Peter Jones wrote:Huijbers - that was simply a comment about the musical style, not the text. I cannot have been clear. Sorry.
But Huijbers is just soooooo worth exploring. And, as SC suggests we should all have I need you to answer in the repertoire, I would say the same about so much from Huijbers and his fellow Dutchmen. I can't imagine Advent without How Far is the Night? Really hoping we'll be able to introduce some of this stuff to our assembly soon: Particularly These Words and And You Pursue Me. Hoping to use Trust What You See sometime over Christmas – Bill Tamblyn's setting of Huijbers' text, A Christmas Carol. In fact, listening to it now on iTunes.
Nick Baty wrote:Hoping to use Trust What You See sometime over Christmas – Bill Tamblyn's setting of Huijbers' text, A Christmas Carol. In fact, listening to it now on iTunes.
Pardon me if I'm wrong, but isn't this an Oosterhuis text? I don't recall Huijbers ever writing texts himself except occasionally in his canonic Christmas cards.
Are you saying in your earlier post that there is - music that turns us to our inward emotions and - music that lifts us up to praise the Lord - and the latter is betterer than the former? Or did I missunderstand?
Are you saying in your earlier post that there is - music that turns us to our inward emotions and - music that lifts us up to praise the Lord - and the latter is betterer than the former? Or did I missunderstand?
I'm not sure. I think I prefer stinky cheese on the whole. Mycella past its sell by date that sort of thing. I know that Wallace and Grommet are nostalgia figures and seem most sincere, humourous and cheesy. We need to avoid the Roman Rite being just that kind of thing.
So with the kind of lose thinking that I do so well, I believe that music does move the emotions, mood, heart all that kind of stuff. And cheap cheesy hymns do make me wilt, curl up inside. I call them soppy songs. That is one aspect of the discussion.
Then there are songs and hymns I associate with people or places or times in my life. That is nostalgia.
Then there are main line worship praise cultural big hymns like er, Praise my soul the king of heaven. Kind of dry and matter of fact, kind of Songs of Priase material. Sunday night comfort, pillar of the community, matter of fact down to business worship of the Lord. These can also acquire nostalgic impact.
But then I was wondering which of the two things that you put into opposition is sort of er true. To be clearer, soppy songs sung sincerely by a congregation that has become used to singing them and is deriving hope comfort and solace from them is quite OK. And big old hymns written in the olden days sung by big choirs with serious vestmented qualified musicians - that is often culture - you know how the world of policitics and government now sideline and dismiss Christianity by labelling it as a cultural activity. On a good day the word spiritual might be sustituted. This is clear as muck I am afraid.
So it is of course, choosing wisely for your congregation without regard for your own preferences that is the job of the music leader. That goes without argument I think.
And finally I am wondering how God wishes it to be - Dawkins et al mock the God who wants continual praise. Does God like sensible hymns best? Does He (She/It) prefer music that moves the emotions? Why would God, who has the angels to sing, be all that bothered by the choice of music on a Sunday? Do they angels fall about laughing when we sing? Do they sing cheesy songs or just music for the intellect? So many questions, so few answers, so much lovely cheese to eat
All a bit confused I know. Does God prefer cheese? No emotions here, we're Catholic!
Marty Haugen made a great job of thinking around and about how the Liturgy can link to everyday life and faith as it is lived. It was very useful stuff.
mcb wrote:......I thought I'd post to express my appreciation of Marty Haugen's contribution at this year's Summer School. It was a privilege and a real pleasure to hear him speaking at length on his work and his music. His quiet wisdom - on liturgy, on music and on human nature - was a genuine inspiration, and the scope and diversity of his music makes it a remarkable treasury.
oopsorganist wrote:Marty Haugen made a great job of thinking around and about how the Liturgy can link to everyday life and faith as it is lived. It was very useful stuff.
Do we get to read what he actually said in M & L? If not, could someone post it here please?
Any opinions expressed are my own, not those of the Archdiocese of Birmingham Liturgy Commission, Church Music Committee. Website
Marty shared his experiences of being a parish musician, what it felt like, what problems he had met. He also told us some about his family and their background and about his neck of the woods, about composing and so on, little anecdotes and a great speaker. He also examined the different parts of the Mass - relating these to our own lives and the lives of the people we plan music for. So the introductory rites and bringing your week of failures and successes etc to this and the Word and etc.... this was echoed in other workshops (Caroline's) and Keynote addresses so that it all fitted together. Marty talked about the Psalms and how they reflect the good and bad years of the Jewish peoples. There was a picture by a Japanese artist but I cannot remember for the life of me why he showed us that. It felt like a time to reflect on what we do weekly and how important the work is... and to know that the same problems happen to everyone was reassuring. I suspect I have missed a load out or missed the point. I specialize in this.
Still a scrumptious piece though! 