Don’t turn a deaf ear to benefits of traditional Church music
I was saddened and disturbed by the comments made by Msgr. Raymond Cole in his homily during the Mass for Musicians and Clergy (Oct. 20 issue). Msgr. Cole states that, “We can’t live in fear of the people objecting to the change in music.”
This adversarial tone has been taken by many musicians and clergy and is a major contribution to the conflict that exists between advocates of modern music and those who are more traditional in their tastes.
The musical tradition of our faith is rich. When one considers the historical, cultural, and musical depth of this tradition, the displeasure felt by many is perfectly understandable. Music that is known and loved by several generations within a family brings that family (the domestic Church) closer together. Music that bows to modern trends and fads for the sake of being “relevant” simply reinforces the generational gap.
Why do so many liturgists and music ministers rely solely on music composed within the past 40 years? Claiming that the music composed before then is irrelevant is a fallacy. Those compositions have maintained their popularity and familiarity due to the fact that they are timeless, that is, they are always relevant. They also maintain a sense of the sacred, something that modern liturgical music seems to have lost sight of.
Msgr. Cole is right when he says, “The people come to Church not to be lulled or sung at.” The problem is that this is exactly what is going on. There are several reasons for this: choirs with a multitude of instruments who drown out the congregation, music that is unfamiliar to many in the congregation, music that is inappropriate for the Mass, music ministers who use their music as a means of personal expression, and sadly, those musicians who forget that they are there to worship God.
Rather than wrap themselves in a “we know better than the congregation” attitude when it comes to music, perhaps those who are involved in music ministry could take the time to exercise some of that collegiality that Vatican II called for and listen to what others have to say.
Karl Lehmann
Somerset
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