Society of Saint Gregory

Reading the topic on 'Hymn Board display' reminded me of a Sunday Mass I attended in the Basque Country last month where all hymns, psalm responses, words to the Gloria etc. were on a Big Screen, presumably using PowerPoint, controlled by the celebrant (no sign of any copyright acknowledgements howe...

MCB wrote: I expect the people there wouldn't have thought there was anything wrong: that, after all, is how they've always done it, where 'always' means 'for at least the last twenty years'. How do we begin to change that? MCB, I reckon that we need more appropriate liturgical formation in the sem...

Keeping on the straight and narrow:
http://npor.emma.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N14239

Commenting on several of the issues raised: We have a final hymn and I will play a final voluntary. I see this as music to go out to - the organ is playing whilst people assemble; it completes the circle for the organ to be playing as people leave. I don't expect people to be listening but it's nice...

John, Thanks for a very thoughtful and thought-provoking post. The natural cadences of English can get flattened out by chant, unless they are very skilfully reflected by it – as, for example, in a Handel recitative. Chant in the style of a Handel recitative is flowing through my head as I write - w...

Nick asked While one understands your frustration, if the translation was freely available, how would the publishers pay the translators – to say nothing of the typesetters, printers, marketeers, admin staff, packing department etc etc. Translations of sacred texts should be commissioned by the publ...

It is clear from this thread and others that composers have an issue with paying to set sacred texts - something which the likes of Palestrina, Mozart, Faure and Britten never had to do. Pre Vatican 2, the sacred texts used in the Ordinary of the Mass or in Scripture (Vulgate) have been in the Publi...

Another alternative for the impoverished muscian/parish who may not often need to use music technology is freeware. There is a handy Wikipedia list of what is available, both free and for a charge. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_scorewriters

A good innovation in these days of computer notation would be an affordable organ accompaniment. There are a lot of people/priests who like sustained chord to help keep them on the right tonal path. I know that chant was intended for a cappella voice but one of the objectives in the foreward is to e...

The vast majority of priests or readers will not be confident to use these settings - the existing settings in the missal are rarely used. How often do we hear a reading sung in a parish Sunday Mass? If they really expect the chants to be in common use, dioceses should be planning compulsory trainin...

We often sang this from 'Faith of our Fathers' when I was a child:

"how sweet would be their children's fate if they like them could die for thee" - it may be an admirable sentiment but it doesn't fit in with our modern church. I mentally cross my fingers nowadays if I have to sing it.

Despite all the work to restore liturgical music to participation by all, there are still many who believe that music has no place in our parishes. Although they are sympathetic to the 60's/70's liturgical reforms, they want a spoken Mass and certainly don't want to sing. The Church has to reach out...

So many issues there Nick. What hits me with parish music is that so many of the youngsters in the 70's who set up bands and groups to provide music for parishes have disappeared off the scene - leaving it to the 'traditional' musicians they intended to replace. Many of us seem to do more as we get ...

Musicus wrote: Facetiously, I think their bishops did that. More seriously, I can't help wondering whether such unquestioning trust has allowed things to have been done that ought not to have been done. Just for the record, No, I'm not into unquestioning trust either but our starting point has to be...

Well said, Organist. We do need to support our priests and not erode their confidence. If we believe the Spirit works in mysterious ways He has put all our priests where they are.