“Taste and See” qualms
  • CatholicZ09
    Posts: 265
    I’m sure there have been many versions of Psalm 34 sung in Catholic churches these past few weeks.

    Our “psalm” today was Bob Hurd’s version, and it just felt…not right. I mean, the refrain was okay, but the verses didn’t line-up with the section of Psalm 34 assigned for today’s Mass:

    Hurd’s text:

    1. Glory, glory to God on high, glory, blessing, and praise. With one voice, O people, rejoice in our God, who hears the cry of all in need.

    2. Who has fashioned the earth and sky, who created the deep, who exalts the lowly and sets captives free, who opens the door to all those who seek.

    3. Oh, the love of God, become flesh of our flesh. So that we might live in glory.


    Text of the psalm for today (21 OT, B) from the Lectionary:

    I will bless the LORD at all times;
    his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
    Let my soul glory in the LORD;
    the lowly will hear me and be glad.

    The LORD has eyes for the just,
    and ears for their cry.
    The LORD confronts the evildoers,
    to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.

    When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
    and from all their distress he rescues them.
    The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
    and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.

    Many are the troubles of the just one,
    but out of them all the LORD delivers him;
    he watches over all his bones;
    not one of them shall be broken.

    —————

    Hurd’s psalm doesn’t seem like a suitable fit for the responsorial psalm in Mass for today, but I digress.
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • Paul F. Ford
    Posts: 857
    The USCCB website has mistakes in it as to the verses for Psalm 34 over the past three Sundays. Today's were supposed to be: Ps 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21, 22-23.

    Many resources offer songs from the psalter but they don't always match the verses that the lectionary has chosen.
    Thanked by 1ServiamScores
  • Liam
    Posts: 4,950
    That's why Theodore Marier set multiple verses so that one could choose according the ones assigned to a given Sunday.
    Thanked by 1ServiamScores
  • Andrew_Malton
    Posts: 1,159
    Your feeling of not quite right is more than appropriate.

    Hurd’s text as quoted has nothing at all to do with any part of Ps. 33/34. Maybe his verse 1 is kinda sorta a paraphrase of its first four verses. But there's nothing in the Psalm suggesting praise of creation, excellent though such praise may be; nor freeing of captives (unless they're the same as the crushed or humble in spirit); nor opening of doors (or is every good behind a door?). (And what does love of God become flesh of our flesh even mean?)

    The Psalms are not a nose of wax.

    Furthermore, of course, it is quite against the law to plonk down a spiritual poem at Mass in place of the proper Sacred Scripture.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen MarkB CharlesW
  • CatholicZ09
    Posts: 265
    Andrew, thank you for your comment, specifically the comment about verse 3 and the “become flesh of our flesh…” line. I was the cantor at the Mass for which I had to sing this, and the whole time I was thinking “What does this really mean?” It was puzzling to me. I think…maybe…Hurd’s idea behind that wording was the we become part of the Body of Christ when we consume him in Holy Eucharist, but even then, I think the wording is just so poorly construed that the fact that we have to decipher its meaning tells us that it isn’t suitable.

    It’s definitely not one of my favorites, and the fact that it was used in the responsorial psalm’s place today aggravated me. Psalm 34 in its proper form is a very beautiful psalm, and Hurd’s rendition just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    CatholicZ09,

    I don't know Bob Hurd, and don't think I've ever sung (or programmed) this piece, so I can ask the question without a pre-conceived answer: does it seem reasonable that Hurd intended people to ponder his text, or just like it and sing it?

    The best example I can think of the "don't worry your head about the text" attitude is a resetting of the Beatitudes -- I don't have Glory and Praise in front of me -- which has the alarming verse, "When in a prison you came to my cell". (The grammar is the problem, if you can't immediately identify it). I've heard it said about the writers of G&P that they weren't deep theologians or solid musicians: I once worked with a classmate of theirs.

    Independent of the question of what the composer intended, shouldn't publishers be more careful in letting such stuff end up in parishes?
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Carol
  • MarkB
    Posts: 1,025
    For the benefit of people who aren't familiar with this setting:
    https://youtu.be/GUrzLnRqvl4

  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    RVW
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen Chris Garton-Zavesky cesarfranck
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,726
    Mark, that sounds like awful 3rd rate piano bar music that someone set religious words to as a lark.
    Thanked by 1Chris Garton-Zavesky
  • davido
    Posts: 876
    Wow, that’s horrible. This is why no one should patronize OCP.
    Thanked by 3ServiamScores CharlesW cesarfranck
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,935
    I'm rather proud of the fact that in all my years in music I never bought a single thing from OCP. A pox on their house.
    Thanked by 1cesarfranck
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,217
    that sounds like awful 3rd rate piano bar music


    Well, it's either that or re-worked scores from "Cats" or "Phantom of the Opera" these days.
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
Add a Comment