Friday, February 24, 2012

Some resources on' brick by brick' approach for the Holy Father's "Reform of the Reform' in Sacrded music and the Liturgy

One of my schola member asked me recently how a diocese can help to bring more sacred music to parishes in this area.

I wrote,
first, mandate Missal chants that US Bishops put out in English in every parish at least for a year. Many dioceses are doing it. They are in their website, both recordings and scores.
Those are the exact same melodies of the "Jubilate Deo" setting for Ordinary parts that Pope Paul VI set aside after the Vatican II. They are the simpest Latin settings that the Church and the Pope desire all the Catholics learn to sing.

"Steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them." (Section 54, the Second Vatican Council, in its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy)


The Missal chants in English are the first step towards singing the Latin chants, as in the Church's instruction above. (not just in Lent but in Ordinary times)

Next step is having Propers sung by choirs, cantors, intead of random hymns, (or in addition to hymns, if it not possible to have just Porpers). In English first, starting with one Proper such as Communio.(and then have a communion hymn.)

And the next step is offering workshops to help the priest to chant their parts, starting with something they can do well, like Doxology, Preface dialogue (the one that Fr. Warren sings at the Res. church.) If the pastors and priests want the congregation sing, they need to lead them by example by singing their parts in Holy Mass, so the congregations can reply in singing their parts, so that the congreagation become confident in singing by starting with easy parts.

There are dedicated musicians and priests who give workshops and train them to sing chants, such as

Fr. Columba Kelly
http://www.chantcafe.com/2012/01/restoration-of-propers-of-mass-chant.html

Fr. Johansen
http://www.chantcafe.com/2012/01/traveling-chant-workshop-on-chants-of.html

Fr. Mark Kirby.
http://vultus.stblogs.org/

There are so many chant workshops everywhere these days.
And she should also attend Colloquium to experience beautiful and authentic liturgy.

It is a long time process, but read and learn more tradition to understand and intepret the Church's recent documents. Without knowledge of the Catholic Tradition, readers will be confused on interpreting GIRM, because it is based on previous documents and the tradition. The recent documents assume that people who reads them know the tradition and don't mention everything.

Especially the following two documents are very important.
Motu Proprio: Tra Le Sollecitudini (1903)
Musicam Sacram (1967)

There are many posted in musicasacra.com.

http://musicasacra.com/literature/
(under Church documents.)

Also there are so many books, such as

The Spirit of the Liturgy by Cardinal Ratzinger,
A New Song for The Lord by Peope Benedict XVI
The Musical Shape of the Liturgy By Dr. Marht
http://www.chantcafe.com/2012/01/treatise-weve-needed.html

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