Basic Steps To Improve Music At Your Parish — Part 7
Guided by this one principle, every parish: “will become a model in its own way, and the liturgical reform, in its essence and demands, will be happily fulfilled.” — Aurelio Porfiri
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.”
Guided by this one principle, every parish: “will become a model in its own way, and the liturgical reform, in its essence and demands, will be happily fulfilled.” — Aurelio Porfiri
Pope Benedict XVI celebrated the Traditional Latin Mass in Weimar (Germany) in 1989 and 1999.
Silence is one of the most important sounds of the liturgy.
You will not make progress at your parish unless you understand Pope Benedict’s “Unbelievably Big Kite” theory.
If Pope Pius V or Gregory the Great were to come back, they ought to see that the Mass after Vatican II has substantially remained the same.” — Secretary of the Consilium
A peritus of the Council once suggested that certain parties detest the Mass Propers because they’re almost impossible to “hijack” with heterodox theology.
Importing singers is the quickest way to get good music into your parish, even if it is only for one occasion.
The quickest way to make this clear to a skeptical priest or liturgist is to request that they bring you some Offertory antiphons from MR3. (They don’t exist!)
Turn off the microphones. This can be a challenge when many parishes and even some cathedrals are enamored of carpeting – to say nothing of seat cushions!
“The law of the Church plainly declares that, whenever High Mass is celebrated, the Proper of the Mass must be sung or at least recited.” — Fr. Labouré (1922)
I have been asked to recommend some ways in which any parish in the United States could improve the music used at Mass. Some parishes may already have taken the following two steps, in which case my advice will be nugatory for them, but if your parish has not yet done so, now’s the time to begin.
“And so, for Jesus – and for us – the Passion is everything, the Passion decides everything.” — Fr. Zoffoli
Simple steps to start moving from the “average” Catholic music program to a more reverent liturgy.
“You know I will never betray you, lol.” How many Hail Marys would this kind of sin deserve?
Job searching is tough, you say? Try searching as a Church musician who is not “contemporary.”
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