The Singing Community – Part 2

[Merseysider]

Workshop for parish musicians organised by the Liverpool Archdiocese Liturgy Commission.

Sunday 2nd July
2pm to 4.30pm
St Marie’s Church,
Almond Brook Road, Standish

A workshop looking at ways of singing psalms, communion songs and litanies (including the Lamb of God). Tips for cantors, animators, music leaders and instrumentalists.

There'll be an opportunity to look back to some of the music covered in the first session in May: Gospel greetings and Eucharistic Acclamations.

A third session in September (date and venue to be confirmed) will look at songs and hymns for general use.

Course leaders are John Southworth and Nick Baty.

Each session costs £4.

For further information contact paul.fripp@btopenworld.com or PM Merseysider on here.

[Merseysider]

To get to Saint Marie’s take J27 off the M6 and follow the signs for Standish, turning left at the T-junction onto Almond Brook Rd. St Marie’s is around 3/4 mile on the right.

[presbyter]

May I ask how you are beginning to address the issues raised in Liturgiam Authenticam and GIRM chapter 9 regarding music in Liverpool? Thanks.

[Merseysider]

May I ask how you are beginning to address the issues raised in Liturgiam Authenticam and GIRM chapter 9 regarding music in Liverpool? Thanks.

I can find nothing in either which refers to "music in Liverpool". GIRM, however, insists that "language should be used that is accommodated to the faithful of the region" – we will, of course, be using a mixture of Scouse and Lancastrian and censoring anyone who crosses the Pennines for a chorus of "On Ilkla Moor baht 'at".

[presbyter]

I'd better keep away then as my origins are in the West Riding....... Yorkshire was Yorkshire in those days.

More seriously, please answer the question.

What has your Archbishop said so far about the promotion of good liturgical music in the light of the documents?

[Merseysider]

Am unsure about directives from the Archbishop himself (that doesn't mean there haven't been any) but I do know that members of the Liturgy Commission have received several training days so far. However, I must admit, little has yet trickled down to we lesser mortals.

Are other dioceses ahead of us in this respect?

[presbyter]

Are other dioceses ahead of us in this respect?

I'd just be interested to know how dioceses are beginning to implement the directive to use authorised texts only and what, if anything, Bishops have said about that amazing request from Rome that they produce a list of suitable music for Mass and submit it to Rome for approval.

If you look here, for example

http://www.brentwood-music.org.uk/info/parmus.htm

and if you look in the hymnal Laudate - there is not one straightforward setting of the Lamb of God - and are unauthorised translations/paraphrases of the Responsorial Psalm being sung as part of the Liiturgy of the Word?

We do not know what the English Mass texts will be yet, so there's nothing we can do in workshops to promote musical settings of them. As I am thinking of putting on workshops/events for musicians later in the year - I really am wondering - in this time leading up to the revised translation of the Missal - what sort of texts/music to promote.

[presbyter]

By the way - the US Bishops have approved the ICEL Grey Book

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/nort ... ew_liturgy

I should think ours have as well

[presbyter]

have started a new thread on this

[Merseysider]

and if you look in the hymnal Laudate - there is not one straightforward setting of the Lamb of God

And where do we now stand with the ICET text – is it still approved?

[presbyter]

And where do we now stand with the ICET text ? is it still approved?

Let's ask Martin Foster ....... Martin?

[Martin Foster]

The ICET text for the Lamb of God was approved by the Bishops for use when sung in 1980s - it is referred to in the directory 'Music in the Parish Mass'.
The ICET text is 'Jesus, Lamb of God... Jesus, bearer of our sins... Jesus, redeemer of the world...'

As Presbyter and others will be aware the Bishops' Conference through the Department for Christian Life and Worship is looking at how to best respond in England and Wales to the material in GIRM and LA about oversight of liturgical music. Some of the pertinent issues have been raised in this forum.

I would refer to the 'Roman Missal; a guide to composers' on the Liturgy Office website.

The document is a draft awaiting approved texts for the 3rd edition of Roman Missal but is 'an indication of future guidance'. The section on the Lamb of God quotes GIRM 83 and notes that 'Further invocations are also provided in the appendix as model texts for the lengthening of the litany to accompany the Breaking of the Bread'.

I imagine that when a final text is presented to the Department a rationale will be provided for this inclusion to assit the bishops with their decision whether to include it.

If I were doing a day on the subject I would offer what one can do now and not speculate on what we might do beyond that there is a new translation of Missal in preparation and may mean changes to people's texts. What we have now is the GIRM and the opportunity to review current practice I would therefore want to look at GIRM 83 and its implications for our parish practice.

As a personal opinion I would want to reflect on the relationship between action and music. My experience in many parishes is that often the breaking of bread is not a significant moment and even the shortest of settings is longer than the action. The effect of this is that the Lamb of God covers more than the breaking of bread and in the end the action is made to fit the music and not vice-versa.

Martin

[Gabriel]

If my memory is correct the US Bishop's Committee on the Liturgy, which already asks that settings of the Mass be 'approved' before publication, has given permission for publication of settings of the Lamb of God with other invocations - i.e. an adaptation of the current text.

Gabriel