In my own view, the Spring issue of Sacred Music is the most beautiful and substantive ever printed. Love to hear your view, and I know many people have received it.
However, yesterday I picked up the overages of the printing and there were way too many actually, far more than there should be. Then I realized: my own personal copy never came. Several others said the same.
Now, I'm wondering if there is some gigantic snafu going on here.
Can you tell me whether you have received yours so I can get some hints as to what is going on, and say whether you are domestic or foreign? Thanks!
Got it last week in CenCA, normal USPS. Yes, the cartoons don't reflect MJB's solid common sense. Glad to have the entire essay by Metropolitan Hilarion. Kurt's litte piece on ars celebrandi-priceless!
Yes, yes, yes, Jeffrey, the quality of the paper is, well, I'm speechless. Btw, I had a Homer Simpson "Doh!" moment when I sang the first Kyrie of Fr. Weber's piece; like, why didn't I think of that?!? (You'll just have to read it yourselves, folks!)
This is one of the better issues, though they are all very good. My favourite was the one a year or two ago with Fr Kirby's essay on the theology of chant.
As for the paper - it is nice... maybe an improvement
As for the cartoons - they are definitely, without question, more than a few steps downward. Really out of place. Silly.
That's not to say, though, that some more truly gifted examples of the cartoonist's or caricaturist's art might perhaps maybe be considered with great, very great reserve. If decided upon, it needs to be art and make a statement.
Also, some time ago there was enquiry about the identity of the cover art. And I believe JT stated that it would be identified in future issues - but this never happened. I suggest again that the cover art should be identified, perhaps somewhere on the credits page, or on the back cover, or somewhere.
Come to it, Fr. Weber's KYRIALE just sings right off those glossy pages, JT, I mean I can actually hear Ostrowski's dulcet tenor at ten paces, just by keeping the pages open! Or is it Turk, or JDE or Matt Curtis? Seriously, between Weber, Kelly, SEP/Bartlett, Jones, CCW/Ostrowski, how am I supposed to choose? Oh....wait a moment, new voices coming through the pages..... I think it's Mahrt now, or maybe Schaefer...."Charles, go to the source light, to the GR, GS and GM, we're waiting for you." Hang on, Paul Ford's singing to me now! Gotta go.
Forgot to mention - I prefer the previous more matted look. The enhanced glossiness increases glare from various kinds of lighting. Maybe it's better for preserving the print quality over time?
wow, that's an interesting comment. I like it because I was feeling a profound sense of regret for not having changed the paper earlier. Goes to show that there is no one right way for everyone.
Goes to show that there is no one right way for everyone.
In the immortal query of Dr. Emilio Lizardo to Buckaroo Banzai, JT, "Don'na you know whaddayou saying?" You've just generically abrogated the whole raisin bran duhtruh of CMAA! ;-)
Well, I was rather surprised by the cartoons, but then I'm the "comic relief" in an issue with such august company. My objection to clay paper is the feel, but then was I was a periodical indexer in one of my earlier lives.
I was a periodical indexer in one of my earlier lives.
In the immortal query of Dr. Emilio Lizardo to Buckaroo Banzai, MJB, "Don'na you know whaddayou saying?" You just "outed" yourself as a Hindu, Buddhist or Rosicrucian Reincarnationist! Egads, "no right way"...."my earlier lives....", I need a colloquium. Or a colonic. Or a....
Rec'd the issue, and in Wyoming, of all places, the end of the earth, least populated of the 50 states. Loved the paper. Loved the content even more, esp. Mahrt's paper on active participation, and Weber's Mass.
Received in Texas. Great issue. I thought everything had already been said about how attentive listening is also active participation, but Dr. Mahrt's article contained rich insights, so eloquently stated. I also appreciated the Mozart article for its concise review of sonata form in the Classical period. I hungrily devour each issue of Sacred Music--many thanks to all the contributors! And I hope the distribution problem will get clarified without much trouble. Paper is fine with me, either way.
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