Excellent article about sacred music in The Pillar
  • MarkB
    Posts: 1,084
    The article's author obtained a variety of viewpoints. I know which viewpoint in the article I reject. This is a very good piece of journalism, and an outstanding contribution to the contemporary discussion about liturgical music.

    https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/what-exactly-is-sacred-music

    Thanked by 3tomjaw PaxMelodious sdtalley3
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,048
    Excellent comment from our friend Andrew Motyka.
    Thanked by 3LauraKaz tomjaw Andrew Motyka
  • DavidOLGCDavidOLGC
    Posts: 88
    Yes, a fine article.

    I have to make a comment as a native of New Orleans...the example of "Music from the Easter Vigil at St. Camillus Church" reminded me more of a Mardi Gras street parade than a church service, dancing included. Although I've played a lot of that sort of music in my secular music career, I'd be ashamed to play it at my church service.

    Just saying...obviously I would rather hear more music in the style of Gaudium Verum or the Messe de la fête de Sainte Marguerite-Marie Alacoque.
    Thanked by 3MarkB tomjaw CHGiffen
  • PaxMelodious
    Posts: 440
    I'm glad that Adam Bartlett refers to the
    chart-topping record in the '90s called ‘Chant,’


    It clearly illustrates that argument that "music used in liturgy is not be used anywhere else" is bogus.

    Chant was in the pop-charts, I've sung far more polyphony in secular concerts that in liturgy, and organs regularly feature at ball-parks.
    Thanked by 2tomjaw CHGiffen
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,886
    That music wasn’t being “used” elsewhere. It was just a recording of liturgical chants, was it not? A recording being popular, doesn’t equate to singing a gradual at the ball park.

    ___
    I love polyphony as much as the next guy, but I find it a bit sterile when divorced from the liturgies it was meant to adorn. And it is certainly odd hearing it in non-church acoustics.
    Thanked by 5tomjaw trentonjconn LauraKaz francis lmassery
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 968
    I am sad to see that the CMAA wasn't mentioned at all... I'm wondering if the author is unaware of our existence, or just didn't think it was worthy of mention.
    Thanked by 5rich_enough LauraKaz tomjaw ServiamScores francis
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,232
    Meh. As part of a 200-voice symphony chorus, I sang the Paukenmesse, the Coronation Mass, Beethoven's Solemnis, Bach's B Minor, the Cherubini Requiem, and a couple of other Ordinaries. We also did 'non-church' Ordinaries such as Britten's War Requiem and Verdi's Requiem.

    Audiences loved the stuff. Acoustics were pretty bad (we sang in "the velvet box" auditorium) but most singers in that group will tell you that they understood the maxim that 'the text drives the music' very well, even if they were Protties. That's because in those cases, it did. What's not to like?
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen PaxMelodious
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,092
    Of course, there's a major difference between an audience and a parish congregation.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
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