Music

How many times have you sat in a Catholic Church and been subjected to the shrill shriek of a 40 or 50 something soprano who, aided and abetted in her foul act of musical vandalism by the parish organist, leads the congregation in song through a register of notes that only dogs can hear (and I say this as a tenor who is fortunate to be able to reach those lofty heights but can only look on helplessly as my fellow parishioners fall on either side of me, unable to maintain the pitch, in a gallant effort to "fully participate" in the liturgy). Whilst you could excuse the fact that most of these parish cantors (or is that a sexist term?) cantresses, just simply pitch the music beyond the range of the average Catholic congregation, you cannot excuse the dribble that these banshees scream/sing. A great many parishes in Australia use books such as "Gather Australia," "On Eagles Wings" etc all of which contain various hymns (often written by religious - notably Jesuits or Mercy Sisters) written specifically for the Novus Ordo Mass and it is these hymns that contain the "poignant" reflections of a Baby Boomer generation who just didn't seem to get it.

Let me give you an example "The Lord is my shepherd" Good so far; "...and I want to follow..." a noble sentiment to which all baptised Christians should aspire "...wherever He leads me, wherever we go..." such faithful trust "And while on the journey to where we are going..." Whoo, just put the tambourine down and step away from the guitar - what does that mean! Where else would you be going on a journey except to where you are going! Me thinks someone had too many beats in a bar and not much to say to fill them. Beautiful hymns written in English do exist (look at the Anglican musical tradition) and they can be used at a Novus Ordo Mass. The Living Parish Hymnal is an excellent example of this. Contained therein are pearls written by the great Australian poet James McCauley - there are even texts by John Henry Cardinal Newman set to music by Edward Elgar. And the beauty of this music is that any parish can sing it all - you can "Come as you Are." Of course not all old hymns are good hymns. Often enough the hymns of the '50's can smack of a saccharine sweet piety. So what is the criterion of good parish music? Quite simply, nobility. This is nobility both in the musical score and the lyrics.

A piece of music is noble if it allows a listener to experience the presence of God. God is experienced in the transcendental qualities of truth beauty and goodness. Sadly most modern liturgical music (and secular music for that matter) neither celebrates truth, nor is beautiful and consequently is rarely good. The problem lies in the fact that this music is not Christocentric it does not concentrate on God. Rather it is egocentric it concentrates on the I, me. And so musical expression becomes subjective, emotive and for the most part shallow _ which isn't surprising, when liturgical musicians turn from the objective and infinite that is the praise of God.