Singing Of Ourselves

Fascinating discussion, (tangential to a thread on the RPI blog about getting the PIPs to sing during the Communion procession,) about the the "proper" (meaning most appropriate,) subject of our liturgical song and how it might relate to the Propers, how the latter might be our (best, in my opinion,) guide to judging the suitability of ones choice in the matter of the ubiquitous alius cantus, the DreadFourthOption (I think I may start referring to hymns in any non-Lof the Hs liturgical setting as the DFO, or D4thO,) (maybe leave out the D, no need to hammer any pejorative intent, especially because I do love hymns...)

(but I digress.)

One of the StLJ, of all people, has done a statistical analysis of how often the propers are Us Celebrating the Wonder That Is Ourselves... well, that's not quite how it was phrased.

The answer?

Not very often.

It reminds me of a project someone on The New Liturgical Movement toyed with (or perhaps accomplished?) determining how often, Properly, the congregation or choir presumes to sing with the Voice of God, actually phrased so, with no, "says the Lord," or similar clause.

I think any but the most partisan, (or prone to exaggeration, like Thomas Day?) Liturgical Musician On the Side of All That Is Good And Right, (as opposed to those who disagree with me...) would acknowledge, in fact has always believed, that many, if not most of their standards objections are to matters of emphasis, of pushing our practices too far in one direction, of neglecting more important ritual, better suited music in favor of what should at very most, at VERY best be an occasional detour from the norm, (though yes, in many cases, should never be heard from or seen.)

For instance, to always sing of, speak of secondary aspects of our Faith is to either passively ignore or sometimes actively suppress equally valid and sometimes more important aspects.
(Of course we are the Body of Christ, you and I.... but to persistently stress this while discouraging adoration of His Real Presence in the Eucharistic species has been immensely damaging to the spirituality of the Church today, and to arrogantly and almost blasphemously therefore claim other attributes of God is beyond appalling.)

To harp on about "celebration" in a way that suggests our Liturgy is intended to always and everywhere be about Good Times and Good Feelings, is to ignore the needs of all of us who are the publican in the back of the temple, and to reduce Source and Summit of our Faith to spiritual Zoloft.
(Yes, there is much to be happy about, but there are other necessary aspects to prayer that have been banished from our churches.)

To always program the nursery rhyme... the sentimental Edwardian ballad... the flashy late romantic Victorian aria.... the catchy jingle.... the snappy ethnic favorite; and to force the students of Solesmes to beg for a place at the table, (when the seat at the head is rightfully theirs,) is to ignore the prescription of every authoritative document on music and liturgy the Church has ever produced, and to further personalize and parochialize and trivialize the worship of the Universal Church.
(Yes, room can be made for Eagles Wings and On This Day and the Schubert Ave, but they should be exceptions to the music programming rule.)

Anyway, here endeth the rant, if such a discussion has finally opened up in NPM-land, I say, "Bully!"