Sometimes liturgies can be a bit of a mixed bag. Our 9/11 Memorial Mass was one such. It was a nicely done solemn celebration, though lightly attended. But the music came from all over the charts.
Prelude: In Paradisum (Gregorian Chant) [women's schola] Entry: We Shall Rise Again (Young) [all] Kyrie: Kyrie XVI [all] Gloria: Mass of Creation Presentation: Oravi Deum Meum (Gregorian Chant) [male solo/women's schola] (followed by piano variations on a theme by Miller & Jackson) Sanctus/Acclamation/Amen/Agnus Dei: Mass of Creation Communion: You Are Mine (Haas) [all] Jesu! Rex Admirabilis (Palestrina) [AAT trio] Vovete et Reddite Domino Deo (Gregorian Chant) [women's schola] Recessional: Let There Be Peace on Earth (Miller/Jackson) [all]
One amusing moment came at the beginning. The altar boys were evidently unaware of the prelude, so the second the women started singing In Paradisum the processional began! The priests had made it to the altar by the end of the chant. Undeterred, the choir director launched into three verses of the official entry hymn.
All in all it was a well done Mass that may have opened a few eyes.
A rather interesting choir director once said this:
"If we add a drop of wine to a vat of sewage, we get sewage. If we add a drop of sewage to a vat of wine, we get sewage."
Some here would conclude that I'm a vigorous "chant-only" purist. On the contrary. I think that there are a wide variety of genres of music from the tradition from all periods that are usable and appropriate (within the OF). What I wonder is, can all kinds of music stand side-by-side in a test of quality? I'm thinking not.
Therefore, to put a drop of music of questionable quality (not to mention dubious theology) into the vat of the music of the liturgy and from the tradition gives us . . . sewage.
Frogman - The KofC printed booklets for the Mass. Hymns were referenced by page number in the hymnal, and the Latin was all printed with English translations.
Michael - The schola's doing the best they can. Somehow the "use only for sending forth" label is absent from any copy of In Paradisum in our limited library.
Je pense qu'en ville, on peut garder cohérentes et pures des liturgies toute eau, ou tout vin, et les paroissiens et les musiciens choisiront où aller.
Mais à la campagne, où il n'y a qu'un messe de dimanche tous les 15 km? Je crois qu'on est obligé de panacher (dans les limites du supportable)...
priorstf, I'm not sure you understood me. I meant that In paradisum is sung as the body of the deceased is taken from the church, so "sending forth." Anyway, I'm sure your schola is doing a fabulous job. Never meant to imply otherwise.
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