"Endeavor that the playing of the organ be not lascivious or obscene" / Low Mass & the Organ
  • Paul_OnnonhoaratonPaul_Onnonhoaraton
    Posts: 434
    This Blog Entry might be of interest to forum members.

    It talks about the organ being played during Low Mass "back in the day."

    You can find it on "Views from the Choir Loft".
    Thanked by 1R J Stove
  • R J StoveR J Stove
    Posts: 302
    Well, to be pedantic, the "one-sentence" biography of Franz Witt mentioned in the blog entry turns out to be two sentences long. (It's on page 242.)
    Thanked by 1Paul_Onnonhoaraton
  • hartleymartin
    Posts: 1,447
    Franz Xaver Witt wrote a rather nice motet "Ad Te Levavi" which is suitable for use at the offertory for the first Sunday of Advent and the fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time.

    It isn't hard by any means, being largely homophonic, and should be within the grasp of any parish choir. Shame that it isn't more widely known.

    Available here at CPDL: http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/witt-adt.pdf
    Thanked by 3Paul_Onnonhoaraton CHGiffen R J Stove
  • Ralph BednarzRalph Bednarz
    Posts: 493
    In the 70's I atteneded a vigil OF Mass in Grenoble. The lenghtly organ prelude was coming to a climax as the Mass began, but it did not not cease. It continued through all the prayers up to the the Gospel. And continued to its completion during the offerory.
    Thanked by 1Paul_Onnonhoaraton
  • francis
    Posts: 10,822
    Jeff's Blog reported:

    The priest came to preach the homily, and he said something like, “So, my children, we must always strive to adhere to the Catholic Faith. What is the Catholic Faith? Read the Catechism: it’s all in there.” And that was it! That was the entirety of his homily!


    So now, I find I must comment:

    It so happened today, that I attended Mass this morning at 8am, just because I wanted to pray and NOT play. (I get to do this (almost) every Thursday, as we have Eucharstic adoration... I play an opening hymn and chant something for Communion, play the exposition hymn and that's about it!) I LOVE Thursdays... I get to pray and not worry about what I am playing next or needing to use for registration.

    Well, today, our pastor got up and gave a three sentence homily and I was literally in tears at the end.

    This is a paraphrase, but it makes the point:

    "I was hearing the confession of someone who hasn't been to confession in decades, and at the end he said, "Father, that was easy, in fact, TOO easy after all these years."

    Then our good pastor went on to say, "Well, it was easy for you only because it was not easy for God. Here is the price he paid so that you could find it easy today."

    Father then said he brought out a crucifix and showed it to him.

    End of story.

    Thank you Fr. Oswald.

    Moral of the Story: It's not how many words you speak, it is the quality of the message that makes the difference. The same applies to your playing the organ (or composing a piece of music). If you are connected to what God wants to say through you, a single melodic phrase can evoke tears and forever change someone from the inside out. And that, my dear friends, is what it is all about.
    Thanked by 3Gavin R J Stove CharlesW
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