From: norris@athena.mit.edu (Richard A Chonak)
Newsgroups: rec.music.christian
Subject: Re: Music for use in Liturgies
Date: 19 Aug 92 02:30:20 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

In article <1992Aug17.134248.3518@porthos.cc.bellcore.com> aeg@vixen.UUCP () writes:
>Greetings, 
>I have been a reading rec.music.christian for a few months, and
>I would like some information on music and artists that can be 
>incorporated into liturgies that are used outside of the normal
>Sunday worship services (for me the Catholic Mass).  I have been
>asked to prepare liturgies for reconciliation services, retreat
>weekends, and sometimes just supply the music. (I sing and play the
>guitar) [...]
>Any Suggestions?  Thanks in Advance for the info.
>
>Adam G.
>aeg@vixen.cc.bellcore.com

Hi, Adam!
I used to have this sort of role too, playing for a prayer group,
an occasional retreat, and a Sunday Mass (at a hospital).  

You're probably familiar with the sort of repertoire we used to play in such 
settings: for the prayer group, "Songs of Praise" and "Lift Up Your Voice" 
(from Servant Books) and "Vineyard" worship songs; for the Sunday Mass,
missalette hymns, pieces from Talbot's "Songs for Worship" and NALR's "Glory 
and Praise".  For the retreats, simple and familiar hymns and Mass settings.  
One source you might check out, if you're not familiar with it, is the 
collection of songbooks by Jim Cowan of Steubenville ("O Worship the King").

But over time, my views have changed about church music.  The Church's 
liturgy has a 2000-year tradition of sacred music, and a wisdom on the 
subject that we should not overlook.  

The church even has *laws* regulating sacred music which we should observe.
It's a sad fact, though, that nobody teaches Church musicians about them, and
almost nobody knows them.  Most recently, Vatican II laid out directives for 
liturgical music in its document "Musica Sacra".  Earlier documents in the
1950's established the principles:

1. The principal musical adornment for the Mass should consist in the singing 
of the liturgy itself, not in hymns added on to the liturgy.

2. The musical instrument preferred by the Church -- indeed, the only
instrument mentioned in her writings on sacred music -- is the organ.

3. The normative music for the liturgy is Latin Gregorian chant.   
[Are you shocked yet? :-)]

4. Music for the liturgy must be *sacred music*.  It must be *sacred*:
composed specifically for divine worship.  That excludes religious-
sounding or religiously-inspired pop songs (e.g, "Lord of the Dance" or
Godspell songs); it rules out "romantic" wedding songs and patriotic hymns.

And it must excel as *music*: it must be artistically excellent, noble in form,
and performed with diligence and care.

5. But foremost: sacred music is prayer.  It must be performed, as it were, 
"anonymously", drawing attention only to God; it must be *instantly*
acceptable to the faithful, so that they may fruitfully participate in it 
(either by listening or singing).  

But I'll leave off the lecture here.  

You might  want to take a look at the recent book "Why Catholics Can't Sing"
by Prof. Thomas Day.  It's about the impoverished state of church music in 
America, and why most people don't (or can't!) participate in what is 
presented as music in most parishes now.  

Good luck; feel free to e-mail back if you want to pursue anything I've 
mentioned...
---
Richard Chonak, norris@athena.mit.edu
The software is willing, but the hardware is weak. - me, apol to Gloria Maxson
Newsgroups: rec.music.christian