Spiteful drivel

[docmattc]

On one hand we have an image problem that many people think we're the "plainsong preservation society". On the other, we are aparently, "Hairy lefties" foisting 'Bind us together' on people. I wonder how many participants to that blog have ever read our liturgy planner?

[contrabordun]

As for my attack on Paul Inwood, it was provoked by a quite disgraceful document he wrote that attempted to deprive Catholics of a liturgy that the Pope had specifically made available to them. I know it annoyed you SSG guys, but tough

Is this on the web? What did he say?

[musicus]

Is this on the web? What did he say?

See the link in the first post of this thread (on page 1).

Meanwhile, can I suggest that we turn the other cheek on this one and move on to more positive things? There are no winners in this kind of altercation; indeed, the spectacle of fellow Christians attacking each other can only bring the Church into disrepute.

[presbyter]

This is what some of the fuss is about:

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2007/09/statemen ... u-proprio/

I don't want to comment on it.

Moving on then.............

[alan29]

To go back even pre Trent, as my Jewish grandad used to say, "enough already."
Alan

[dunstan]

I've been lurking in this thread since it started, but am going to chip in now.

1. The ad hominem attack in the original article is not only spiteful, it undermines the author's credibility.
2. The discussion of traditional versus contemporary liturgy has been wrongly correlated with bad versus good liturgy. Good contemporary liturgy is very uplifting, poor traditional liturgy can leave you empty.
3. Different styles uplift different people. Personally, polyphony usually leaves me cold, while the late Victorian oeuvre is especially uplifting
4. We cannot ignore how many "me too"s the second article has. To an extent it is a response to demagoguery, but I would interpret it as a plea for better liturgy. Ongoing formation, such as presbyter has been organising in Birmingham archdiocese, for musicians, singers, organists and readers, has an important place.

[contrabordun]

not only spiteful, it undermines the author's credibility

I think this is the key. It's easy to write knocking copy but in the end it just demeans the author. DT himself eventually had the grace to say

I really ought to say... I write a *beep* post all about Nick Baty and, instead of throwing a wobbly, he joins the thread and engages in the arguments very politely. Thanks, Nick.

I don't think anybody would have been very impressed by caes1um's or moretben's contributions. As dunstan says, personal attacks undermine the writer's own credibility: anonymous ones look cowardly as well. The rest seem to have some very ill-informed ideas about what the SSG is and does, and maybe the Society's PR and communications is an issue? (To be attacked for what you do, for what you stand for, and for what you are responsible is one thing: to be attacked for what you don't and aren't is quite another!).

[Crumhorn]

Only just become aware of this - so sorry to be a latecomer. I agree with those who find the whole tenor of the original article - and the blog - totally repellent, and I can only echo those who say that this kind of personal attack simply serves to bring the Church into disrepute. Having said that, let me add a personal note of my own and express my deep appreciation of Paul as a person and as a musician.

Ironically we had a Mass today in celebration of a member of our choir, Mike Day, who recently died. His widow asked us to include Paul's setting of the 'Lamb of God' because Mike had a special fondness for it. The irony lies in the simple fact that Mike was a true traditionalist in musical matters, with some 40 years of knowledge and experience in the liturgy.

Afterwards we talked about this with members of our congregation, who all agreed what a lovely setting it is - and none the worse for being essentially simple, as good congregational music needs to be to encourage full and active participation by as many people as possible.

I've not come across Damian Thompson or his writing before. On the basis of this article, and its fruits, I have absolutely no wish to repeat the experience.