A LETTER FROM GIA

In light of the new forthcoming translation of the Order of Mass, GIA has issued this letter to its hymnal users. Current parishes using a GIA hymnal will get a supplement with the new translation once the new translation is ready to take place.

For the users of Worship III, that leaves only one concern - what about musical settings of the Ordinary? The hymns, which on the most part are very good (except for the crappy inclusive language binge they went on), would stay intact.

In the meantime, they should get going on a Worship IV. Use the best of Worship I, II, and III, add the better pieces from RitualSong, lose the inclusive language, (for once and for all) lose that A Living Faith ditty and bring back the real Faith of Our Fathers, and include the new Mass translation (along with the parallel Latin). Keep the Grail/Gelineau Psalm settings, too (though a good chunk of the Guimont collection isn't bad either). Though the Psalm translations may change too, as the ICEL, BCL, and USCCB still have to bash heads on the Proper of the Mass, now that the Ordinary is done and awaits approval from Rome.

Peace,
BMP

WHAT TO DO WITH THE MISSALETTE

Fr. Philip N. Powell, OP, of Irving, Texas, has a good idea on what to do with a missalette:
"Put down the missalette, or as I prefer to call them Those Paper Destroyers of the Liturgy, or Those Menaces to the Word Proclaimed. Put them down. No, tear them in half, stick them in your pocket, and bury them near a soggy marsh."

He's right. Use a hymnal instead. Preferably one that doesn't change every year! Preferably one with music that is fit for use at Holy Mass.

Actually, the article is on how to listen to a homily. It's really good.

Still - yeah - tear the missalettes up and get a hymnal. (Sorry, had to! It's the musician in me! hehehehe)

Peace,
BMP

DISPOSABLE vs. PERMANENT - a comparison

(Originally written November 19, 2002, while I was working at Holy Name of Jesus Church in Providence, Rhode Island)

The following was sent to RITE Magazine (by Liturgy Training Publications) by me in response to a wonderful article written by a Yahoo! buddy of mine, Mr. Brian Carmody, who is assistant director of Worship in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

I received in my mail yesterday my quarterly mailings from my diocesan Worship Office. In that mailing I received the October and November/December 2002 issues of RITE. I was very elated to hear from Brian Carmody in the October issue. Brian and I chat periodically over the Internet.

"What's Your Story" (your first of three beige blocks)
During the Summer of 2000, after a year at my current parish, I made a presentation to my former pastor in hopes to change our worship aids from OCP's "Today's Missal and Music Issue" to GIA's "Worship III". The cost factors that Brian Carmody illustrated via chart are very similar to the presentation I sent to my pastor. Needless to say, with the pastor realizing that money must be spent now but will be far saved in a few years, coupled with the fact that, being in a parish that uses mostly traditional repertoire (one of our Masses is in Latin), why are we using a resource that is about 80% contemporary, my presentation succeeded rather quickly.Because of this, we are now entering our third year of utilizing a worship aid that 1) will stick with us for about 10 years or so, at least, providing our pastor sticks around that long, 2) is saving us thousands in the next few years, 3) provides the congregation with higher quality Psalms, and 4) fits the traditional needs of our parish.By the way, I showed the article in RITE to my pastor this morning, and he proudly reported that he has recently been seeing his savings realized.

"By Heart"
You ask if our parish sings mostly by heart. It's actually a mix here. Our parish is very good about opening up hymnals, but is also very good at picking up refrains (Psalm responses, hymns with antiphons that we use during the reception of Communion, etc.) without the aid of a hymnal.Such is also the case with former parish's Gospel Choir, which sings at our 9:00 Mass three Sundays a month. The Gospel Choir rehearses to the point where they do not need to hold a piece of music 80-90% of the time. The congregation at this Mass often follows their repetitions and what not, or simply claps. Also, of course, is the Benediction people, the ones who know two "O Salutaris Hostia" (Werner and Duguet) settings, two "Tantum Ergo" Settings ("St. Thomas" and Mode III), (note, both in Latin) and of course, "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name" (at least the first verse). On the normal course of traditional music, people gladly lift up their hymnal and sing well, at both our English Masses and at our Traditional Latin Mass, giving full praise to God.

"Touchy Subject"
I am very much in favor of permanent hymnals over disposables- not only because of cost savings in the long run, but because of annual waste savings as well.Take for example, OCP's "Music Issue". Of the hymns included in the "Music Issue", only about 2 to 3 percent of the music in the next issue is added for the first time. To make room for this miniscule addition, that same percentage of what might have been used in your parish (or might not) will be dropped. Hymnals, on the other hand, will provide a lasting repertoire, usually about 10 years, unless the pastor that supported the hymnals gets reassigned and replaced by a pastor who doesn't. You don't have to worry about losing a few good hymns to replace a few new ones. And with your savings, you can get copyright permissions several times over for those new pieces.

I hope this letter settles the debate a bit. :-)

+In Christ,

BMP