SSG members should by now have received their copy of Music & Liturgy volume 33 number 4. Please use this thread to discuss anything in the new issue.
(If you didn't read the discussion on the last one, take a look: it's worth a read.)
Music & Liturgy, volume 33 number 4
Moderators: Dom Perignon, Casimir
Music & Liturgy, volume 33 number 4
musicus - moderator, Liturgy Matters
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docmattc
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- Location: Near Cambridge
Re: Music & Liturgy, volume 33 number 4
As always, Paul inwood's "Sound reflections" is a good read. Paul makes some very good points about planning well ahead and letting new music 'bed in'. I once played in a parish where if a hymn wasn't sung with gusto first time, the PP prefered me never to use it again.
As an experiment I'm going to use the text of the communion antiphon (or somethng approximating to it) throughout Lent, with psalm verses sung by a Cantor. This is of course the church's 'ideal' processional text, but is the very opposite of Paul's advice to let music 'bed in' as there's a new antiphon every week. I'll report back how it goes.
Paul assumes that the Easter Vigil time will be altered to take sunset into account. I wonder how valid an assumption that is? There's a line in the Exsultet "and the night will be clear as the day" - sometimes, its because its still clear as day when I'm singing it!
More when I've had chance to read further!
PS. learned a new word in Martin Barry's review of 'Through the eyes of faith'. I had to look up 'adumbrated'
As an experiment I'm going to use the text of the communion antiphon (or somethng approximating to it) throughout Lent, with psalm verses sung by a Cantor. This is of course the church's 'ideal' processional text, but is the very opposite of Paul's advice to let music 'bed in' as there's a new antiphon every week. I'll report back how it goes.
Paul assumes that the Easter Vigil time will be altered to take sunset into account. I wonder how valid an assumption that is? There's a line in the Exsultet "and the night will be clear as the day" - sometimes, its because its still clear as day when I'm singing it!
More when I've had chance to read further!
PS. learned a new word in Martin Barry's review of 'Through the eyes of faith'. I had to look up 'adumbrated'
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Vox Americana
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- Location: Over the pond
Re: Music & Liturgy, volume 33 number 4
docmattc wrote:…'Through the eyes of faith'. I had to look up 'adumbrated'…
Not just a dumb rated collection, then?
Vox
Re: Music & Liturgy, volume 33 number 4
Anispeptic to have caused you such pericombobulations, Doc.
M.
M.
Re: Music & Liturgy, volume 33 number 4
Has anyone else not yet received their copy of this?
I joined the society at the end of December, and although I've received a welcome letter and a copy of the previous issue of Music and Liturgy, volume 33 number 4 has not yet hit the doormat.
Mancunian
I joined the society at the end of December, and although I've received a welcome letter and a copy of the previous issue of Music and Liturgy, volume 33 number 4 has not yet hit the doormat.
Mancunian
Re: Music & Liturgy, volume 33 number 4
Sorry to hear that your copy of the journal hasn't reached you, Mancunian. If you PM me your name, I'll find out whether one was sent out to you. In any event, we can send you another copy and, if you were missed out for any reason this time, we'll make sure that it doesn't happen again.
Mary Rouse
Secretary
Society of Saint Gregory
Mary Rouse
Secretary
Society of Saint Gregory
Re: Music & Liturgy, volume 33 number 4
My copy arrived on the doormat today and I'm looking forward to a good read.
Many thanks to Mary for resolving the problem for me.
Mancunian
Many thanks to Mary for resolving the problem for me.
Mancunian
Re: Music & Liturgy, volume 33 number 4
I am not a member of SSG - I didnt even know of it until a couple of months ago. In our parish the music is provided by our very small music group, I play guitar (with lots of room for improvement!) and we have a female singer and a boy of 12 who plays flute (grade 4). That's it. No organist or choir.
If we cant make it to play for mass, then the parish sing 4 hymns unacompanied. We do try to sing parts of the mass and occasionally we try the psalm (we are fortunate that we have a singer willing to cantor). Its not ideal but its where we are at the moment, there's talk that we may not even have a priest by Christmas.
Recently our parish priest passed onto me a copy of the SSG mag which featured 2 articles on music group , and problems that we face. Paul Inwood,I was familiar with his name, wrote one which I found interesting with regard to the music group and also a longer article by Val Goldsack, a name I am not familiar with, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading her article. She has obviously experienced the problems that we are meeting and it was both reassuring and refreshing to read from someone who has experienced similar difficulties and with limited resources, in the smaller parish. I took great heart from reading this peice, in fact, I felt almost empowered by it. I visited her website and found she has written 'a simple mass', which I downloaded and we are using it regularly. While it may not be suitable for Westminster, it suits our small parish music group well.Thanks SSG and VG for providing this inspiration.
Now my gripe!
I asked our PP to pass on the same SSG mag when he had finished with the mag next edition (he only throws them out once the lit.season is over) which he did , I was very disappointed to read the truly AWFUL CD review of John Glynn's CD. I am not familiar with his CDs (I do know his hymn I watch the sunrise which is very popular with the parishioners) nor am I familiar with his presentation of music, but, for heaven's sake, his CD was slaughtered !! and I really felt for the man/priest, who after all, must surely be doing his best.
If the reviewer (who is HE by the way ??????) felt the CD was not good, surely there are KIND ways of saying things. It gave me the impression that the people who review CDs are "full of their own importance" rather than full of Christian kindness. I was dissapointed that the magazine allowed such a poor, subjective and lazy review to go to print. Perhaps it would have been kinder to offer 2 reviews, also one from someone who liked the CD
Robert
If we cant make it to play for mass, then the parish sing 4 hymns unacompanied. We do try to sing parts of the mass and occasionally we try the psalm (we are fortunate that we have a singer willing to cantor). Its not ideal but its where we are at the moment, there's talk that we may not even have a priest by Christmas.
Recently our parish priest passed onto me a copy of the SSG mag which featured 2 articles on music group , and problems that we face. Paul Inwood,I was familiar with his name, wrote one which I found interesting with regard to the music group and also a longer article by Val Goldsack, a name I am not familiar with, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading her article. She has obviously experienced the problems that we are meeting and it was both reassuring and refreshing to read from someone who has experienced similar difficulties and with limited resources, in the smaller parish. I took great heart from reading this peice, in fact, I felt almost empowered by it. I visited her website and found she has written 'a simple mass', which I downloaded and we are using it regularly. While it may not be suitable for Westminster, it suits our small parish music group well.Thanks SSG and VG for providing this inspiration.
Now my gripe!
I asked our PP to pass on the same SSG mag when he had finished with the mag next edition (he only throws them out once the lit.season is over) which he did , I was very disappointed to read the truly AWFUL CD review of John Glynn's CD. I am not familiar with his CDs (I do know his hymn I watch the sunrise which is very popular with the parishioners) nor am I familiar with his presentation of music, but, for heaven's sake, his CD was slaughtered !! and I really felt for the man/priest, who after all, must surely be doing his best.
If the reviewer (who is HE by the way ??????) felt the CD was not good, surely there are KIND ways of saying things. It gave me the impression that the people who review CDs are "full of their own importance" rather than full of Christian kindness. I was dissapointed that the magazine allowed such a poor, subjective and lazy review to go to print. Perhaps it would have been kinder to offer 2 reviews, also one from someone who liked the CD
Robert
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docmattc
- Posts: 987
- Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 11:42 am
- Parish / Diocese: Westminster
- Location: Near Cambridge
Re: Music & Liturgy, volume 33 number 4
Welcome to the forum Robert, I hadn't read that review but your post has prompted me to do so (and reminded me that there are many more articles I haven't read yet). It certainly doesn't pull any punches but I don't think it was slaughtering. There are points of praise in there too. I haven't heard the CD so I really can't tell whether or not I agree with the reviewer. When one publishes anything, one becomes open to criticism. The reviewer gave his opinion, we can take it or leave it. I'd rather that than a non-committal review in which the reviewer avoids speaking his mind. On the other hand he says that four or five tracks out of thirteen is not a good deal, I reckon that's much better than average on such collections (The last Haas CD I bought scored 1.5!)
John Glynn himself flagged up this collection when he wrote about "I watch the sunrise" in the previous issue. I was going to ask at the time, but didnt get round to doing so, does anyone still use "I watch the sunrise"? I consigned it to the 'of its time' pile in about 1992. Similarly with "Be not afraid" in this issue. Its not quite in the 'of its time' pile yet, but its certainly on the way there (retreats to get flak jacket!!).
The reviewers main beef seemed to be the poor production quality of the CD which raises an interesting question about the purpose of CDs with collections of 'liturgical' music. Do they stand by themselves as albums in the same way that one might buy a Westlife album? (I'm told they're a popular beat combo!) Or are they rather a means of showcasing the sheet music in order to give a flavour of the pieces to the musician considering using them in his/her church? If the latter (which is how I view them) is the case then they need to be of a sufficient quality to present the music at its best, but not so over the top that its impossible to see how it could be done in the parish.
I agree with you entirely that VG's article in the previous issue was excellent. I would like to see more of this sort of thing in M&L. Many of our parishes are "where you are at the moment" and practical advice for the small parish with limited resources (and maybe even an awkward congregation!) would be invaluable.
John Glynn himself flagged up this collection when he wrote about "I watch the sunrise" in the previous issue. I was going to ask at the time, but didnt get round to doing so, does anyone still use "I watch the sunrise"? I consigned it to the 'of its time' pile in about 1992. Similarly with "Be not afraid" in this issue. Its not quite in the 'of its time' pile yet, but its certainly on the way there (retreats to get flak jacket!!).
The reviewers main beef seemed to be the poor production quality of the CD which raises an interesting question about the purpose of CDs with collections of 'liturgical' music. Do they stand by themselves as albums in the same way that one might buy a Westlife album? (I'm told they're a popular beat combo!) Or are they rather a means of showcasing the sheet music in order to give a flavour of the pieces to the musician considering using them in his/her church? If the latter (which is how I view them) is the case then they need to be of a sufficient quality to present the music at its best, but not so over the top that its impossible to see how it could be done in the parish.
I agree with you entirely that VG's article in the previous issue was excellent. I would like to see more of this sort of thing in M&L. Many of our parishes are "where you are at the moment" and practical advice for the small parish with limited resources (and maybe even an awkward congregation!) would be invaluable.
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docmattc
- Posts: 987
- Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 11:42 am
- Parish / Diocese: Westminster
- Location: Near Cambridge
Re: Music & Liturgy, volume 33 number 4
The issue is lying open on my desk and my eye has just been drawn to the opening page of 'Preparing the Liturgy' refering to the Triduum
How good to know that others have to fight against these problems too!
Nothing should spoil this dynamism: Psalm settings being sung for the tenth year running...readers assuming a near-divine right to read their favourite Scripture passage; clergy tending towards minimalism
How good to know that others have to fight against these problems too!
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oopsorganist
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Re: Music & Liturgy, volume 33 number 4
on the other hand
it's the only CD review I have ever read in the magazine so proving all publicity is good publicity......
and we do sing "I watch etc" but not very often.... I had to go and check this, it will never die, it is Laudate and CFE.
Why do churchie CD's have posh people singing on them? (Well of thread of course). They seen to me to feature that lady of "Watch with Mother". ...... which is when I stop listening..... off to walk me ferret then.
it's the only CD review I have ever read in the magazine so proving all publicity is good publicity......
and we do sing "I watch etc" but not very often.... I had to go and check this, it will never die, it is Laudate and CFE.
Why do churchie CD's have posh people singing on them? (Well of thread of course). They seen to me to feature that lady of "Watch with Mother". ...... which is when I stop listening..... off to walk me ferret then.
uh oh!
Re: Music & Liturgy, volume 33 number 4
Our parish occasionaly has 'I watch the sunrise' the people of the parish sing it regularly when there's no accompaniment that week, they seem to like it. I totally agree regarding producion of CDs - of 'posh sounding' performers, it is a huge turn off for me too. I bought a CD of Bernadette Farrell's music to learn some new songs (I don't read music and learn by listening) as I do like BF's music, but was very disappointed with that awfully English polished sound, there's not a hint of prayerfullness about the recordings. Her music sounds far better when sung by the congregation. I mentioned in my previous post that we had downloaded 'A simple mass' (FREE mind you) from the VG website and I found she had recorded a CD for Mr. May£hew entitled 'Light Divine' and in a gesture to support VG I bought the CD and was pleasantly surprised to find she does not have a posh voice at all, more like this deep alto haunting and very real sound, almost like she is singing to you in the room - eerie! . There are some excellent songs too, we will be using her 'with this water I will cleanse you' which is perfect for Holy Thursday.
Regards, Robert.
Regards, Robert.