Praying and Playing

Fr Z discusses a statement in Q & A format, from the bishops' conference of the Philippines regarding Summorum Pontificum and its consequences:
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2007/11/conference-of-the-philippines-statement-about-summorum-pontificum/
What happens to active participation?
While the liturgical reform of the Vatican II aims principally to promote active participation, the Tridentine Missal encourages prayerful meditation during the Eucharistic celebration. [What a dismissive way to treat this important question! This is, of course, the horrible nightmare the old experts from the days of the Council and the subsequent "reform" don’t want to confront. What would happen to their vision of the reform if it can be demonstrated that the Church has a somewhat different understanding of "active participation", that really focuses first and foremost on active receptivity and interior activity of the soul and senses rather than clapping and all that business? If it can be shown that a deeper sense of active participation is fostered by the older form of Mass then their entire ediface begins to crack.]

Never, in all the back-and-forthing about "active participation" have I seen anyone on either side of the question (the all-singing/dancing/processing-all-the-time crowd or the "leave me in peace to talk to God, I don't do that s***" faction,) address a simple fact known to all church Music Directors, and, I assume MCs, planners of liturgy who function as MCs during "big" Masses, etc.
To whit, that many times, "activity" not only isn't equivalent to "participation", activity inherently precludes genuine participation.
In a very old issue of some church music periodical (Diapason, IIRC,) there was asked and answered such a question by asserting that the organist doesn't pray WHILE playing, or play INSTEAD of praying, but that he prays BY playing the organ.
And ideally this would, this could be true, but on the ground, the troops know that liturgical musicians become the shabbos goyim of the Catholic world.
I participate much more fully, more profoundly, even if in total silence at Mass somewhere other than my parish, than I am allowed to do in the page-turning, mirror-positioning,, celebrant-compensating, program-reading, music-finding, kleenex-offering, communicant counting, clock-watching, water-fetching, octavo-procuring, signal-waving, EMHC-summoning, silence-filling, basso-hushing, tempo-guessing, pitch-transmitting, treble-encouraging, frenzy, (often my lot) that can be dictated by circumstances and demands.
No amount of prep could stop it, and the few times I have quietly and calmly let the chips fall where they may there has been hell to pay afterwards.
I saw a choir director really go off on her soprano section once when they started asking her questions and realizing that, oops, they didn't have the right music with about 30 seconds to lift off (after sitting there gossiping and "preparing" for a half hour leading up to Mass.)
How much participatio actuosa do you think she was able to engage in?
And people do that throughout Mass sometimes. (Or will certainly do so afterwards if they are in positions of authority and something went wrong, or simply not to their liking.)
I used to know a deacon (permanent,) who said he always had to go to another Mass afterwards if a certain frequent visitor was the persnickety presider.
Yes, his submission and obedience and walking on egg-shells during Mass was a service, and even therefore a prayer, but it wasn't the prayer of the Mass.
Imagine having the aforementioned frequent visitor assigned to ones parish, perhaps even as pastor....
And if you are reading this and don't have to imagine -- well, you have my sympathy, and to bring it full circle... I'll pray for you this weekend at Mass.