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Director's Blog
| Lincoln Chamber Productions
November 21, 2011, Feast of the Presentation of the Theotokos
I had left the Athenaeum Theatre where I had just done a dress rehearsal with the Chicago Arts Orchestra, and I decided to stop into St. Alphonsus Parish ostensibly to look for a telephone. They were in the middle of their Saturday evening Mass. What to my wondering eyes should appear but two priests concelebrating an English Mass Ad Orientum! (facing East, that is, the tabernacle, rather than facing the people). Needless to say, I was greatly intrigued. I kept watching to see if there might be some mistake. But no, when the priest addressed prayers to the people, he turned around and faced the people. When he addressed prayers to God, he turned by to the free standing altar and faced the tabernacle. Amazing, I thought! Vatican II has finally arrived in Chicago! I believe this is what the Vatican II fathers were after when all the revisions to the Mass were promulgated in 1963. It has been widely documented that in the U.S., the changes of Vatican II were hijacked by progressive liturgists who were given a black slate from the bishops, who had no idea what the liturgy was going to look like after the liturgists got done with it. But here, on this cloudy night in November, a large Chicago parish had the true intent of Vatican II in full display: Beautiful music in the vernacular (more on that later), accompanied by a very fine organist (Brian Bloye?), a very good cantor (if not still a bit too loud), a singing congregation (at least on the refrain of the hymn), priests in fine modern Roman vestments, all facing East (liturgically), which seemingly all the churches in the world (except here in the US) never stopped doing!
Now that the English speaking Romans have the new Missal coming out in less than 2 weeks, we can honestly say: Get ready for the Real Vaitcan II, coming to a parish near you!
--Tim Woods
ADDED 8/22/11
Tim,
July 15, 2011. In the East, the Feast of St. Vladimir.
Today, I learned of a young man who is very successful singing Gospel and liturgical "pop" music for Mass. It will always be a great mystery to me how God uses such music to bring His people closer to him. To be honest, I'm still not convinced that such music should be used for worship. It occured to me, while listening to great chant and polyphony of prior ages, that there is a fundimental difference between music which the Churches have always declared worthy of God's temples, and the music of the more recent West which has dominated the liturgical landscape, in its various forms, since Vatican II.
The traditional chant and polyphonic music of both the Roman West and the Eastern Christian Churches is an experience which, I believe, more truly reflects the relationship between God and the human person. By that, I mean the manner in which the Lord invites us, draws unto Himself by drawing us into ourselves. The prayer of the heart, the Jesus Prayer, may be a good example of this. The Holy Trinity draws us to His essence, but still waits for our assent. God so reveres His image in our free will, that He will not force Himself upon us. He patiently waits for us to open our own arms and freely receive His love.
In a similar way, I believe chant and polyphony in both the East and West draws us into a space of inner presence with God, but we are free to accept or reject the Beauty and Truth of this music. There is nothing about this music which demands our assent.
However, when I think of the popular music of the Roman Church, especially in the U.S. since the 1970's, I think of simple tunes and rhythms, quite common in everyday expression, which seem to rule over our senses and demand our attention. The driving pulsation, the use of modern percussion, electric keyboards, guitars, the dominating volume of the "cantor", all work as a wave of mere emotion, surgically removing the rest of our whole person, leaving us incapable of enacting our God-given will to assent to anything. In a sense, we have no choice but to agree the such music is compelling. Questions about artistic and spiritual appropriateness are disbanded with, rendering any critique of this music within the context of worship as being discriminatory. Lost is the very concept of worship. Instead, it is replaced with one solitary question: a measure of personal satisfaction, "Was it a 'good Mass'"?...for me?
I suppose if God had wanted to, He could have demanded that we pay attention to Him. He could have driven out of us any trace of free-will, or simply left us as base animals who survive, obediently, on our instincts alone. He could have left us incapable of enacting this precious free will, not allowing us to assent to Him in anything. And He could have neglected to descend to us. But He did not do such a thing. He did not raise his hand against us, as Abraham was told not to raise a hand against his son Isaac. Instead, He gave himself as a gift to us.
If in our will, we are made in the image and likeness of God, and if God respects that will even to the extent of allowing us to reject Him, shouldn't we use music to worship the Lord which also respects the soul of the individual? And also respects God's supreme right to accept or reject us? Shouldn't we use music, like chant and polyphony, which draws us to Him in love, and does not push us relentlessly toward the Flame of Truth that would devour us in our sinfulness?
Is it enough that we "like" the music we use for worshp? Should our likes have anything to do with it?
I had left the Athenaeum Theatre where I had just done a dress rehearsal with the Chicago Arts Orchestra, and I decided to stop into St. Alphonsus Parish ostensibly to look for a telephone. They were in the middle of their Saturday evening Mass. What to my wondering eyes should appear but two priests concelebrating an English Mass Ad Orientum! (facing East, that is, the tabernacle, rather than facing the people). Needless to say, I was greatly intrigued. I kept watching to see if there might be some mistake. But no, when the priest addressed prayers to the people, he turned around and faced the people. When he addressed prayers to God, he turned by to the free standing altar and faced the tabernacle. Amazing, I thought! Vatican II has finally arrived in Chicago! I believe this is what the Vatican II fathers were after when all the revisions to the Mass were promulgated in 1963. It has been widely documented that in the U.S., the changes of Vatican II were hijacked by progressive liturgists who were given a black slate from the bishops, who had no idea what the liturgy was going to look like after the liturgists got done with it. But here, on this cloudy night in November, a large Chicago parish had the true intent of Vatican II in full display: Beautiful music in the vernacular (more on that later), accompanied by a very fine organist (Brian Bloye?), a very good cantor (if not still a bit too loud), a singing congregation (at least on the refrain of the hymn), priests in fine modern Roman vestments, all facing East (liturgically), which seemingly all the churches in the world (except here in the US) never stopped doing!
Now that the English speaking Romans have the new Missal coming out in less than 2 weeks, we can honestly say: Get ready for the Real Vaitcan II, coming to a parish near you!
--Tim Woods
ADDED 8/22/11
Tim,
I read your blog on your new website, and I found myself agreeing with your thoughts on "pop" music in the Mass, and chant. I have been very deeply touched when listening to chant. Having worked in the church for a long time now, as a trumpet player I have played many different styles of music for Masses, some has been well done and some has not, and it is frustrating to see so much variance in quality of performance and music.
I am a simple thinking person, not a scholar, but your comments really spoke to me. I always wondered why when listening to chant, do I literally just shut down, feel at peace, and feel as if the music fills your body. Chant simply brings you closer to the Mass, and closer to God.
"Pop" church music confuses me. I get the same feeling from listening to the "Lite" rock radio stations as I do with contemporary church music. I always wonder if God finds this acceptable. No other music in the world can profoundly touch someones life as chant, and I believe your article might just explain why. To me it is a wonderful mystery.
Thanks,
Steve Sowinski
July 15, 2011. In the East, the Feast of St. Vladimir.
Today, I learned of a young man who is very successful singing Gospel and liturgical "pop" music for Mass. It will always be a great mystery to me how God uses such music to bring His people closer to him. To be honest, I'm still not convinced that such music should be used for worship. It occured to me, while listening to great chant and polyphony of prior ages, that there is a fundimental difference between music which the Churches have always declared worthy of God's temples, and the music of the more recent West which has dominated the liturgical landscape, in its various forms, since Vatican II.
The traditional chant and polyphonic music of both the Roman West and the Eastern Christian Churches is an experience which, I believe, more truly reflects the relationship between God and the human person. By that, I mean the manner in which the Lord invites us, draws unto Himself by drawing us into ourselves. The prayer of the heart, the Jesus Prayer, may be a good example of this. The Holy Trinity draws us to His essence, but still waits for our assent. God so reveres His image in our free will, that He will not force Himself upon us. He patiently waits for us to open our own arms and freely receive His love.
In a similar way, I believe chant and polyphony in both the East and West draws us into a space of inner presence with God, but we are free to accept or reject the Beauty and Truth of this music. There is nothing about this music which demands our assent.
However, when I think of the popular music of the Roman Church, especially in the U.S. since the 1970's, I think of simple tunes and rhythms, quite common in everyday expression, which seem to rule over our senses and demand our attention. The driving pulsation, the use of modern percussion, electric keyboards, guitars, the dominating volume of the "cantor", all work as a wave of mere emotion, surgically removing the rest of our whole person, leaving us incapable of enacting our God-given will to assent to anything. In a sense, we have no choice but to agree the such music is compelling. Questions about artistic and spiritual appropriateness are disbanded with, rendering any critique of this music within the context of worship as being discriminatory. Lost is the very concept of worship. Instead, it is replaced with one solitary question: a measure of personal satisfaction, "Was it a 'good Mass'"?...for me?
I suppose if God had wanted to, He could have demanded that we pay attention to Him. He could have driven out of us any trace of free-will, or simply left us as base animals who survive, obediently, on our instincts alone. He could have left us incapable of enacting this precious free will, not allowing us to assent to Him in anything. And He could have neglected to descend to us. But He did not do such a thing. He did not raise his hand against us, as Abraham was told not to raise a hand against his son Isaac. Instead, He gave himself as a gift to us.
If in our will, we are made in the image and likeness of God, and if God respects that will even to the extent of allowing us to reject Him, shouldn't we use music to worship the Lord which also respects the soul of the individual? And also respects God's supreme right to accept or reject us? Shouldn't we use music, like chant and polyphony, which draws us to Him in love, and does not push us relentlessly toward the Flame of Truth that would devour us in our sinfulness?
Is it enough that we "like" the music we use for worshp? Should our likes have anything to do with it?
Lincoln Chamber Productions
7921 West Carrie Court, Frankfort, IL 60423 | 815-806-0066 | jtcatholic@earthlink.net
Content copyright . Lincoln Chamber Productions. All rights reserved.
7921 West Carrie Court, Frankfort, IL 60423 | 815-806-0066 | jtcatholic@earthlink.net
Content copyright . Lincoln Chamber Productions. All rights reserved.