You know that ‘Thing’ … ?

On music for the Mass

“Full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else”. Sacrosanctum concilium (1963) 1.II.14

You know that ‘Thing’ … ?

liturgy… when amateur church-musicians unaware of their own limitations (cannot keep time; cannot follow a simple melody line; cannot be heard) plan an ambitious musical offering for a parish liturgy, and arrive without any preparation of the music they have chosen, and then – with a visiting organist – expect to be fully in command after a 10 minute run-through, which also includes teaching the people-in-the-pew their part.

liturgyIt  was soon evident that this was new repertoire for everyone, including me, the visiting organist, except that I had spent a couple of hours in the past couple of days preparing my own copies and playing through to be thoroughly familiar and off-page when needed. Professional? C’est moi!

How is this type of ‘carry on’ in providing parish-church music meant to fulfil the Church’s fundamental principal of “full and active participation” in the liturgy? And ‘no’, under the circumstances, using a sound system makes no sense – even less in a small-chapel-of-a-building – only amplifying the shambles!

That Thing!

%d