Thursday, August 26, 2010

an edit on "new translation."

well, perhaps my excitement was a little premature about being able to sing the Mass in Latin and not having to worry for a while about teaching the congregation a new musical setting.

However, I received an email from the Office of Worship in our diocese, and among other things, it said, "Bishop has expressed his desire that all parishes of the diocese learn ONE Mass setting for six months, so that we might all be able to sing together. After that, feel free to introduce your parishes to other settings."

hmmm...I wonder if that will be a requirement *excluding* use of a Latin setting? But...perhaps I was too excited prematurely for other reasons also...a year and a half is a looooong ways away. I could be...on the other side of the world. Who knows what St. P will look like...
Churches (and music programs) have been torn down in far less time than that!

(also, the email didn't say anything about HOW the new setting would be chosen. This could be interesting. Almost something should be organized by a very high/national authority. Like how all Catholics pretty much know the "Mass of Creation?" What will be the "universally accepted setting" with the new translation? Who will decide? The big publishers? Or someone with a little bit more of a sense for the sacred... Well, I guess we could just all learn the Missa Jubilate Deo...ha!)

3 comments:

Aaron said...

Why does the Ordinary setting need to be decided at a diocesan/national level? Does this not create problems for parishes who serve different communities? Not to put anyone down, but parishes in the ghettos of Detroit may not be able to handle something like Mathias or Powell, which are really upbeat. More educated parishes in the Ann Arbor core would not be able to handle a Haugen setting (! haha.. or, they should ideally not be able to tolerate it).

If that has to be the case, you should petition to the Diocesan office!! Advocate what you're doing at St. P's - it's great. =)

Personally, I would rather just remain with singing Elizabethan English... it's just got that sense of "highness" that more modern translations lose, but still has the accessibility of being almost-vernacular. Latin is OK too though - I mean, there are not that many words to learn.

Brian Michael Page said...

If your parish or diocese is interested, I have an all-new "Holy Angels Mass". Melodically, it's based mostly on "Mass VIII". Rythymically, it has a Jan Vermulst influence to it. Let me know and I'll send you a .pdf.
BMP

Paul S. said...

What do you think of the setting that ICEL has prepared with the translation?

youtube versions available here