Thursday, December 21, 2006

MUSIC IN CATHOLIC WORSHIP

William Mahrt on working towards a revision

Prof. Mahrt's essay here. An excellent read. Hat tip to Jeffrey Tucker of The New Liturgical Movement.

SIDE NOTE: An out-of-state visitor approached me after 10:30 Mass a couple of weeks ago and actually thanked me for "programming actual real Catholic music". True story. Most of the choir was still around after Mass to hear him say this. I knew what he was getting at, and I gave him a big thank you (I didn't bother asking any questions - Baptisms were following soon, and I still had to pack up for the day and lock the choir room closets).

Peace,
BMP

3 comments:

Gavin said...

That's a warm and fuzzy when someone actually appreciates what you're doing. I'd say it ranks right below children watching you play a postlude.

Jeffrey Tucker said...

It's interesting that it was a visitor to the parish. This seems often to be the case with us, visitors are just amazed and inspired to encounter beautiful music in a Catholic parish.

Brian Michael Page said...

Very true Jeffrey. It is the visitors that most appreciate good music, while your own parishioners would hiss and moan about the "songs that we don't get to sing anymore" (aka "greatest hits").

The only other case was a Hispanic man who approached me in a church that was home to a large French Canadian population and said to me (in broken English) YOU ARE... EXCELLENT..... ORGANIST! (stress on the "ist" syllable) Nothing fancy - just doing my job.
Not long before that in same church, a parishoner blasted me for playing standard Palm Sunday fare on Palm Sunday and started inquiring on some of Weston Priory's greatest hits.

BMP