Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”
“The Church asks those who will lead and shepherd her communities of Faith to give up the possibility of marital love as a prophetic witness that there is something even more important to our happiness than even beautiful intimacy possible in Christian marriage.” — Archbishop Naumann, 18 May 2013
The notion that the texts are there “to remind us that we should be singing something else” could not be further from the truth.
I took out my iPhone to record his exact words (“we don’t have any more airplanes”) and he called security on me. Classy.
The Sacred Congregation of Rites and the Consilium issued a joint statement on December 29,1966 prohibiting profane music in church. When Consilium spokesman Monsignor Annibale Bugnini was asked at a press conference what was meant by “profane” music, he said that this referred to such things as “jazz” Masses and instruments such as the guitar.
This hymn almost brought me to tears. I was shaking as I played it. It’s really beautiful and even haunting. But I was worried about the ending until I realized it was like the “smile” on the Mona Lisa.
“We have had pressreports of eccentric behaviour at Mass and of the introduction of singing more appropriate to music-halls than to the atmosphere of reverence that should prevail in a church. These reports have come mainly from America, and they refer only to isolated instances.” — Fr. Leslie Rumble of Radio Replies, writing in the early 1970s.
At last! We finally have the answer! . . . Er, sort of . . .
Verbal abuse of a mentally handicapped man was something hard to watch. But why do I mention such a thing on a Blog devoted to Sacred music?
Did you know a former president of the Church Music Association of America has his own STAR on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? That’s correct! Just like Michael Jackson, Rex Harrison, Alfred Hitchcock, Harrison Ford, and all the rest.
Does noticing this officially make me a “Chant Geek” ? Or is it the mere fact that I actually care about such things . . .
A change has been made in the United States with regard to kneeling for Holy Communion: “the exhortation to catechesis is removed and the exception to the norm of standing is left to the discretion of the faithful.”
“And so, I launched out into the deep and asked for donations. Within 72 hours we had not only covered the cost, but also had more donations than we could possibly use for that project.” — Fr. Smith
The Lalemant Propers are extremely simple settings (in English) of the Mass Propers which make it possible for any person to sing these sacred prayers . . . even people who have no musical training whatsoever.
Can you hear “Jesus Christ is Risen Today” in this video from an Episcopalian Church taken on Easter Sunday, 2013?
Did Msgr. Schmitt malign Msgr. Vyverman of Malines? And did Fr. Schmitt truly forget Gogniat’s name?
The election of Pope Leo XIV has been exciting, and we’re filled with hope for our apostolate’s future!
But we’re under pressure to transfer our website to a “subscription model.”
We don’t want to do that. We believe our website should remain free to all.
Our president has written the following letter:
President’s Message (dated 30 May 2025)
