Various settings of In Exitu?
Various settings of De Profundis -- I have composed one of these
Various settings of Vexilla Regis - ditto
Various settings of Super flumina Babylonis

What sort of a tone are you hoping to create with music for a Juneteenth service? It seems to me that lamenting the institution of slavery would be appropriate. Do you need the text to be in some African language, being mindful that slaves were (at least in this country) often of African origin? What sort of musical style?

Precious Lord

We did a Mass for Various Occasions #38 For the Forgiveness of Sins recently with a similar idea in mind (though not on that date).

No. Barbary pirates typically raided European port towns (and the US's participation in the First Barbary War and Tripoli et cet. predated the legal end of the US participation in the transatlantic slave trade). Juneteenth is about the emancipation of African-American enslaved people (and, in some sense, a remembrance of how long it took for the formal promises of that emancipation to later become manifest in reality).

I didn't know Juneteenth was a thing until this year. Kind of like when I learned Kwanzaa was a thing.

Spirituals and precious lord as “liturgical music”? Oh boy...

This is not a church holy day so I will treat it the same as other non-liturgical feasts. This is not even a legal holiday.

Thank you for your little lesson on political correctness. I think we all know by now the difference between secular and religious holidays. I suspect that especially on this forum we also know the difference between what belongs at mass and what doesn't.

Why not gather in the church yard and sing, "We Are Many Parts?"
Refreshments will be served - PC Kool-Aid of course, and masks are "de rigueur" until the pandemic is over. Social distancing observed by all.

I think I will celebrate "Umpteenth" this year with my choir. As in, "I have told you umpteenth times..."

I find it a bit crazy that some of us have spent years trying to get trash music out of the liturgy, then some "enlightened" soul comes along and wants to put it back in.

My black choir members wouldn't sing spirituals to begin with. They call them "slave songs." One of them passed away a few years ago and they vetoed spirituals immediately when we were selecting music for the funeral. One crazy old white woman wanted to sing them, of course.

For the umpteenth time, no secular celebrations at the liturgy.

How about Kevin Allen's music - such as "Desidero Mi Jesu"?

Though Kevin Allen's music is superb, I wonder if he might feel tokenized if his compositions were solely used to celebrate such an occasion. That would be my worry, at least.

It has taken me years to say "Bah, Humbug." There was a time when I would have said worse.

The New Yorker in its Tulsa coverage raises a good question about whether Juneteenth has national significance, given that slavery was not ended in the border states Delaware and Kentucky by the 13th Amendment until Dec. 18:

Yet even this inspired bit of middle-fingering the movement was shot through with Trumpian ineptitude. For decades, even among African-Americans, Juneteenth was primarily celebrated by those who lived in or were from Texas. In recent years, it has been more widely observed, but still overwhelmingly by African-Americans. The Trump team, in designing the Juneteenth stunt, dramatically elevated awareness of the day. Companies across the country have made Juneteenth a paid vacation day; governors, including Ralph Northam, of Virginia, announced plans to declare it an official state holiday.

So that's two more dates for which one can plan a Te Deum.

Oh my. I apologize for coming across as patronizing or talking down to any of my learned colleagues here. That is absolutely not my intention--nor am I trying to chastise anyone for not being suitably "woke" (which, for the record, is a term I don't like and don't use.) Having said that, I'm a bit bewildered by some of the reactions to bhcordova's relatively straightforward question. (bhcordova, are you all right there? I notice you haven't said much since your initial post. Was any of this helpful?)

I suspect that especially on this forum we also know the difference between what belongs at mass and what doesn't.

After watching the forum re-litigate The Bach Question more than once, I'm not too certain we're all on the same page there either. (For the record, you'll have to pry WACHET AUF from my cold, dead, hand.) Dismissing an entire body of religious music as "trash music", and suggesting (even in purple) that its use in or out of a liturgical setting is akin to (or a result of) "drinking the Kool-aid" of "political correctness" is beneath any of us here, even at a time when we're all under a lot of stress, sick of being stuck indoors, and worried about the future.

The focus of the Church is otherworldly.

In that case, we can jettison our prayers for the sick and for peace among nations, and cancel the Red Mass, the White Mass, the Blue Mass and the Mass in Time of Pandemic.

Though Kevin Allen's music is superb, I wonder if he might feel tokenized if his compositions were solely used to celebrate such an occasion. That would be my worry, at least.

That worries me too. I'm always a little put off when Jester Hairston, Moses Hogan, R. Nathaniel Dett et al. make their appearances in February and then disappear for the rest of the year. The solution here, of course is to program tons of Kevin Allen--and Adolphus Hailstork, and Margaret Bonds, and Jose Mauricio Nunes Garcia--all year.

Those slaves were freed a couple of years before June 19th by the Emancipation Proclamation.

On January 1st, which is already taken by secular and liturgical calendars.

Though Kevin Allen's music is superb, I wonder if he might feel tokenized if his compositions were solely used to celebrate such an occasion.

To borrow a bowdlerized phrase from Senator Bentsen, I know Kevin. I consider him a good friend, despite our musical differences. We've spent many an evening deliberating over cocktails. He was kind enough to write a role in his newest opera with me specifically in mind (based on my performance as Rutledge in 1776, ironically enough). He is a truly ecumenically minded fellow - a proud supporter of the fledgling Tolton Institute; he proudly boasts a picture of the reverend father in his hallway. That being said - from my discussions with him, Kevin is first and foremost a Catholic and considers his music to reflect that universal spirit. The best compliment you could give to him would be to consider him on his own artistic merit, regardless of pigmentation. (Our last shindig involved a conversation over staging Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors - Kevin, having performed in it a few times, was less than thrilled with recent productions attempting 'politically correct' rewrites.)

As for Mr. Cordova's original request, I unironically recommend a setting of the third antiphon from the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin, especially as set by Palestrina or [especially] Casals.

Who would ONLY do Kevin's music on Juneteenth?

I know quite a few who would - not out of malice, but a genuine desire that it's the "correct" thing to do.

Back to Chris's questions:

I do believe spirituals can be used in liturgy if it arises out of the congregation's culture.

Just as I wouldn't lift Kenyan dancing processions from many of Kenya's beautiful liturgies, I wouldn't lift African American spirituals and use them in a mostly white suburban parish. However, I do see situations when it could be used quite effectivelty in the liturgy- this event being one of them.

I personally don't feel comfortable using/leading spirituals regularly because I'm a white director leading a white choir, but we have a fair amount of African Americans in our parish- among many other cultures- and I do wish I knew how to effectively use beautiful music from these cultures during the liturgy well. During Christmas, however, our pastor wanted to open the preludes to all the cultures of our parish and I did accompany multiple African songs that a newly immigrated family from Senegal sang for the parish. That was authentic. If I had tried to present that, I don't know.

Polska Piano,

Let me widen the lens a bit.
If Negro Spirituals are appropriate, because they arise out of the congregation's culture, what else fits under that rubric?

If our parish has a group of 20-somethings, for whom Mary Magdalen's preconversion lifestyle is a model, is it right to program music from (say) Madonna or Cyndi Lauper or Boy George?

If our parish consists of Welsh coal miners, should "De Profundis", in translation or not, be a normally programmed hymn text?

If our parish is in Silicon Valley, do we need songs which include the words "Zoom", "Yahoo", "Google" and the like?

So I'm clear, I'm not trying to be confrontational. I don't think Negro Spirituals belong at Mass for any reason whatsoever, but your reason for including them doesn't seem to extend as a general principle.

Now, Chris, your question attempts to make Polska Piano's reason ridiculous by including secular music. Surely you are too intelligent than to think Polska Piano intended any such thing.

Yes, I can't be a fan of "Were you there". Its nagging question sounds dreary and reproachful. It's OK for God to reproach us on Good Friday, but I don't want to put up with it from other human beings.

Are spirituals religious? Undoubtedly. Are they liturgical music? No - they were never intended to be.

Whether they were used in a secular context does not diminish the fact that they deal with undoubtedly religious ideas.

Is it common to celebrate secular holidays at Mass? I'm trying to think of examples I've seen. I suppose on Mother's Day there's usually a blessing of mothers after Mass; but that's all I can think of at the moment.

CatherineS writes:

Is it common to celebrate secular holidays at Mass?

In short, yes.

In the U.S., it is common to see some mention of Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and M.L. King Day, or some musical reference to the themes of these days.

Most parishes offer a Mass with special propers for the not-totally-secular-but-not-really-Catholic Thanksgiving Day.

New Year's Day, though it is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, is also observed in places with prayer vigils that are mostly about the start of the new year and not much about the Divine Maternity.

Chonak,

SHOULD the American church celebrate all these secular holidays?

Considering that a famous book described North America as consisting of "nine nations", it would seem there are more than two cultures.