Society of Saint Gregory

How about this: singing in Latin sometimes is a symbolic, sacramental tie between the worshipping community I'm standing among, and the rest of the Church around the world and throughout time, and in and out of time. It's a reminder that the Church isn't just us, and that we words we sing don't just...

Thanks, Contrabordun, that's really well put. Working in a cathedral inevitably means being subject to the occasional last-minute veto, because the principal celebrant on big occasions comes late to the planning process. This can be quite difficult to take, for exactly the reasons you mention. Havin...

Here are some reflections on choral Sanctuses and the like. Forgive the lengthy excerpt, but it's nicely topical, and distinctly timely! It was my friend and former colleague in Münster, Monsignor Emil Joseph Lengeling, who said that when one understood the Sanctus as an authentic part intended for...

I fall into the trap of "what did I use for this Sunday three years ago?" Is it a trap? I think we musicians can relish change more than the assembly does, because we can pick new things up more quickly, and perhaps get tired of things more rapidly too. But the assembly can be left constantly feeli...

My head starts to do odd things when people put words like "solemn" alongside "celebration" We had our celebration of Evening Prayer today. The service booklets called it 'Solemn Vespers', mind, but it struck me today, as it has many times over the last eight days, that the words solemn and celebra...

Gwyn wrote:trendy lefty bishops who have done so much damage to the catholic church in the UK over past years and who have been responsible for the emptying churches

Not sure we really want to go there, least of all in a thread about choirs. But I think that's arrant nonsense, and bang out of order.

M.

I once came across the opposite in a parish I lived in - we had just sung "Christ has died" (though not Paul Inwood's) and the priest launched cheerfully into "Let us pray with confidence to the Father in the words our Saviour gave us". He wasn't to be deflected, and battled on through mounting inse...

Whether it be a Cathedral or Parish church, settings of these acclamations which do not involve the assembly in song are proscribed . Where does it say that then? Presbyter, you're getting carried away. Surely you mean that's your (rather hard-line) interpretation of the documents? There's a differ...

We have usually followed the instruction / direction / suggestion in the diocesan book that there music in lent should only be to support the singing. And we sing unaccompanied from the end of the Gloria on Maundy Thursday until the Gloria at the Vigil. It emphasises the solemnity of the liturgy. I...

Vox Americana wrote:...from the comfort of our armchairs.

Pah! I was writing from the comfort of my ivory tower.

Inclusive language is incredible. Wandering off topic a bit, but no it isn't. I'd suggest looking humankind up in a dictionary. It's been around for three hundred years or more, and Alexander Pope seemed to know what he meant in 1711: But where's the man who counsel can bestow, Still pleas'd to tea...

presbyter wrote:mcb - don't be embarrassed.

It's not embarrassment; it's called tact.

M.

...which Psalms are we talking about? Hello Presbyter, I mean "Psalm 129(130)" and "Psalm 120(121)". Clicking on the links in my post takes you to the texts anyway. In spite of the very helpful suggestions of some delightful song settings, I'm veering towards the idea that simple chants will work m...

Hello folks, can I ask for suggestions for good musical settings of these Psalms (and canticle)? [bible]Ps 121[/bible] [bible]Ps 130[/bible] [bible]Phil 2:6-11[/bible] I'm putting together a draft order of music for a solemn celebration of Evening Prayer, and I'd be grateful if anyone has ideas for ...

Maybe it's not so much that there are different viewpoints, as that there's more than one way of achieving the goals that liturgical music aims for. There are two different strands to the story. Firstly, what's the relationship between the role of the assembly foreseen in SC and elsewhere, as active...