John Schultz: May 2004 Archives

Teresa and I are back from vacation - it was a restful time out at the Outer Banks in North Carolina. We also had a family reunion in Waynesboro, Virginia, including four generations of Muellers - from a few months old to nearly 94. Teresa's dad was able to be transported from the nursing home and had steak, potato salad, country ham and a gin and tonic. He does alot better with home-cooking than the food at the home.

I returned to a pile of e-mail, including a little nugget from the liturgy director at my parish. We've been soliciting feedback via e-mail and received a missive that included the words "I would like to see more music from the Oregon Catholic Press." It also said that people who want latin at church are on some sort of "nostalgia trip."

Oh, well. I'm glad I'm back, even if I need to fight the dragons.

On this day we remember those who served this country, alive and dead, fallen on the battle field or safely home, I'd like to thank any veteran that reads this blog. You have gone to a place that I have not. You have served your country with distinction and at the hour of her greatest need. May our country remember you dearly, and may all the enemies of God repent from their evil.

Teresa and I celebrate five years of marriage today. It's been a wonderful, holy time and we hope we can spend five times ten more years together.

I love you Teresa and will always take care of you.

Here in the USA, we have Dollar General and Just a Dollar.

Did you know Cuba has dollar stores, too?

The only problem is, it's not "Just a Dollar."

The Washingtime Times, for their creative use of quotes in this article.

I took my car to get washed today at the Vienna Mr. Wash and was greeted with something pretty offensive.

I emailed the contact on the Web site what is pasted below. If you have feelings on the matter please do the same.

Hello -

I'm a regular customer in the Vienna Mr. Wash and was very unhappy with my visit today. Pasted on the fish tank behind the cashier is a fake dollar bill with a likeness of President Bush and the number "9-11" The implication of the text on the bill is that President Bush is a liar and he is responsible for 9-11.

I found this highly offensive. I come to your store to get my car washed, not to see a highly misguided, deceitful and disrepsectful political statement.

I called the store manager and expressed my concerns. I'm hoping that he understood what I was saying and will take the note down.

Please follow-up with your store staff and inform me when the item is removed. I won't be returning to your Vienna store until I hear this has been taken down and you've informed your employees that posting such material is bad customer service, offensive and harmful to your business.

Regards,

John Schultz
Vienna, VA

No, the Johnson kids are not playing in my yard.

We have a couple of Barred Owls living in our trees. They sound exactly like the owls here. I'll try to get a photo of the ones in my yard.

It's pretty cool to see them flying around the yard. Mating season is March - August so we'll keep a look out for the wee-ones.

And yes, this is another good reason for the Johnson's to come over.

The choir directors at my parish have been informed that the liturgy/music office is getting beaucoup complaints about two things:
1. Songs are not familiar enough.
2. There is "too much" Latin being done.

Here's the environment:
Sat. Vigil Mass - contemporary group - piano, guitar and mostly recent music
1st Mass on Sunday - Mix of traditional and contemporary, with some classic hymns. Sometimes piano are guitar are used for accompaniment. Some standards in terms of Greek/Latin prayers such as the Kyrie and Agnus Dei.
2nd Mass on Sunday - More traditional, mostly hymns but some songs. Some piano accompaniment but no guitar. Some Greek and Latin prayers such as the Kyrie and Agnus Dei and some Latin motets. This is the Mass I conduct.
3rd Mass on Sunday - Totally contemporary: guitars, tambourines, conga drums, etc. Yes - there ara conga drums used at our Parish.

Now - I am by no means Captain Latin when it comes to the liturgy. I am not one of those people that wishes I was born in 1890 so I could have died before Vatican II and watched the liturgical mayhem of the 1970's from purgatory.

Use of Latin is well-within the directives of the Vatican II documents on Liturgy. Chant and Latin Polyphony are encouraged directly.

So my frustration is this:
When you have plenty of liturgical choices, why complain when a Kyrie or Agnus Dei isn't in the same language you use to order pizza? Pick another Mass if you get some kind of rash when you hear a chanted Sanctus. And if you choose to go to the Mass that has a few very typical prayers sung in Latin, then don't call the liturgy office and get all indignant. Just because some un-glued liturgist told you 25 years ago how evil Latin was doesn't mean you have the right to ruin it for everyone else. There are way too many choices if you feel the need to go to a liturgy that has been liberated from 1500 years of musical tradition.

As for songs being unfamiliar - I'm sure the contemporary groups do lots of original compositions with odd intervals, rhythms and melodies. We do a few slightly obscure hymns on an annual basis on Sundays like the Baptism of the Lord. I don't have strong feelings about the unfamiliar music issue, except to say that it's possible to have that mentality bring you "One Bread, One Body" on 32 Sundays a year.

"Welcome to Purgatory, here's your abridged OCP hymnal containing the six songs we'll be singing until you are ready to join in the glory of your Eternal Lord and Creator. Please turn to page 4 and we'll start with 'On Eagle's Wings'"

For you choristers and choir directors out there, the Shaw-Parker Christmas Carol arrangements are something you might want to plunk thru between now and September. These are artful, challenging arrangements with some solo parts, but are very accessible to a choir that is willing to put the time in to learn then or has ringers to help carry the load.

A book of them is available at this link.

Some of my favorites:
Carol of the Birds
Good King Wenceslas
In the Bleak Midwinter (on the Holst tune)

...for my pooch?

Thanks to the happy 7 people who visited this blog and then took the Pepsi survey. My team got an A on the project, in large part because RC helped me with some statistics concepts on Friday evening. Sorry for making you miss "Murder She Wrote" reruns on TNT, RC. :)