More from Mgr Wadsworth

[Nick Baty]

A year on from Mgr Andrew Wadsworth says… Mgr Wadsworth has, again, addressed the Church Music Association of America.

According to a report in today’s The Tablet, he complained about “the appalling banality of much liturgical music and the lack of any true liturgical spirit in the use of music in the liturgy has been a primary generating force in anti-liturgical culture”.

And he went on to attack the closing Mass of the recent Eucharistic Congress in Dublin where “the improvements in liturgical culture and particularly the improvements in liturgical music, that have become increasingly evident throughout this papacy…were sadly almost entirely absent from this occasion, giving the event a sort of ‘eighties' feel to it.”

And he lists:
• The entire liturgy had a ‘performance' quality to it, with the assembly as the principal focus. This was borne out by the fact that musical items were frequently greeted with applause.
• The entire liturgy had a ‘performance' quality to it, with the assembly as the principal focus. This was borne out by the fact that musical items were frequently greeted with applause.
• There was a frequent disregard for the provisions of the GIRM.
This was particularly evident with reference to music:
• None of the antiphons of the proper were sung for the entrance, offertory and communion processions (cf GIRM #40)
• Gregorian Chant was conspicuous by its absence (cf GIRM #41). None of the Missal chants was used for the people's parts of the Order of Mass (with the single exceptions of the gospel and preface dialogues), even though the liturgy was predominantly in English and these chants would have been known by most people present.
• Much music did not ‘correspond to the spirit of the liturgical action' [GIRM #41] such as the celebrity spot during the distribution of Holy Communion of 3 clerical tenors, ‘The Priests', singing the impossibly sentimental song 'May the road rise up to meet you'. I feel like asking, just what is wrong with the Communion antiphon and psalm?
• Despite the international character of the occasion, the use of Latin in the people's sung parts was almost non-existent (cf GIRM#41).

Mgr Wadsworth went on to call for:
• the exclusion of all music from the Liturgy which does not a ‘liturgical voice', regardless of style.
• the exclusion from the liturgy of music which only expresses secular culture and which is ill-suited to the demands of the liturgy.
• a renaissance of interest in and use of chant in both Latin and English as a recognition that this form of music should enjoy ‘first place' in our liturgy and all other musical forms are suitable for liturgical use to the extent that they share in the characteristics of chant.
• an avoidance of the idea that music is the sole consideration in the liturgy, the music is a vehicle for the liturgy not the other way around!
• a far greater commitment to silence before, during and after the Liturgy

There is much here that readers of this forum will commend. As for the rest….

[Southern Comfort]

It might be important to remember that these are Mgr Wadsworth's personal opinions, and do not represent the views of the ICEL bishops.

[Peter Jones]

Any link to the full text please?

[Nick Baty]

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/blogs/333/18

[Peter Jones]

The subject of Wadsworth's criticism?

Celebration of the Eucharist
Statio Orbis
17th June 2012
Opening Hymn Though We Are Many (Bernard Sexton)
Penitential Act Kyrie (Seán Ó Riada)
Gloria Mass of St. Paul (Ephrem Feeley)
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 91:2-3. 13-16 (Ronan McDonagh)
Gospel Acclamation Mass of the Annunciation (Fintan O’Carroll)
Profession of Faith Credo (Jean-Paul Lécot)
Prayer of the Faithful Intercessions (Byzantine)
Preparation of the Gifts Ag Críost an Síol (Seán Ó Riada)
Eucharistic Prayer Glendalough Mass (Liam Lawton)
Acclamations
Lamb of God Mass of St. Paul (Ephrem Feeley)
Communion Songs Ave Verum (W.A. Mozart)
God’s Holy Gifts (Bernard Sexton)
Sancti Venite (Traditional)
Soul of My Saviour (Arr. Mawby)
Processional Song God be Glorified (Colin Mawby)
Final Message Amen (Rexband)

[Peter Jones]

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/blogs/333/18

Anyone fancy driving a coach and horses through the many assumptions in that article?

[promusica]

One correction to the list above:
"The Final Message" piece, which was sung after the Papal message announcing the next Eucharistic Congress was initially supposed to be the Rexband Amen, a pop-style anthem, but this was replaced by the Taize Laudate Dominum, reflecting the universality of the church.

[johnquinn39]

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/blogs/333/18

Anyone fancy driving a coach and horses through the many assumptions in that article?

Okay:

"• The universal tendency to ignore sung propers and to substitute non-liturgical alternatives."

This is not true at Belmont Abbey. It is also not true where I help out with the music -- The music sung is
nearly always based on the propers of the day (using John Ainslie's 'Processional' as the source), or is
at least scriptural, which is of course liturgical.

Would anyone describe Bernadette Farrell's 'Unless a grain of wheat' as 'non-liturgical'?

[johnquinn39]

"• A proliferation of Communion Services presided over by lay people ... "

Surely the opposite!

I think at least two dioceses have disallowed 'Services of the Word'.

The Bishops' 'Sunday evening prayer service (which gives provision to be lay-lead),
has never really taken off.

[johnquinn39]

"• The manner of the distribution and reception of Holy Communion (including the appropriateness of one's reception of Communion at a particular Mass) has led to a casual disregard for this great Sacrament."

I'm sorry, but I do not think that this is true.

I have never, ever, seen Holy Communion distributed and received without the utmost reverence, and surely 'in the hand' and under both species is traditional, whereas 'kneeling & on the tongue (with no wine) is non-traditional (although valid).

[JW]

Sad views from an ivory tower.
& what makes him think that most people know the missal chants

[Southern Comfort]

I understand that Mgr Wadsworth has been invited to give the J D Crichton memorial lecture this year. If Mgr Wadsworth's lecture then is anything like those he has been giving around the world in recent times (which all run along the same lines), I can't help feeling that Jimmy Crichton will rise up from his grave in protest. Can Mgr Wadsworth be disinvited?

[JW]

I understand that Mgr Wadsworth has been invited to give the J D Crichton memorial lecture this year. If Mgr Wadsworth's lecture then is anything like those he has been giving around the world in recent times (which all run along the same lines), I can't help feeling that Jimmy Crichton will rise up from his grave in protest. Can Mgr Wadsworth be disinvited?

If he has indeed been invited, then I suspect SSG are on the horns of a dilemma. To disinvite, or to express disagreement at the lecture would be seen as lacking in courtesy to someone who presumably has backing from the hierarchy and may well be destined for higher office; this would put the SSG in an impossible position vis a vis our patrons in the hierarchy. To applaud his lecture would give the impression that members of the SSG agree with him and back up the theory that such views are the best future for the Church.

To quote the Iraq war protestors, "Not in my name!" I shan't be attending!

[Peter Jones]

I understand that Mgr Wadsworth has been invited to give the J D Crichton memorial lecture this year.

Oh really? Why have we invited someone whose personal preference is to celebrate Mass in Latin? Why have we invited someone who I heard preaching live, at an LMS celebration some years ago, expressing the hope that vernacular liturgy would fizzle out and that the 1962 Missal would triumph universally? Why have we invited someone who seems to me to be selective in his interpretation of GIRM to suit his own ends? (If that's libellous, I will defend my position based on the report in the Tablet and give Wadsworth the right to reply) So who has invited him?

[HallamPhil]

I tend to agree with others re Wadsworth giving the lecture. What is the brief given him by SSG? Or have we left him free to deliver the same as many have heard already and is reported elsewhere and here? If the invitation cannot be rescinded then at least challenge him with a clear brief.