Toward a Greater Understanding of Sacred Music in the Roman Catholic Tradition
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    All:

    Am working on a new book for the Catholic layperson, cleric and anyone else to help them understand this issue. I will be citing a book I am reading now, "Papal Legislation on Sacred Music", which truly shows that there has been an out and out war on what belongs in the liturgy throughout the history of the Church. For anyone who has read this text, you will understand why I am developing the following outline.

    Here is an initial idea list for the outline, but I am sure it is far from polished.

    The History and Development of Sacred Music in the Roman Rite
    The Harmonic Series as the Foundation for Universal Chant
    Understanding How Melody Marries Text
    The Evolution of Sacred Music in the Liturgy
    The Centrality of Latin in the Universal Rite
    Protecting the Music of the Church
    Ambiguous Definitions in Papal Documents
    The Balance of Two Rites: The Mass and The Hours
    The Invasion of Profane Music and Theatrical Styles
    Wagner and Gesamtkunstwerk Supplants Liturgy
    The Musician: Office, Title and Role
    The Composer of Sacred Music
    The Chant
    Polyphony
    The Organ
    Other Instruments in the Liturgy
    Hymnody
    Protestant Hymnody and the Rise of Anti-Catholic Sentiments
    Architecture and Acoustics Proper to the Roman Rite
    Physical Placement of Musicians in the Liturgy
    How the Church Views Local Traditions, Culture and the Vernacular
    The Novelty of Multi-culturalism in a Globalized World
    Vatican II and the Latin Rite
    Summorum Pontificum: The Rite Returns
    Recapturing Music That is Truly Sacred

    What are your thoughts about this?
    Thanked by 2PurpleSquirrel Jenny
  • MarkThompson
    Posts: 768
    What are "Universal Chant" and "the Universal Rite"? Are those what developed in the "universe" of Western Europe?
    Thanked by 2Gavin Richard Mix
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Mark

    1 how all scales are derived from the harmonic series and are utilized in almost all if not all forms of chant - even other religions.
    2 the Geo-Christo-centric (Golgotha) origin and development of the mass and how it was carried to the nations (stems from the command of Christ himself, "go therefore" from a particular point in time and space)

    Universal Rite: The most widely utilized Catholic Rite throughout the world. (yes, from the west.)

    A little bit about why here. The 'mother tongue' of the Church, so to speak. (Most of her children love it and utilize it daily.)

    http://www.unavocela.org/latin.htm

    Think of the concept of the big bang theory. Latin is the language that is akin to the big bang theory of the Catholic Church. Once it took hold, it spread like wildfire. : )
  • WendiWendi
    Posts: 638
    The outline looks like something I would love to read.

  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,767
    'Liturgical music' supplanted by Wagner would be an improvement in some cases, if this has ever actually happened! I suppose we can look forward to a more detailed program, though I can guess already how Mozart will fare.

    A question: how does chapter two fit into catechizing the intended audience of lay person and clergy on the 'war on the liturgy'? Will it make our jobs easier to have them whispering: equal temperament bad; meantone slightly suspect; this is what happens when we let musicians give musical advice? ;-)
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    mozart was a fence sitter, constantly torn between opera and the mystique of sacred music... unfortunately i think he existed hanging in the balance and never found himself

    the war isnt on types of tuning, it's on profane versus sacred and how to know the difference

    richard be more direct

    what is your point?

    wagner supplanted the "supreme drama" which the liturgy maintained until all the musicians went running toward opera and the theatre

    wagner is a figurehead, not the only personae to shift the balance, but was a significant player
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