. It does not make him/her a good choice for training cantors or choirs or for picking good music to sing
Trying to tell me VII was not a game changer but just a recap of what was said before is to miss the whole spirit of what we who are old enough to have experienced pre VII and post VII liturgies were all about.
There are musical styles and works that don't blend well with liturgy.
Sometimes listening is a better path to contemplation than a community sing. For me, communion should never be a community sing, but that's just me. For me I feel communion music should set the parishioner free to meditate on the Eucharist and not be reading and singing from a hymnal.
A good analogy, Chris. No one complains that the orchestral conductor or the choral director at a concert has his back to 'the people'. It would likely result in disaster if he did. Rather than 'back' we need to think in terms of 'front' and 'facing'. The priest 'faces' the altar, which is where God is making himself present. With the priest we all are doing the same thing, communing with God. Why should the priest face the people when its not at all about the people. The people face the same altar that the priest does. The very fact that so many people complain about not being faced by the priest illustrates that they just don't get it. This is where the so called 'spirit' of Vatican II has got us - far out on a very shaky limb....their backs to the stage!
I sometimes joke that my priest and I work with our backs to each other. It's mostly true!No one complains that the orchestral conductor or the choral director at a concert has his back to 'the people'. It would likely result in disaster if he did. Rather than 'back' we need to think in terms of 'front' and 'facing'. The priest 'faces' the altar, which is where God is making himself present. With the priest we all are doing the same thing, communing with God. Why should the priest face the people when its not at all about the people. The people face the same altar that the priest does.
From Apostolic times, the priest AND the people faced east, the direction from which Christ would return.
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