Papal Visit

[musicus]

"perform"

Oh dear, again.

[NorthernTenor]

The verb seems perfectly good to me, musicus (unlike the intonation of the men of the Sistine Chapel choir ...).

[festivaltrumpet]

It is certainly true that "perform" is a perfectly good verb, it is even regular. One would hope that the context within which it has been employed suggests its meaning to be understood as "to function" and not "to demonstate a skill before an audience."

[musicus]

Quite so, FT. And I don't suppose they meant to convey the latter sense at all.

[NorthernTenor]

Just so, musicus. To assume otherwise would be uncharitable, and suggestive of a puritan streak that is surely forieign to post-conciliar Catholicism.

[John Ainslie]

CORRECTION

I have been informed that the correct definition of the core choir for the Beatification liturgy is as follows:

The Core Choir (Schola) is the Birmingham and Oxford Oratory choirs with the London Oratory School Schola and Colla Voce ensemble and the Schola of the Oratory School, Woodcote - together with St Chad's Cathedral Choir.

I had assumed that the information in the official programme issued by the The London Oratory School Schola was accurate. Apologies for any ruffled feathers!

[JW]

I assume good security and media consultants have been employed - given the hostility to the visit that exists out there. We don't really want Peter Tatchell & Co making the headlines.

[Hare]

I read in this week's Tablet that the Pope will be using the new Missal texts during his visit; that James MacMillan is working on a new setting, and that the introduction of the new missal is likely to be Advent Sunday 2011..............................................

[Southern Comfort]

James MacMillan is also reported as saying how excited he is that his is the first setting, etc, blah-di-blah. He obviously isn't aware (a) how many other settings are already out there, even though not yet formally published, and (b) that the new texts were actually first used 'publicly' at the WYD Mass in Australia, for which a setting was commissioned. Hopefully MacMillan's new setting will contain a Sanctus that is more user-friendly than the 'Scottish ethnic' St Anne setting with angular leaping 6ths and 7ths and Scotch snaps that he wrote for his local parish but which has since then appeared elsewhere.

The date for full implementation of the new Missal could well be as early as the beginning of September 2011.

Don't believe everything you read in the Tablet!

[HallamPhil]

I share your concerns about the awareness of James MacMillan. Did he ever compose a Gloria for that Mass? I do however enjoy singing the St Anne Sanctus despite its regional flavour which, like other idiosyncracies elsewhere, congregations tend to iron out.

I wonder what the compositional brief to James will be. Hopefully the same as that the rest of us are working to. Great composers of the past have not always found acceptance for their liturgical music and certainly, in many cases, their music has a questionable relevance to the liturgy of today. Much depends on the brief given and who is giving it. At least one of our cathedrals has commissioned works which will possibly never see the light of day in any church elsewhere.

[Southern Comfort]

At least one of our cathedrals has commissioned works which will possibly never see the light of day in any church elsewhere.

That's such a shame, and merely emphasises how irrelevant some cathedrals can be to the life of the Church at large.

On a more positive note, at least one of our dioceses has commissioned a setting which will become part of its common repertoire (and perhaps everyone else's in the fullness of time), and another diocese has asked for a revision (which is complete) of its previously commissioned diocesan setting.

Perhaps that is the way to go: dioceses rather than cathedrals.

[HallamPhil]

We concur

[docmattc]

We concur

Excellent! Now back to the topic

[presbyter]

Gwyn wrote:
One of my favourites is Blind worm.

Presbyter asked;
But to what text, Gwyn?

Well, that's a good question. I'll ponder that one this eve.

The answer seems to have been posted now Gwyn

[gwyn]

Indeedy. I'm still pondering.