There's Hope for Catholic Music Yet!

Be still, my heart!  From the Catholic Bishops conference last week comes a new direction in church music! Yeayyy!  Even the bishops are understanding that a lot of contemporary Catholic music is dreck.  And a change is gonna come:

"Acting under Vatican orders, they approved a plan to check the theological orthodoxy of all songs sung at Mass. They also agreed to compile a core repertoire of 60 to 100 songs to include in all Catholic hymnals, along with a variety of other songs approved by individual bishops....There are quarrels in the church between those who prefer contemporary music and those who advocate time-honored hymns and chant. Some traditionalists complain that modern songs are theologically and musically insipid."

To say the least. This is clearly the influence of Papa Ratzi, bless him!  When he was in charge of defending the doctrinal teachings of the church, Cardinal Ratzinger wrote about the need for Church music to be connected to the liturgy and to honor the rich tradition of Catholic music. It's our heritage.  Don't dumb down the music! As Sandro Magister wrote last December about bringing back Gregorian chant:

"But now there is a pope, Benedict XVI, who is highly competent in the area of sacred music, is severely critical of the degradation of music following the council, and has written on a number of occasions what he thinks and what he wants: to restore to the Catholic liturgy the great music that “from Gregorian chant passes through the music of the cathedrals and polyphony, the music of the Renaissance and the Baroque, to Bruckner and beyond.”

What a wonderful pope!   Two songs were recommended for the core repertoire by one bishop, Holy God We Praise Thy Name and Silent Night.  Miss Kelly further recommends:

• Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest
• Ave Regina
• Ave Maria
• Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Adeste Fidelis
• Now Thank We All Our God
• How Great Thou Art
• Angels We Have Heard on High
• Jesus Christ is Risen Today
• Immaculate Mary

Readers, any suggestions to add to the core reportoire of Catholic hymns? What are your favorite ones?

Comments

[Gayle Miller]

Dreck isn't really sufficient!

I realize I'm an old fogey but I still miss the days of really good Catholic Church music AND the Latin mass! Me and the dinosaurs!

[Sissy Willis]

I don't know much about Catholic Church music per se, but put me down for Handel's "Messiah" . . . The Lord God omnipotens reigneth! (Also, I know that my redeemer liveth).

[Teresa]

I know there are more - but this is the kind of thing I never remember... music doesn't stick in my head easily.

The funny thing is, all these are songs I grew up with and even being as musically challenged as I am, I remember the first verse of each of these!

The purely horrid drek they brought in during the mid 70's/early 80's with the guitars and tamborines turned me off completely to church music. But I still enjoy the old stuff.

Sissy, while I love the music in the Messiah, it's not really great hymn material. For a congregation you need simple and tuneful in easy keys to cover the mid-range of voices.

So, while the Messiah is gorgeous religious music, it doesn't fall into the "hymns for mass" category very easily. *grin*

[anon]

For starters, the chant hymns:
Jesu Dulcis Memoria
Conditor Alma Sidera
Adoro Te Devote
Ubi Caritas et Amor
Veni Creator Spiritus
Ave Verum Corpus
Te Deum
O Divinum Mysterium
In Paradisum

[miss kelly]

Thanks, Anon, those would be gorgeous to chant and to listen to. Veni creator spiritus, we need that!