The forum may well be rather quiet over the next few weeks while many of us take a break from the daily round. This thread is for folks to share (cathartically?) their observations and experiences of liturgy and/or music in someone else's church. For the avoidance of lawsuits, let's not identify people or places too precisely - though, hopefully, we will find some good practice to celebrate.
I will set up a separate topic for SSG Summer School feedback.
Musicus
What I did on my holidays
Moderators: Dom Perignon, Casimir
Well, this wasn't strictly holidays and I didn't experience any music or liturgy, but what I experienced may have been better.
For the last three days I've been on my bike crossing the expansive Archdiocese of Birmingham in spendid isolation. On my way I called early one morning at Worcester Cathedral when it was completely devoid of people, and regularly found myself like a dot (ha ha!) in the middle of immense landscapes - more conducive to prayer than many liturgies I've experienced with all the attendant tensions we keep reading about on this Forum. This was my catharsis.
Just one thing, Lord; could you not have graced Oxfordshire with a few more hills? What a dull place!
Dot
For the last three days I've been on my bike crossing the expansive Archdiocese of Birmingham in spendid isolation. On my way I called early one morning at Worcester Cathedral when it was completely devoid of people, and regularly found myself like a dot (ha ha!) in the middle of immense landscapes - more conducive to prayer than many liturgies I've experienced with all the attendant tensions we keep reading about on this Forum. This was my catharsis.
Just one thing, Lord; could you not have graced Oxfordshire with a few more hills? What a dull place!
Dot
Were these settings true to the texts? If not, were you given the paraphrased words so you could join in? Do you think the reason for using well known tunes is to make the settings more accessible to all?
I have experienced similar settings in my parish, and found them singularly un-fascinating. I cannot tell what you really thought of your experience.
Dot
I have experienced similar settings in my parish, and found them singularly un-fascinating. I cannot tell what you really thought of your experience.
Dot
SOP wrote:At the Mass I went to yesterday we sang a Gloria to the tune of English Country Garden and the Lamb of God to Repton. It was fascinating seeing how things fitted together!
Having been at the same Mass I would rather say how they didn't fit together! I found the mutilated text of the so-called Gloria quite bizzare while most of the young people had never heard of In an English Country Garden let alone the ill-fitting verbal disaster which accompanied it. It did raise a laugh, but is that what liturgy is all about?
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Merseysider
- Posts: 430
- Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 11:21 pm
OR NOT, MERSEYSIDER, OR NOT!! 
Aha! So we're not talking about being on holiday at all; we're talking about the regular parish when the MD is away?
In the absence of our Moderator, let me steer the thread back on track and speculate as to where my Family will be worshipping on Sunday next while on holiday in Beddgelert. Haven't investigated the possibilities yet, but we might end up climbing a mountain, singing Psalm 121 ("a song of ascents" - ICEL) instead of in church. I will report back on my return. If any of you good people of the North-West know of anywhere decent to worship near Beddgelert, please let me know before Saturday morning.
Dot
PS Forgive me Mod - I'm off topic too because I am speculating. not reporting
In the absence of our Moderator, let me steer the thread back on track and speculate as to where my Family will be worshipping on Sunday next while on holiday in Beddgelert. Haven't investigated the possibilities yet, but we might end up climbing a mountain, singing Psalm 121 ("a song of ascents" - ICEL) instead of in church. I will report back on my return. If any of you good people of the North-West know of anywhere decent to worship near Beddgelert, please let me know before Saturday morning.
Dot
PS Forgive me Mod - I'm off topic too because I am speculating. not reporting
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Merseysider
- Posts: 430
- Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 11:21 pm
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Tsume Tsuyu
- Posts: 191
- Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 9:40 am
- Location: UK
I have recently returned from a week in France with all my family - 15 of us in total. We managed to cope without falling out, but it was a bit of a strain. Luckily, the snoring owls afforded some light relief and, aside from my Dad deciding that he would like to try driving on the right after all, and almost doing a length of the swimming pool by car, a la James Bond, all was well.
We all attended Mass in a beautiful village church. Pretty much everything was sung, all unaccompanied, with some of it led by a cantor. The congregation seemed to join in with most of it which is good. However, the music was some of the most uninspiring I have ever heard. I just kept hoping that our choir at home wasn't singing that lovely version of 'What Does The Lord Require', set by Bill Tamblyn, and me missing it!
My other 'short break' was taken at a place called New Hall in Essex, but I'll talk some more about that on the thread set up for reports when I've had a chance to properly gather my thoughts and separate the really great bits from the just good bits!
TT
We all attended Mass in a beautiful village church. Pretty much everything was sung, all unaccompanied, with some of it led by a cantor. The congregation seemed to join in with most of it which is good. However, the music was some of the most uninspiring I have ever heard. I just kept hoping that our choir at home wasn't singing that lovely version of 'What Does The Lord Require', set by Bill Tamblyn, and me missing it!
My other 'short break' was taken at a place called New Hall in Essex, but I'll talk some more about that on the thread set up for reports when I've had a chance to properly gather my thoughts and separate the really great bits from the just good bits!
TT
report from Snowdonia
We went to Eglwys Catholig Y Prynwr Sanctaidd, Porthmadog last Sunday morning and had a largely positive experience. First Sunday of the month is an occasion for using a fair smattering of Welsh in the liturgy, so the Second Reading, Eucharistic Prayer and certain other prayers were in Welsh, words on the Mass sheet (but not in English translation). I also had my Missal with me. The singing was very inclusive and all led by the Celebrant, who first apologised for the absence of an organist. Familiar hymns and polyglot (English/Welsh/Greek) Mass settings to familiar tunes (such as Hyfrydol, nothing as naff as English Country Garden) made up the musical fare, and seemed to encourage a mass response, and an enthusiastic one at that. At the Preparation of the Gifts we were led into a two-part round which I had never heard before but which was easily picked up. Not the most uplifting music, but it used the resources available well, that is, the assembly.
Possibly a more positive experience than being part of a music group trying hard to engage the assembly in song with only limited success. Something to aim for, then.....
Dot
Possibly a more positive experience than being part of a music group trying hard to engage the assembly in song with only limited success. Something to aim for, then.....
Dot
report from Snowdonia
Same message went up twice. Strange error message on submission.
Re: report from Snowdonia
Dot wrote:Same message went up twice. Strange error message on submission.
This has happened to me too. I think the recent server outage may be behind this. I will PM admin.
BTW, thanks for that fascinating post from Wales.
Musicus