and it was mostly wonderful.
Everything from St. Matthew Passion starting an hour late on Friday, to all of the wonderful Triduum and Easter liturgies.
I just slept for 12 hours. wooee...!
There's so much to write about that I haven't gotten a chance to over the past week. I mean, SO much... (I might write more about some of these later.)
-Complaints on the Psalm I did on Palm Sunday, in that it sounds too "modern/contemporary." I have been told (I think,) that I am not to use it again. BUT, many other people have said it was so beautiful it almost moved them to tears! so who wins? I shall definitely revisit this one with my boss... I wish people knew how to describe music better. Was it the piano instead of organ that made it sound that way? Or the use of the cello? I might have to write a bulletin article explaining that since the Responsorial Psalm IS such a modern invention (as opposed to the gradual,) there simply isn't truly traditional arrangements of it.
-I went the the diocesan Chrism Mass and carried up the Sacred Chrism (er, well, I guess it wasn't sacred when I was actually carrying it up, but I guess it was by the time I was finished. :-) ) I intend to write more later about what a profound and moving experience it was (MUCH more than I expected,) as well as my intricate thoughts concerning the every little bit of music at this cathedral which is supposed to be an example to the rest of the diocese. (ha.) Particularly I will write about how cool it was to watch every single priest in the diocese walk up to the altar, two by two, but, oh wait, you couldn't watch if you were singing the opening hymn!
-I might post my music for all of the liturgies, which might interest some of you. I used worship aids this year for Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday, which enabled me to a use a couple beautiful songs that weren't in the hymnal.
-I guess I could write about St. Matthews, but there's not much to say. I can usually deal with a 3-hour performance, but after sitting under the hot lights on a bleacher with no back for 45 minutes before it even started, I was ready to GO two hours into the performance! It was still beautiful. I'm sure I shall never forget it, and I certainly hope I shall sing it again!
-I want to write more on active participation. Contrasting, the people sitting dumbly in their seats at 8 am on Easter Sunday (and how I could be thinking, "can't we just be singing all of the propers in Latin? They wouldn't care, they're not singing anyhow!) contrasting that with what their active participation should be if they are actually praying/listening to what's being sung.
There's more than just sitting while something is being sung, but that takes effort--as does singing!
1 comment:
- I've actually been using Jeff Tucker's psalm-tone responsorial psalm idea. Namely, adapting a psalm tone to fit the response and using it for the verses. It sounds VERY boring in theory, but it works extremely well. Also I recommend using the Meinrad tones, since they're quite different. I'd say give it a try a couple times and you'll instantly like it.
- IF you're holding your hymnal properly, you can still watch the procession :P
- I've made up my mind that ONE OF THESE DAYS I'm going to have ZERO congregational music at the early Mass. Chant all the propers myself, and the Gradual, and a complex Gregorian alleluia. The only thing keeping me back is the fear that people might actually like it.
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