ECENTLY, I FOUND myself nipping around the internet searching for Catholic cathedrals in these United States with serious and burgeoning music programs for children. I was struck by how few of our great institutions take seriously the absolute necessity to train up young Catholics in the musical patrimony of the Church. One might even be given the impression that the Church has largely given up on the musical instruction of our youth, and it causes me to wonder why that is. While I understand that most of our bishops and many of our clergy don’t want to be bothered with such an enormous and expensive task (thankfully this seems to be changing with our younger clergy), I wonder why Catholic music directors—who arguably should know how important this work is—can’t seem to be bothered to roll up their sleeves, dive in, and do something.
My Request • I would honestly like to hear from our readers as to why this is so we can begin arriving at solutions to the problem of training future liturgical musicians. Otherwise many of our rural parishes will be reduced to using electronic means of providing keyboard music (for at least some Sunday Masses). If readers believe me to be speaking in jest—or if they can’t envisage the arrival such a day—I ask them to look around … because it’s already arrived.
Citing Examples • I can name a couple of parishes in my area already given over to the use of “canned” music (I know, they aren’t allowed to do this, but they still do). I can also name a large number of parishes who don’t know how they will cope when their current organist—and, by the way, none of these parishes have more than one—usually a female over the age of 70, is no longer able to play. For the record, this situation will lead to numerous other distressing consequences as well.
Cold, Hard Reality • Why should pastors think of building resonant churches to house sung liturgies, or why should they contemplate commissioning fine new organs to fill these spaces with their visual and aural majesty and grandeur, when no one will be left to play them? Why should they think of founding new choirs when no one will be left to direct them or sing in them?
Please Contact Me • I’m sure that many of my fellow music directors, especially those involved in cathedrals or larger parishes, have thought about the fleeting nature of music and how important it is to pass along this gift and sacred duty on to the next generation, but I would like to hear from you personally as to why you and your cathedral or parish doesn’t provide for a chorister program that engages children weekly—or, even better, many times each week—in the singing of Masses and services.
I would appreciate your feedback in order to tackle some of these issues in further articles and to provide for a new impetus in our work with Catholic youth. We can’t back down from this important challenge!
