Chasing after fads
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    In 1967, American Catholic church musicians imitated the Kingston Trio.
    In 1977, they imitated Peter, Paul, and Mary.
    In 1987, they imitated James Taylor.
    In 1997, they imitated Judy Collins.
    In 2007, they imitated U2.

    In a few years, when the current rock praise'n'worship fad goes by, what past-its-prime pop act will they imitate then?

    Feel free to offer your own ideas about the pop archetypes for trendy church music. I know my picture here isn't complete. It doesn't reflect the influence of e.g., country rock on the charismatic movement.
  • IanWIanW
    Posts: 762
    It's a shame that Punk never made the list.
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    That's a great list. Very clarifying.
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    Who's imitating U2?
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 994
    Disco?
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,048
    In 1970 - John Denver
    In 1980 - Andrew Lloyd Weber
    In 1990 - Amy Grant
    In 2000 - ???

    the latest thing seems to be World / Celtic music
  • Daniel Bennett PageDaniel Bennett Page
    Posts: 835
    .
  • Daniel Bennett PageDaniel Bennett Page
    Posts: 835
    New 'Song and Sacrament' curriculum from Saint Spiritus Aetas:

    TRD 617 Sing Like Tom Waites [basses only, please]
    TRD 719 Bono for Presiders
    TRD 821 Florence Foster Jenkins and Musical Democracy in the Liturgy
    TRD 923 Pluck and Praise: Guitar Masses are Evergreen
    TRD 618 Eco-Liturgy
    TRD 720 Youth Liturgy: The Liturgical Thought of Your Early Adolescent Children
    TRD 822 Power Chant
    TRD 924 Grunge Masses

    TRD=Trend
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    Brubeck is in here somewhere



  • IanWIanW
    Posts: 762
    Tom Waites? That's a great idea. His version of Gavin Briars' Jesus' Blood would make a good communion motet.
  • kevinfkevinf
    Posts: 1,190
    You should read the youtube comments for "Sing of the Lord's goodness". It will blow you away.
  • Donnaswan
    Posts: 585
    Daniel

    Florence Foster Jenkins? How old are you???? LOL
    Donna Swan
  • Daniel Bennett PageDaniel Bennett Page
    Posts: 835
    Just barely a baby-boomer--I've been hearing about Mrs. Jenkins since high school.
    Baltimore's Center Stage theatre currently has in production a play called Souvenir about Mrs. J
    http://www.centerstage.org/production.php?prodID=46

    In line with the many child-named charities (Jerry's Kids, Jimmy Fund, etc.), I believe we should have
    'Florence's Children'
    for all those cantors, leaders of song, liturgical animators, choir members, etc. who continue the grand tradition of musico-aesthetic carnage brought to perfection by FFJ. Of course, the humor will be partially lost here, since Mrs. J was an extreme and extremely rare exception to the high quality of professional singing in New York. 'Florence's Children' are as ludicrous, but sadly not as rare.
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    Latest issue of ACDA's CHORAL JOURNAL has an interview with Brubeck about his sacred choral catalog, and his relationship with the Catholic Church and culture specifically. It's kind of like reading interviews with Anne Rice after her two recent Jesus the Lord novels. You want to commend, but there's a little too much invention and speculation in the art and the believer.
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    "Sing of the Lord's goodness" is written in 1949, (in Gather). The composer, Earnest Sands, could not have thought of singing this song at the mass when he wrote it? Are there many songs of this kind of style already sung somewhere before Vatican II ?
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    Leona Anderson, a performer of the 1950s comparable to Mrs. Jenkins, left us some amazing recordings! On the other hand, she did bill herself as "the world's worst singer", so she knew her act was shtick.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    Can you check that copy of Gather Scatter, Mia? Sands was born in 1949. OCP copyrighted the song in 1981, from what I've found on the net.
  • Donnaswan
    Posts: 585
    I have a "FFJ' reincarnated in my choir right now. Unfortunately, she was already on the cantor schedule when I took over, and I have never been able to totally 'ex' her from cantoring. Thank goodness I have enough good sops to sing over her most of the time. I have fondest memories of being introduced to FFJ on old records back when I was singing in 'The Lost Colony' for two summers under a guy who loved her!
    Donna Swan
  • miacoyne
    Posts: 1,805
    Sorry, you are right. It has letter 'b' before 1949 in Scatter, means born. I didn't pay attention to that before. Thanks. (whew! I was a bit worried about that.)
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 994
    Oh, please don't let it be Celtic. This is my major instrumental repertoire and the thought of pseudo-Celtic makes me cringe. At least we didn't get a penny whistle effect after "Titanic" or "Lord of the Rings." Wait - based on the time lag, it's probably coming soon to a "young people's Mass" near you.

    I think I'll go practice King of the Fairies now.
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    Wow, this is so neat to see talk of Jenkins. I used to listen to her records all the time as a kid. Couldn't get enough of it. Had the album and everything.
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,978
    "chonak CommentTime1 hour ago
    Leona Anderson, a performer of the 1950s comparable to Mrs. Jenkins, left us some amazing recordings! On the other hand, she did bill herself as "the world's worst singer", so she knew her act was shtick."

    If you are old enough to remember the 1960s - and yes, I know the saying that if you remember the sixties, you were not really there - there was another who really was the worst singer of all time. Mrs. Miller, formally known as Mrs. Elva Miller.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    I only remember Mrs. Miller as a minor celebrity who often appeared in Merv Griffin's audience, but I didn't know what made her known.
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    Oh MJB, you have to get out more; though I suspect you were joking about the "No, not the Celtic!"
    Once we all got over RIVERDANCE, it was only natural back in 98/99 that GIA had (Rev.) Liam Lawton and John Bell, and I remember some really earnest "Irish" kids performing at the St. Louis NPM around that time as well....
    Just let me have m' Tannahill Weavers singing "Jock Stewart" and I'll be leaving you in peace.
    I do have a vintage British Song textbook compiled by C.V. Stanford that contains all these great tunes from the isles. Want me to bring it to Chicago?
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,978
    Here's some info about Mrs. Miller.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs._Miller

    She sang popular songs originally released by other artists, and "her 'Downtown' single reached the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1966, peaking at #82."
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    Amazing. And we think we live in strange times.

  • tdunbar
    Posts: 120
    "I know my picture here isn't complete. It doesn't reflect the influence of e.g., country rock on the charismatic movement."

    so, can I add Billy Joe Shaver to the list?
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