I guess the boy band trend survived in Europe after a fashion: here’s a bunch of guys who dress up in robes and sing Gregorian-style arrangements of pop tunes. Here are some of their videos: one with Sarah Brightman and one with some waif named Desireles; and a U2 song. There are also fan-made videos with the group’s renditions of “Stairway of Heaven” and a tune by “Green Day”.
It seems to be a totally artificial project of some music producer, and somewhat laughable in the way of certain European pop groups, but the fact that this is popular is a good sign.
Update: LOL: Another group is doing the same thing in Polish.
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A good sign? Sacred music being secularized, stripped of all it’s meaning and beauty, turned into vapid pop hits?
I’m sorry, but I very much disagree. I think it’s a travesty.
Do you think this will actually lead to greater appreciation of chant? I mean a true appreciation of it as the highest form of musical prayer which lifts the heart and mind to God, rather than an appreciation for how cool it sounds as a basis for profane popular music, or how rad it is to get mega stoned and zone out on it?
I think this is just a temporary fad that people are going to cash in on as long as they can, then it will fade out like the rest. The sooner the better, in my opinion. The longer it stays around, the better chance of it infecting real chant. Next thing you know we’ll have choirs at mass singing Gregorian’s version of “What if God was One of Us.”
On the other hand, sacred music is beginning to be used more and more in a liturgical setting, the pope is speaking about it and giving the example, and those are truly good signs.
That’s the way I see it, anyway.