David Haas

[Gedackt flute]

I have yet to introduce the music of the above composer to my parish. (Perhaps the keyboard parts put me off.)

However, the below sounds rather good.

Does anyone out there in SSG blogdom use his music?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dtwctFvzgA

[docmattc]

As with all composers, some of Mr Haas' music would be suitable and other pieces less suitable, depending on the individual piece and indeed the opinion of the listener. It would also depend on the type of liturgy and position within that liturgy where the piece was employed. Generalising about the music of a composer frequently invites either vitriol or hero worship, neither of which are constructive.

In the past I have used some pieces written by this composer to great effect, and other pieces by the same person I wouldn't use at all.

[Nick Baty]

Use Deep within every Lent.
Can't imagine Lent without it!

[Calum Cille]

Hase unser.

David Haas.JPG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FcPqbuMgyM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQp12vFw3NA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dOvIamuUr8

[Gedackt flute]

Hase unser.

David Haas.JPG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FcPqbuMgyM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQp12vFw3NA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dOvIamuUr8

I think we may straying off-topic here, Calum, and I am going to hazard a guess that you do not use the above items in your parish.

Back on topic, I have been perusing the above compser's works in GIA's 'Ritualsong' recently. (The vitriol directed at David Haas (and Marty Haugen) by our 'traditional' friends has lead me to believe that Haas must be doing something very right indeed.)

All of his compositions are, in my view, well-constructed and interesting. What I am asking specifically to SSGers, is what people actually use of his over here in the UK.

[HelenR]

We use a number of David Haas pieces in our church with good effect and the congregation sing them well in particular
You are mine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vMYP4uJAqY
Now we remain - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd3lShuZNmU - a must for Good Friday in our parish
Blest are they - A setting of the beatitudes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chqY9S1Lm2w

which are all in laudate
Also We are called - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60S8wsJTXVI
and We will rejoice (sorry no link) which you can get from decani music and listen to a preview at http://www.giamusic.com/search_details. ... le_id=5182

I am looking at using God is here too for prayers services

I am not a strong musician but I find his tunes really memorable and striking - i leave church singing them They do take time - the piano accompaniments are complex ( I am told) and our organist has to work hard with them - the timing needs concentration at times to learn but every piece has been worth it the feedback has always been positive even from the non-singers who like the words.
I hope you stick with them

[NorthernTenor]

The vitriol directed at David Haas (and Marty Haugen) by our 'traditional' friends has lead me to believe that Haas must be doing something very right indeed.)

All of his compositions are, in my view, well-constructed and interesting.

Two points, John: firstly, I have seen vitriol and unwarranted moral and spiritual judgement on both sides. Indeed, I have seen it in your own posts. Secondly, there's really not much use posting your thoughts on such issues if you're not going to engage with others on the matters they raise. For example, your comments here entirely ignore the discussion on suitability to ritual function and context that appeared on another, similar thread recently begun by you.

I'm sorry if this seems unhelpful, but I was genuinely interested by the issues implied by that other thread (and, less directly, by this one), which appeared to be central to questions of liturgical worship, and dissapointed by the apparent reluctance to explore them.

[Gedackt flute]

All of his compositions are, in my view, well-constructed and interesting.

... your comments here entirely ignore the discussion on suitability to ritual function and context that appeared on another, similar thread recently begun by you.

Again, I honestly don't think so. Haas writes for the Mass: 'His best-known works include ... several Masses, collections of ritual music, and collections of psalm settings ... ' .(Wikipedia)

I see my role as parish music assistant to seek out good music for the parts of the Mass that are sung.

Without making any spiritual judgement on 'trad.' RC's - I have found that what they dislike the most in music is usually an excellent barometer of what congregations will like, sing & use as prayer.

[docmattc]

As I said, I don't feel that these sweeping generalisations, for good or bad, about any composer's music is useful.

In the past I have used 'You are mine' as a piece during a service of anointing the sick, and also at the funeral of a still born.
I have used Mr Haas setting of the Psalm 104 in its place as the responsorial psalm at Pentecost and for Confirmations. It was one of several settings of this psalm that we used in the parish.
The "song of the Body of Christ" I found useful to introduce the Easter Vigil when the PP messed the order of the vigil around to start with the readings and put the fire in the middle. Not an ideal situation but not my decision (and off topic here!). With its focus very much on the horizontal rather than the vertical I am not sure I would use it now, but that said, not every piece can hope to have a broad coverage of liturgical and theological themes.

A few years ago I bought a collection called (I think) 'Before I was born' and didn't feel any of those pieces were liturgically suitable.

[Calum Cille]

I think we may straying off-topic here, Calum, ...

And there was me thinking the topic was "David Haas".

However, the below sounds rather good.

So, if you yourself post a link to music, you're on topic and if, I post links, I'm off-topic?

... and I am going to hazard a guess that you do not use the above items in your parish.

I hasten to inform you that such guessing games about me using those items in my parish are irrelevant as I am not in the position to choose to use said items or not in my parish.

[nazard]

... (The vitriol directed at David Haas (and Marty Haugen) by our 'traditional' friends has lead me to believe that Haas must be doing something very right indeed.)...

I would not recommend choosing something just because someone whose likes you question doesn't like it. Haugen and Hass I think of as "easy listening", a genre I assiduously avoid for pleasure. I think the problem with music at mass is that whichever genre is chosen, be it four square hymns, classical masses, polyphony, easy listening, or heavy rock, it will come over as entertainment to those who like it and penance to those who don't. That is why I recommend sticking to the Kyriale and Graduale or else having no music at all. That approach seems to work for the Orthodox.

I became far more circumspect about what I played when my children reached the age when they began to articulate meaningful comments. I worked on the basis that children love to moan at their parents, so I consulted the other children as well. The conclusions I came to were that CCM (easy listening) is for Grannies, Gospel for bored housewives, and Christian Rock is so uncool it is positively vaporising.

I don't know exactly why our 'traditional' friends don't like David Hass's music, but I suspect if fails to move them. It obviously doesn't worry tridentine mass types, because I don't think David Hass has written any Latin settings, but I do know that many people go to Latin mass specifically to avoid certain music, or even all music.

[Southern Comfort]

There are few pieces of David Haas that I would use, but some of them are

Song of the Body of Christ
Send us your Spirit
You are Mine
Now We Remain

I have used Blest are They a few times.

But these are all old pieces. I think that more recently God of Second Chances is an excellent piece for services of healing, and well worth a look.

[Gedackt flute]

I would not recommend choosing something just because someone whose likes you question doesn't like it.

Just to clarify - I do not choose the music in the parish in which I serve.

I do not question peoples likes.

However, there is no smoke without fire. I bring along suggestions to the liturgy committe, and have found, for example, that 'Eagles wings' has been taken up very enthusiastically - we generally sing this as the communion antiphon.

Items such as this are heartily disliked by our trad. friends, so to me their dislike of David Haas, indicates that he must be writing good, prayerful, popular music.

[gwyn]

Items such as this are heartily disliked by our trad. friends, so to me their dislike of David Haas, indicates that he must be writing good, prayerful, popular music.

I'm sure he is, Many of Mr. Haas's compositions are delightful.

Isn't it more likely that the trads and the trendies have differing tastes that were nurtured at different hands? Each species can be thought of as "good, prayerful and popular"; all depends on who's doing the listening and rather more on who's inflicting the singing.

I've heard Eagles' Wings excruciatingly mangled by serially under-rehearsed parish skiffle bands, I've endured Locus Iste suffer similar treatment at the hands of some dire choirs. The "A" is good, therefore "B" is not good formula only really cuts the custard on a personal level.

[Nick Baty]

Is custard cuttable?