Articles of Interest in March 2010 The American Organist
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 993
    For many of us, The American Organist (journal of the AGO) is easily overlooked. Well, take a look at a couple of articles in the current issue:

    "The Spiritual Power of Bach's Organ Music in Japan," by Roger Lowther (p. 81).

    "Restoring Liturgy and Sacred Music in the Latin Roman Rite," by John Piunno (pp. 82-85).

    The first provides an interesting insight into cultural differences and the power of music. The second is a slightly ill-tempered call for an end to liturgical abuse and the restoration of liturgy that offers suggestions for the re-integration of better music.
  • G
    Posts: 1,397
    "a slightly ill-tempered call for an end to liturgical abuse"

    Gotta love it...

    I think one of the reasons the "Reform of the Reform" is looking to bear such rich fruit now is that MOST of the most visible faces and audible voices seem to belong to those of good will and good cheer. (A crank like me is very cognizant of such matters.)
    Many musicians of my parents generation, (understandably,) were nursing, (and continue to nurse, in some cases,) quite a bit of hostility.
    The confidence and serenity exhibited now is much more compelling and attractive to others.

    For those of us who don't subscribe, any chance of a precis, or at least bullet points of the suggestions?

    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
  • David Sullivan
    Posts: 355
    Here's an interesting article in the Kansas City Catholic Key: World-renowned organist seeks to preserve classic Gregorian chant in Catholic liturgy:
    Bruce Prince-Joseph
    Anyone know about this fellow?

    On mixed chant choirs:
    And his ideas won’t stop if his dream of a men’s chorus, dedicated to Gregorian chant, is fulfilled.
    “If we are going to treat these guys like Benedictine monks, there is nothing to prevent us from doing this with women and having them sing the parts of Benedictine nuns,” he said.
    “But I don’t want to mix them,” he said. “To do that, you have to play in octaves, and there is nothing worse than playing in octaves. Most Americans also sing flat, and there is nothing worse than a flat octave.”
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