Change of a Different Sort...

As I have now informed everyone who needs to know (my Pastor, close associates, etc...), I can announce for those who know me less formally that I will be resigning my current post to accept a position "up north".

OK...it's only a few miles "up north" from where I am now, and it's still in the same city.

And even though the organ is a digital instrument...



It is a vast...vast...vast improvement over that which I have played on for the last 5 years..a 1979 Baldwin 632...



Don't get me wrong...it's a charming instrument, but there comes a point in time. The one pictured there isn't mine by the way...mine is down in a pit beside the altar, and to it's credit, it is a three manual version rather than the two-manual pictured above. Strangely enough, the two and three manual versions have the exact same stops. Go figure.

And the organ and the choir are up in a choir loft...yes, a modern church designed with a functional and well-designed CHOIR LOFT. I have had dreams of such a thing since my first "position" (I was in High School and played for the early Mass on Sunday) at St. Mary's Church in Holliston, MA...a classic 18th Century structure with a beautiful Hook and Hastings up in the loft. Since then, I have been "up front"...but no longer.

The Pastor and associate are looking forward to implementing the new Missal Chant settings, and also to starting use of the Simple English Propers for the Introit and Communion antiphons. I feel so fortunate that not only do such places exist, but they are close enough that I don't even have to move...

Just Another Brick in the Wall

An interesting bit of information about the direction of music in the Catholic Church today. Although not necessarily a "watershed event" for either liturgy or liturgical music in particular, World Youth Day and the week-long celebrations around it have become important public events for the Church.... a chance for larger audiences of people around the world to see the Catholic Church on display.

In the past, the liturgies at World Youth Day have been sometimes embarrassing, sometimes very much in line with what one would expect to see at an average Catholic parish, and on rarer occasions have actually been good models for what liturgy should be from an evangelical standpoint. Those are MUCH rarer occasions, by the way.

This year, some of the Masses for World Youth Day will probably raise more than a few eyebrows... not among the youth, mind you, but among those who have bought into the "cutting edge music will attract youth to the church" agenda. These Masses are actually....what would be a good description....well, they are actually very CATHOLIC!

Let's take a look at what we'll hear....

Wednesday, 17 August 2011, 12:00 noon
Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit
(Missale Romanum of 1970)

Palacio de Deportes, Madrid

Prelude: Ave Maria (Schubert) [World Youth Alliance Quartet]

Hymn at the Procession: Come, Holy Ghost (Lambillotte)
Introit: Caritas Dei (plainsong, mode ii)

Kyrie: XVI

First Reading (Hebrews 11:1-2,7-11)

Psalm: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people. (St. Luke 1:68-75) (plainsong, mode v; Marier fauxbourdon)

Alleluia (plainsong, mode vi)

Gospel (St. Matthew 14:23-33)

Intercessory Prayers

Offertory: Confirma hoc Deus (plainsong, mode viii; with chanted verses)
Hymn at the Offertory: Come Down, O Love Divine (Down Ampney)

Sanctus: XVIII
Memorial Acclamation: Mortem tuam...
Agnus Dei: XVIII

Communion: Spiritus Sanctus docebit vos (plainsong, mode viii; with psalm verses)

Motet at the Communion: Ave Maria (Victoria)

Hymn at the Communion: O Lord, I Am Not Worthy (Gouzes)
Motet at the Communion: Ave Verum Corpus (Mozart)
Motet at the Communion: Veni Creator Spiritus (Josquin)
Marian antiphon: Ave Maria (plainsong, mode i)

Hymn at the Retiring Procession: Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

Postlude: Fugue in D Major (BWV 532) (J.S. Bach)
-----

Thursday, 18 August 2011, 12:00 noon
Votive Mass of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
(Missale Romanum of 1970)
Palacio de Deportes, Madrid

Prelude: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (J.S. Bach) [World Youth Alliance Quartet]

Entrance Hymn: Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven (Lauda anima)
Introit: In nomine Jesu (plainsong, mode ii)

Kyrie: XVI

First Reading (Acts 4:8-12)

Psalm: Our help is in the name of the Lord. (Isaiah 12:2-6) (plainsong, mode v; Marier fauxbourdon)

Alleluia (plainsong, mode vi)

Gospel (St. Matthew 1:18-25)

Intercessory Prayers

Offertory: Portas caeli (plainsong, mode viii)
Hymn at the Offertory: The Lord is Now About to Enter His Temple (Gouzes)

Sanctus: XVIII
Memorial Acclamation: Mortem tuam...
Agnus Dei: XVIII

Communion: Gustate et videte (plainsong, mode iii; with psalm verses)

Hymn at the Communion: Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All (Sweet Sacrament)
Motet at the Communion: Jesu dulcis memoria (Palestrina)
Motet at the Communion: Ave Verum Corpus (Byrd)
Marian antiphon: Ave Maria (plainsong, mode i)

Recessional: Alleluia! Sing to Jesus (Hyfrydol)

Postlude: Praeludium in D minor (BuxWV 140) (Buxtehude)


Certainly a bit different from years past, no? And yet there are still those who insist that there is NO WAY that Catholic music is moving back towards tradition....right?

What Would Jesus Say?

This from the Catholic World News....it seems that some self-identified dissidents are critical of money...privately donated money at that...being spent on World Youth Day and the Pope's visit to Spain.

The Priests’ Forum, which claims to represent pastors in Madrid’s poor neighborhoods, objects to the corporate subsidies. Charging that the multinational corporations that are sponsoring the visit are also responsible for the worldwide economic crisis, the group argues that the Church should not accept such funding.

Critics are also complaining that the costs of WYD are excessive in light of the budget cuts that have been forced on many Western governments, including Spain’s. Echoing an argument that is advanced in the Gospels(John 12:4-5), the Priests’ Forum suggests that the money invested in WYD could have been spent on the poor.

An interesting argument to make to say the least, however, they aren't really making the convincing argument that they think they are. At least they had the sense to quote another rather prominent dissident. Here's the passage they cite (John 12:4-5):

"4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”

But it is in the passage that immediately follows this that we find the grain of truth in what they're saying....because the complete passage (John 12: 4-6) says this:

4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.[b]” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

Uhmm...OK. So what would Jesus say?

8 You will always have the poor among you,[c] but you will not always have me.”


You really have to be careful when quoting scripture.