Is Archbishop Sample's pastoral letter on sacred music dead on arrival?
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,704
    @a_f_hawkins

    Southwark is not too bad, although I have nothing to do with the OF apart from providing the occasional piece of music in Latin to the various choirs / directors I know.

    I saw the Liturgy planner last year, it was sitting on the stairs up to the choir loft. On the cover there was a note to the then new director of the OF choir that we did not do things this way here, written in the hand our former parish priest.

    As for those that don't follow the Liturgy Committee advice, The Cathedral N.B. former director Nick Gale RIP, St Bartholomew's (my former parish church), I could list other places but they do not publish their music lists online.
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,370
    hilluminar :
    That was my take from para 2.d. on p.16 - which ends
    Resources for the sung Propers will be made available through catechesis that will be provided in the Archdiocese to help implement this directive.

    As to our parish, I have no (or little) influence on the music, apart from occasional service as cantor. I think that the congregation would need to start with things familiarised over several weeks, ie the GS rather than GR, and certainly in English. We have been singing Asperges I monthly for 5 or 6 years, over which the congregational participation has slowly increased from 5 people attempting it to about 10 (which is 5% of the congregation to 10%, and there is no choir). OTOH we sing Regina cœli each week in Easter, and by the third week participation is high.
    Thanked by 1hilluminar
  • Claire H
    Posts: 368

    I didn't have time to read this whole thread in detail, but echo JaredOstermann's observation about OCP (and other mainstream publishers) including more chant resources. While I certainly find their "we-offer-all-flavors-of-Mass approach" lamentable, I think Jared is right that the increased inclusion of chant (and even resources for vernacular propers...see below) is an indicator of the growing strength and influence of all of our efforts toward sacred liturgy.

    I was, for example, pleasantly surprised a year or two ago when a colleague pointed out to me some lovely SATB Communion Antiphon collections by Christopher Walker, many of which are non-metrical/chant-based. I didn't think OCP had *any* such thing, but apparently there must be enough demand.
  • hilluminar
    Posts: 119
    Wow, a_f_Hawkins, you have been allowed to chant the Asperges monthly for years! God bless your priest. So many priests will never allow it.
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,370
    Here is some of the evidence the OP asked for, on the forum today -
    Christ the King Parish & School
    11709 SE Fuller Road
    Milwaukie, OR 97222
    The successful candidate will possess a deep appreciation for, and ability to communicate, the Church’s teaching on sacred music as expressed in Archbishop Alexander Sample’s recent Pastoral Letter “Sing to the LORD a New Song”. This vision will require flexibility and sensitivity given the current context in which parishioners and students are on a path of deeper esteem and recognition of the value of sacred music.
    Thanked by 4MarkB CHGiffen petrus_simplex Jeffrey Quick
  • MarkB
    Posts: 1,025
    That's encouraging to see. The admission that implementing the expected vision will require flexibility and sensitivity given the current parish reality is a degree of honesty and humility in a job description that I find refreshing. Compliments to the pastor of that parish! He sounds like a great pastor to work for.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,045
    There's an odd similarity of impatience between sacred music fans and Qanon followers, with "When is Abp.Sample going to fix OCP?" being our "When is Trump going to Lock Her Up?" There's a kind of Deep State in the Church that is resistant to change, and even when you're an Archbishop (or even, if the Pope Emeritus is to be believed, a Pope), you can't snap your fingers and "Hagan llio!"

    (Note: this parallel does not imply endorsement of the Q phenomenon, or non-endorsement of the anti-OCP movement.)
    Thanked by 2MarkB irishtenor
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