Thanks for sharing this, Cullie.
However, I think the guy is an idiot and is writing just to watch the green dot race across his computer screen. He argues for and against both sides. How nicely luke warm!
DOES SIMPLE MUSIC FORM SIMPLE FAITH??
Richard Termine for The New York Times
By BERNARD HOLLAND
Published: September 23, 2007
<A CEREMONY at St. Patrickıs Cathedral on Sept. 11 offered some
patriotic music and a few dabs of the classics, but everything else
made me wonder whether I should be listening as a critic or as a
Christian. A lot of liturgical music these days asks you to choose
between the two. >
If he's wondering how to listen in worship he's already in trouble and is not "at worship."
<Beauty of musical color, elegance of harmony, soundness of
construction and exquisiteness of originality once worked as the
lure that would draw the faltering worshiper nearer. Music, as well
as architecture and visual art, represented heaven to the earthbound,
something dazzling and unapproachable, an advertisement for a
paradise still held at armıs length.>
I was taught early on that architecture and music are a reflection of the theology of the congregation. It is becoming more and more obvious. A mega-church locally built a multi-million dollar campus with every building but a designated worship space. The fellowship hall has the outward appearance of a church, but the interior could be any Marriott or Holiday Inn ball room complete with folding chairs, suspended ceiling, wall-to-wall commercial carpet and, of course, the band in the corner. In a recent presentation, the chairman of the design committee stated that they no longer felt the need for a designated worship space. Apparently, they're happy looking like a church, but not behaving like a church. Simply a country club meeting in a hotel! Their music is also a reflection of their lack of commitment to worship.
<The neo-Edwardian anthems and elaborations on ethno-popular culture
at St. Patrickıs, on the other hand, might lead us to infer from
Bachıs B minor Mass or Haydnıs ³Creation² a certain irreligion, a
seductiveness that captures the senses and leads the heart away from
true communion with God. Does simple music form simple faith, arguably
the best kind? Has the Dark One used great musical art to his
advantage? >
Music does not form faith, but rather EXPRESSES faith. Simple music expresses faith in a beautiful and clear way. But simple music that does this is GOOD music. Bad simple music merely entertains or pacifies. Complicated music, which is also good music, expresses faith and worship in a way that demands THINKING on the part of the worshipers. If this is a problem, perhaps thinking is preventing them from being entertained. Good grief... he's even afraid to say, "the Devil," or "Satan." The Dark One sounds much more sanitary and even romantic, assuming he's also tall and handsome!
<Sophisticated music that doesnıt reach out directly to its listeners
that doesnıt depend on their response bears the seeds of its
eventual irrelevance. One reason classical music struggles as it does
today lies with the several generations of composers in the last
century who demanded that audiences understand them rather than the
other way around. >
Crap! Liturgical music is not written to "reach out" but to be offered by the entire congregation. Worship is not a time to get.... it is a time to give! I don't think that composers are thinking about the audience understanding the music, but rather providing them with a musical vehicle with which to offer their worship to God. Great music is inspired by God, and not merely written with the thought of confusing the listeners or demanding their submission. The poor quality music churned out for the church by composers and publishers who are marketing Christianity and selling worship is the true culprit, demanding something from the worshiper.
<The Christian, on the other hand, can argue with perfect rectitude
that music is just one more evangelical tool, useful Muzak to accompany
the winning of converts and the reinforcement of faith. Interesting
music distracts the faithful, or so this line of thinking goes.
Interesting music does not tell us to be good or bad. It asks only
to be admired. Getting great music and simple faith together happens,
but with difficulty.>
What a marooon! Music is not an evangelical tool. This is one of those platitudes from the renewal movement, like "liturgy is the work of the people" and "the Mass belongs to the people" which has confused people so that they will more easily swallow the rest of the drivel being cranked out by the liturtigal "pro's". Worship is not a time for evangelism, is it a time when people are to direct their TOTAL attention to God. There are six other days in the week when people are supposed to be out evangelizing and serving God's people. In worship, only God is to be served. Interesting music does not distract but rather draws attention, and that attention is, through the music and text, drawn to God.
<The church has reason to fear great beauty, hence the effort to rescue
our attention, through plainspoken and deliberately flat-footed modern
texts, from the mesmerizing graces of the Latin Mass or the splendid
poetry of the Anglican Churchıs Book of Common Prayer. I am one small
example, having spent the Sunday mornings of my youth in the Episcopal
Church allowing Thomas Cranmerıs magical imagery and liquid liturgical
responses to roll off my tongue without a thought to God at all.>
This last statement pretty much explains why worship and music are so meaningless to the writer. His mind was elsewhere in worship; he was saying words but not listening to them and therefore was not engaged into the beauty of the act. I would amend the opening statement of the paragraph to, the CLERGY has reason to fear great beauty. Mainly because great beauty when juxtaposed to ugliness makes the ugly uglier! So, in order to look better, everything else has to be made equally or less "beautiful."
<One reason that less important music is being written for churches is
that composers have other things on their minds: among them, making a
living. Churches were once the center of life, and centers of wealth
and power as well. Composers thrived in their employ in times when
public concerts barely existed. The rich commissioned liturgical pieces
as their personal upscale rapprochements with God. What money for
composers circulates today is largely in secular hands.>
One reason that less important music is being written for churches is that so many churches have turned away from anything that requires thought and does not entertain and make happy the bored first-timer in the nave. Life is cyclical and presently the church is not the center of life; however, when people realize that their lives are empty and without guidance they will return and look for the stability that the church offered. Too bad the church may not be there because it has succumbed to the same thought. The rich commissioned music as an offering to God because they had been blessed with fortune. The publishers commission music to sell religion because they are greedy and realize that faux-Christianity sell, bigtime. To wit, the radio stations, plumbers, electricians, and yard services that prefix their business name with "Christian."
< Without the divide between audience member (parishioner) and artist (clergy), rock ını roll, rhythm and blues,and like species so involve listeners that the audience becomes an added instrument, singing along or shouting approval.>
Geez... I cleaned up some of this in my back yard this morning! There are two groups of people: participants and spectators. I've seen them in both styles of worship. There are those who prefer to listen and those who prefer to sing.
<Or do we sit down, take our maker by the shoulder, put beauty in its place and work things out person to person?>
Oh yeah... that's the way. "All right God, sit down and listen to ME!" This man is in serious spiritual trouble. He's added to my prayer list!
<Meanwhile grab that guitar. Clap those hands.>
... order a burger and a beer... Sounds like a fun evening! But don't stay out too late... Sunday is for worship!
bruise in the muttastery
http://baskerbeagles.com (newly renovated... come visit!)
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