Monday, November 26, 2007

HOLY FAMILY NYC BRINGS BACK MEMORIES

...of a Music Issue that "used to be"

Holy Family Church in New York City, aka "The United Nations Parish", known for its 60's/70's style design, but also for its excellent music (and five-manual Turner pipe organ), normally uses Worship III for much of its congregational singing. However, every now and then they will use a piece from another source and print it in their weekly worship aid.

This week's recessional at Holy Family was O King of Kings in Splendor, using the tune EIN HAUS VOLL GLORIE SCHAUET, written by Joseph Mohr (of Silent Night fame). Back in the early 80's, this triumphant tune used to be in the OCP Music Issue - yes, the same Music Issue that people have grown to despise and criticize for its commercial jingles and ditties by such names as Haugen, Haas, Joncas, Schutte, Landry, Dameans, etc. In fact, Mohr had another tune as well in the Music Issues of back then. The tune name eludes me at the moment, but it was used with Eugene Lindusky's The Lord Is My True Shepherd text.

Man, those were the days. What the hell ever happened?

2 comments:

Mr. C said...

Tell me about it, Brian. I actually called OCP last year, didn't talk to a "playuh" like DeBruyn or good ol' Bari, but I asked if OCP itself kept an archive of Music Issues? After consulting with a few other folks, their response was as cloudy as Portland skies: uh, no....we don't keep the old issues in any library we're aware of.
Uh huh.
I'd love to have the indices for the MI's going back to the mid-70's when I first encounter them and have dealt with ever since. Then I could likely create and index of great hymns, songs and service music that's been guillotined over three decades as large as the current 08 issue.

Brian Michael Page said...

Charles, here's one for you...
I did a nine part podcast series called "The Christus Vincit Wish List", combing through the "song search" engines of ocp.org and picking out the stuff that I wish was in the music issue. I know mileage will vary, but check out the search engines for yourself and - you'll find yourself sifting through the garbage, but finding some really good hymns that are MIA.

Sadly, OCP's best listener no longer works for them - that guy is Rob Stoltz. I can recall around 1999/2000ish getting into some really good phone conversations with Rob, and pretty much agreeing with me on the most part on sacred music.

BMP