Liturgy and Music – Page 15

Still a draft

The paper covers a range of issues related to the Eucharist: It suggests, for example, that Latin be used during international liturgical gatherings so all priests involved can understand the proceedings, and it suggests that parishes consider using more Gregorian chants to prevent more ”profane” types of music from being played.

That’s interesting wording: not only is it bad to use profane music at Mass because it’s profane, it’s bad because there are so many great choices of sacred music.
I’ll be curious to see how much description is applied to profane to avoid confusion.

Abyss of virtues, ocean of mercies

A presentation on hymns in honor of the most sacred Heart of Jesus, from last night’s Vatican Radio program.
[The audio is 6’20”, and 6MB in Ogg Vorbis format; if you have a recent RealPlayer, it should do fine.]

Our parish’s big day gets a little coverage

Our indult Mass in Boston celebrated Corpus Christi for the 15th time today with an outdoor procession, and a team from the AP came around to get a story about us.

Here’s the piece by reporter Michael Kunzelman, and photos by AP’s Michael Dwyer: 1, 2 (with me), and 3.
(Sorry, no pics of the procession yet.)
I’ll quote the story below, since it will presumably drop off the newspaper’s site in a few days. If the press spells your name wrong in the photo caption, does it count against your 15 minutes of fame?

Wrapping it up at the parish

The monthly men’s choir I’ve been organizing this year sang at my suburban parish today for the eighth and last time — last because (as I mentioned the other day) we’ve been laid off.
These were the sung parts:
Before Mass: Introit Benedicta sit
Entrance Hymn: All hail, adored Trinity (Old 100th)
Kyrie XVI
Gloria: recited (priest’s preference, pfff)
Psalm (actually, a canticle from Daniel today): refrain on an OCP setting, verses on a psalm tone.
Alleluia: from Theodore Marier’s hymnal
Offertory Hymn: Come, Thou Almighty King (Italian Hymn)
Sanctus XVIII
Memorial acclamation and Great Amen: Danish Amen Mass
Agnus Dei XVIII
At Communion: a chant hymn, Adesto sancta Trinitas, from the Cantus selecti
Recessional: Holy, Holy, Holy (Nicea)
We had an unusually large congregation today, with big young families overflowing into the choir loft. Maybe the word’s been getting around. When the congregation got going on the final hymn, I realized that the singing had been downright vigorous, a real surprise for what John Schultz calls a Sunday evening “hangover Mass”.
I’m glad we were able to go out with such good participation from the folks. Maybe the pastor and the music director will even get some feedback about people wanting classic Catholic music, and it might help the parish. As for me, I’ll be happy to return to the easier status of being a singer in somebody else’s choir. Thanks to the guys, congratulations to me :-) , and yes, thanks to the pastor and the music director who allowed it for eight months.
Gotta write some thank-you notes, and I still have to book that discussion with the pastor.

The Pope’s Piano

The more I hear about B16, the happier I am.
Pope Benedict Without His Beloved Piano as Movers Struggle to Fit It Into His New Quarters
“ROME — Pope Benedict XVI, a fan of Mozart and Bach, is still without his piano as movers have been unable to fit it through the windows of his papal apartment, it was reported Wednesday…
Ratzinger, who apparently uses the piano to relax at times of stress, reportedly used to irk his neighbours by playing Mozart, Bach and Palestrina a little too loudly, according to German weekly Der Spiegel.”
That’s what we need: a Pope who plays Palestrina a little too loudly.