Source: CNS
Music ministers urged to focus on unity, not their own agendas
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CNS) -- Music ministers should focus on building bridges and creating unity, speakers said at the National Association of Pastoral Musicians' Western Regional Convention in Sacramento Aug. 1-4. The principle that all are one in the body of the Lord is more important than cultural, ideological, musical or liturgical differences, they said. "We need to resist going down the black hole of anger regarding how we translate our texts, what we will sing, or which musical styles are most appropriate for our Masses," said liturgical composer David Haas in an opening keynote Aug. 1. "We still have something wonderful to sing about: God is still here, calling all of us to receive what we have been given from God as gift and give it back lavishly in service to the Lord and one another," he added. About 600 people, mostly church musicians but some liturgists and clergy as well, attended the convention at the Sacramento Radisson Hotel. They came from California and more than 30 other states and several other nations.
Our own agendas? Whose agenda was it to push sacro-pop and campfire trash into our celebrations of Holy Mass in the first place? We critics of such music have only one agenda, and that is to fulfill what was prescribed by the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council. Is this call for so-called unity another excuse to continue to write such trash? How about some true unity in liturgy - like Latin, Gregorian Chant, those things were to hold "pride of place", instead of pseudo unity, like "here we are" and "we're here together as one". Forget Christ, who "we're here" for in the first place, right? Where is that "pride of place"? In many cases it takes a back seat to the easy listening hits of sacro-pop and campfire trash. Sad but true.
Cut the dang self-conceit and let's get to truly celebrating Holy Mass!
UPDATE: Less than one hour after I posted the above, a new program has been introduced for the Ox Files fall lineup! Click the banner below for more info.
Peace,BMP
6 comments:
Then will he stop writing?
Haas telling us all that we need to stop OUR "agendas"??? We've been telling HIM that for decades now...
Speaking of idiots, and their scams, check out the OCP's latest groovy hit song "Dead Presidents on Parade"..no lie....and here I thought my little gag was hilarious a couple years ago that sent Bari at OCP actually searching the publisher stacks for a copy of "Carey Landry's 'Over the Rainbow Mass'" (actually the fact that he went looking for it was a bit scary, telling us all that somewhere in his mind, there existed the possibility that such a thing actually HAD been published by OCP....)
JP
Here's the link to "Dead Presidents on Parade"
http://www.ocp.org/en/songsearch/viewsong.php?musicID=66429&
Read'em and weep.
BMP
OK, come on. This song is not intended for liturgical use. It's just a catchy title on a CC album that OCP happens to distribute. I gotta stand up for this one as long as OCP doesn't try to offer it for use at Mass. CC is a respectable genre and a great alternative to secular pop.
moconnor
Mike, please excuse my ignorance, but what's CC besides carbon copy and column chromatography?
Lyn,
"Contemporary Christian". Sometimes CCM for "Contemporary Christian Music"
~nb
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