Liturgical Music - a compilation of The Three Judgements?
  • JKWJKW
    Posts: 54
    Does anyone know of any official Church resources that have compiled assessments of appropriate liturgical hymns based on the Liturgical Judgement, Musical Judgement, and Pastoral Judgement as presented in the USCCB's Sing to the Lord: Music In Divine Worship? I am aware of the 2020 document Catholic Hymnody at the Service of the Church, which includes a short list of specific hymns to avoid. But I would love to find the entire list of hymns USCCB approved and the reasons they articulate for their appropriateness.

    I am assembling a spreadsheet with lists of hymns and my own attempts at evaluating hymns based on these three criteria, but even though I am a music ministry leader, I recognize an authoritative resource would be better.
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,627
    I note that Liturgiam authenticam (2001) said
    108. Sung texts and liturgical hymns have a particular importance and efficacy. Especially on Sunday, the “Day of the Lord”, the singing of the faithful gathered for the celebration of Holy Mass, no less than the prayers, the readings and the homily, express in an authentic way the message of the Liturgy while fostering a sense of common faith and communion in charity.[78] If they are used widely by the faithful, they should remain relatively fixed so that confusion among the people may be avoided. Within five years from the publication of this Instruction, the Conferences of Bishops, necessarily in collaboration with the national and diocesan Commissions and with other experts, shall provide for the publication of a directory or repertory of texts intended for liturgical singing. This document shall be transmitted for the necessary recognitio to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
    I have read that USCCB did send such a list to CDWDS, and that they heard nothing back! I do not know whether that is true or false.
  • JKWJKW
    Posts: 54
    @a_f_hawkins
    This is a new document for me to read. Thank you. I understand that "discernment" is needed for judging appropriate sacred music, so if in good conscience, with solid theological and musical formation, I submit my best effort, I can trust the Holy Spirit can bear fruit. But I admit intimidation...
  • francis
    Posts: 11,175
    Liturgical Judgement, Musical Judgement, and Pastoral Judgement

    In my thinking, these are all very subjective judgments, and do not amount to much in terms of searching out and testing music that would be considered sacred. WHO is the person or body of persons who makes the judgement? Our self assigned selves? Us and our colleagues? The pastor of his parish even in league with other competent persons?

    I think one would have to go back to the 1904 Motu and other documents that confirm the same thinking. It is there laid out quite plainly in black and white with guidelines that make clear deliniations. The basic precept is not to grant greater allowances, but to bring focus and ward off abuses that always threaten the sacred nature of liturgical music.

    I reread this every so often to remind myself of the serious nature of the art we undertake.

    https://liturgyoffice.org.uk/Resources/Music/PiusX-Tra-le-sollecitudini.pdf
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen LauraKaz
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,627
    Regarding Liturgiam authenticam it is important to remember that the degree of control which it claimed for CDWDS over vernacular texts was radically changed by Pope Francis. The current position is as in this decree from CDWDS https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2021/10/22/211022b.html
    I mentioned it because of the reference to producing a repertory of texts.
  • francis
    Posts: 11,175
    Good luck writing music for local cultural vernaculars which (as you have already experienced) is in the state of constant flux and subject to being abrogated and even suppressed by the whims of modernism. Your comps may last longer on the pop charts.
    Thanked by 1davido
  • JKWJKW
    Posts: 54
    @francis
    The three judgements as given by the USCCB in Sing to the Lord and expanded in Catholic Hymnody at the Service of the Church do give quite a bit of guidance. The theological soundness of text is less subjective than deciding if music effectively expresses the faith in the hearts of a particular congregation. But you ask an important question about who is meant to make such judgements. The closer to the top the better, i.e. priest, bishop, USCCB...
  • JKWJKW
    Posts: 54
    I thought this article articulated well some of the challenges we face...

    https://praytellblog.com/index.php/2021/06/07/continuing-the-conversation-the-usccbs-guidance-on-hymn-texts/
  • francis
    Posts: 11,175
    The closer to the top the better, i.e. priest, bishop, USCCB
    my point is that you cannot have two or three individuals making a superlative justification on the choice of what music falls into the category of “fitting for liturgical use”. I dont care if its the pope! We must follow the magisterium… “put not your trust in man.”

    Case in point…

    Numerous of those “at the top” have done much damage to the cause of sacred music.

    https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/changes-in-mass-for-greater-apostolate-8969

    8. It is here that the greatest newness is going to be noticed, the newness of language. No longer Latin, but the spoken language will be the principal language of the Mass. The introduction of the vernacular will certainly be a great sacrifice for those who know the beauty, the power and the expressive sacrality of Latin. We are parting with the speech of the Christian centuries; we are becoming like profane intruders in the literary preserve of sacred utterance. We will lose a great part of that stupendous and incomparable artistic and spiritual thing, the Gregorian chant.


    “Profane intruders…” that is what he titled himself and his confreres.

    (I suppose we could consider this as part of “the scourge of revolutionary men” as was announced by Jesus through Mary of St Peter?)

    UPDATE FOR THE CRICKETS

    Do we all realize that moment in time took an axe to the root of sacred music that brought on the iconoclasm in which we are presently living? Not just an iconoclasm of music, art and architecture but of the Faith? It was severed to the nub… although it will never destroy the root because Christ said so. Now we have sprigs on a root…
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