Music and Liturgy, July 2012

[musicus]

Music and Liturgy is the journal of the SSG and is issued free to members four times a year. This thread is an invitation to discuss the latest issue.

[johnquinn39]

I have been reading M & L for many years now. There is some wonderful insight into 'what we do' at Mass, and explanation of V2, and its relation to scripture, music, and above all, how we live our lives.

However, on a practical level -- if this is only issued to members, and the teaching of V2 has not been explained to the gathered people of God (and priests & seminarians) -- how useful is this?

The singing of the mandated texts to be sung (psalm, acclamations etc.) is forbidden in many (most?) parishes and not taught to children & young people -- is it any wonder that the churches are now largely empty?

Do we need some education?

It is difficult not to believe that in most seminaries the liturgical formation consists of a 20 second lecture that goes something like this: 'Okay lads, there has to be a hymn to Our Lady at every Sunday Mass at communion -- that's all you need to know'.

Is it any wonder that the young are looking for the sacred (where it will not be found), in teenlife and latin masses?

Are we simply talking to ourselves?

[Nick Baty]

The singing of the mandated texts to be sung (psalm, acclamations etc.) is forbidden in many (most?) parishes

Well, we can't tell from anecdotal evidence but I suspect you're not quite right there.

and not taught to children & young people

Yes, there are some examples of very bad practice around. I know of one headteacher who has forbidden the singing of the Gospel Acclamation and who told the school chaplain, "We say the Alleluia together in a calm dignified manner".

Are we simply talking to ourselves?

Possibly. But is that such a bad thing? Wearing my other hat, I spend hours on Punch and Judy on the Web talking about everything from the ideal metal for a swazzle to the heresy of omitting the hanging and coffin scene. Similarly, I find it really useful to read on here what other people are up to.

John, this is a useful topic you've raised. Should it be the start of a new thread?

Back on topic: Great edition of M&L – really enjoyed Peter Jones on the Communion Rite.

[musicus]

You raise several interesting points, John:

M&L is "only issued to members" for obvious reasons. However, there have been discussions for as long as I can remember about how to make it more widely available without compromising it as a "benefit to members" (suffice it to say that there are complex constitutional issues involved. Perhaps SSG's soon-to-be-revised constitution will address this?)

It is not my experience that many parishes "forbid" the singing of mandated texts; often, it's more to do with not having any musicians willing to lead. Again, I have been fortunate with school connections: the schools in the parish in which I live and the parish in which I minister have both asked for my help in using new settings of the new Mass texts.

We certainly do need education: it is at the heart of SSG's work (though more could always be done). I'd be interested to know how effective M&L is in contributing to this.