David Andrew is correct.

The CMAA exists for those who want to do things right.

End of story.

This is getting really sad.

NPM exists as an organization of church musicians. The "agenda" of the organization is the agenda of those who are in leadership positions. As I have watched the leadership change, I have watched the agenda change.

Now, Jennifer Paschual of St. Patrick's Cathedral and Cardinal DiNardo are on the executive board. And it's amazing how much LESS questionable practices there are at liturgies and how much LESS heretical sentiments there are. Like the Church itself, the NPM is a huge organization and any change in philosophy or praxis is going to be like trying to move a giant elephant. But it's been my observation that the elephant HAS moved substantially in the 9 years that I have observed, even if the elephant hasn't completely turned around yet.

No, David Andrew, it's not so much that they are "throwing us a bone." I've talked and chatted with some people of moderate influence at NPM, such as Cathedral directors, etc. who have had a voice in the planning of conventions. They have each voiced that they too wanted better offerings and more "serious" music. They have tried to use whatever influence they've had to get these things, and apparently it has worked to some degree. I suspect that a different group plans the plenum speakers. This group must have a certain "viewpoint." My hope is that over time, this too will change.

PGA, sounds encouraging.

I did pass on your salutations Charles.

I must confess to being a little puzzled. This is my perception perhaps, but it seems to me as though everyone is popping champagne corks because there was a nod in the direction of chant at the NPM convention. Until there are NO abuses at their liturgies instead of fewer, to my mind the celebration is premature.

Far more telling to me is the fact that they had ONE Mass for the entire length of the convention. Music aside, that one fact announces in loud clear tones what the focus of NPM is, and it's not the Mass which is the source and summit of our Christian life.

As usual YMMV.

ok, wait... so we aren't allowed to ever celebrate steps in the right direction? (We can only celebrate when something is absolutely totally finished and perfect?)
um, ok.

ETA: I'm pretty sure that NObody on here is celebrating that NPM had a perfect liturgy, ha ha ha!

Summertime-2-3-4-1-and the livin' is easy________Tongues are waggin' and the feistiness's high..... (Oops, that's no how it goes, nevermind.)

I had occasion to run into something via a litblog that I didn't see comin' ... a testimony from a Brazilian dentist who was struck by lightning, clinically dead and CONDEMNED, but was resuscitated to give witness. One image stuck in my head of that was her account of the pain upon the tongues of those being purged and damned because of the willful utterance that offends, and spreads the virus of sin indiscriminately, much to the satisfaction of the enemy's agenda and delight.
Well, I think we all need a breath of late, a look in the mirror for objects in our eyes, and then lots of smiles and a group hug. I know, "That fat ol' windbag, there he goes tellin' us how to be good cat'lics again." But really, friends, we need, WE NEED to agreeably disagree without barbs and sniping. I don't know about anyone else, but I need my tongue (which because of my false pride will require much cleansing!) that one moment I may indeed "Gustate et videte" the goodness of the Lord in His presence.
And if this doesn't help, just picture Samuel L. Jackson or Morgan Freeman glaring at us with that look!

I might be the most talkative about trying to promote the CMAA to NPM folks and I think it is very exciting when the CMAA is mentioned at an NPM convention. Why? There were something like 1800 folks at NPM. Some of them have never heard Gregorian chant before and some of them think it's "out of fashion." Every single one of them that can be convinced that chant is worthwhile will go home and try to implement that in some capacity at their parishes. Imagine if just 10% of those going to an NPM convention were convinced of the merits of chant during the course of the week. That's 180 folks going home to regular, normal parishes and beginning to plant the seeds of sacred music.

In order to have a true sacred music movement, the action has to take place at mainstream, regular, average parishes as well as places where chant already flourishes.

How do you reach those mainstream folks? Well, many of them don't read about sacred music on the internet or take college courses. They work regular secular jobs and the only real time to reach them is at this convention they go to every year. The parish pays for part of their week and they go, get lots of free octavos, find out what Composer X has written this year, etc... Then they go back to their parishes, implement the new choral octavos and the newest song by Composer X is their gathering song for a few months.

Imagine if they stumbled into a booth run by someone who was offering LOTS of free music... and not just a single octavo, but music they could photocopy without worry... and this person, a very charming individual, told them that the church documents supported the use of this free music. They would be amazed. This charming fellow didn't even try to sell them anything! Or if things were for sale, at least they let them know that it was also available online for free. This individual might be so stunned by free music, talk of documents and the charm of the fellow at the booth that they would either faint or go make a difference...

I guess my point has sort of been missed.

I don't care if everyone at NPM suddenly realizes that chant is preferred, that NPM presents it as "one choice," etc.

My point is that there are plenty of good offerings there for musicians such as us and we need not stay away. There is a lot of learning and enjoyment potential. We are not shunned.

Those were, really, my points.

Fr. Raab's keynote at NPM was alright, but I didn't find it "mind blowing" as Paul Inwood apparently did (from his remarks at Pray Tell)

Now, I'm sick of the general denigrating of the new texts - but - as you can probably tell, Fr. Raab comes from a very unique place. His insights are interesting.

I'm not so sure that there is an answer. The translations can't be based on those few unique communities such as Fr. Raab's. But it's interesting to hear his parish's reactions.

All in all, I will say that at NPM he didn't "hit us over the head" with an agenda, although a couple quick remarks here and there certainly gave evidence of where he was coming from. But he certainly wasn't Sr. Barbara Reid ...

I read the article from Gavin's link. I don't know the gentleman and he may be a fine person. The thing that came to my mind, however, was something Pope Benedict said some time ago to seminarians about wanting priests, not social workers. Helping the poor is great and is something we are commanded to do. However, priests need to be priests first, not social workers who happen to be priests.

It seems to me that he's offering a description of his community's (mostly negative) response to the Missal. He never outright says "it's bad" or that it shouldn't have happened - BUT, given the venue, that's kind of the implied conclusion.

For me, the takeaway is that one needs to consider the unique situation of the community in approaching the liturgy. I think he could have done a much better job with his own, frankly. He speaks of the concept of "sin" being hurtful to those recovering from addictions or abuse. I'm by no means well-versed in psychotherapy, but I'm aware of no psychological interventions that require the patient to abandon any notion of moral self-accountability. I always thought most approaches were to teach the patient the difference between acts in their control and those outside their control. Perhaps if he would have preached with more clarity on sin, what it is and isn't, maybe his community wouldn't have these problems with the texts. Just one example.

choir rehearsal was during the same time as, and across the hall from, several substance abuse recovery groups.

Unfortunate timing, that.

>>unfortunate timing

because that meant they weren't able to join the choir?