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Monday 7 April 2008

Lapse in Judgement

A lapse in liturgical judgement on my part.
The proper for the Entrance yesterday was a very good match for one the the Gather "psalms" (I think one of the "Celebration" series,) or rather the Gather pieces was a good match for it.
Do I think it's a particularly good piece of music?
No. It's in the composer's much beloved 6/8, ("it's got a good beat and it's easy ta dance to...",) it is unnecessarily rangey, the choral parts are awkward, etc., etc.
And the text, as always, makes no effort to conform to the lectionary, or any valid translation of the Bible.
But I know these pieces are much beloved by certain elements of the parish, and I have never (despite Toby's suspicion, and my own temptation,) seen my personal preferences having much place in my programming.*
And I see this kind of music programming as a good transition, as a workable compromise for the present, between the Hymn Sandwich and the ideal.
So a little arranging, a little altering, a LOT of practice with the choir and cantors, a lot of tweaking of the accompaniment and harmonization, and I think we've arrived at a suitable work for the entrance procession -- perhaps in the mold of the Vermulst Psalm 150, which is a very sturdy, very useful processional, with a very appropriate text, (gee, lets see... the Word of God or the words of... well, no names, no ad hominem attacks, Uriah, only ad hymninems.)
Psalm paraphrases are more acceptable in the context of the Ubiquitous Fourth Option, (for Entrance, Offertory or Communion procession,) than as a substitute for part of the Liturgy of the Word, an actual scripture reading, or rather, singing, (the "responsorial" psalm.)
And I figured the work on the refrain was worth it, as we would use it again shortly as the psalm refrain, (with the correct verses chanted.)
The congregation sang it quite lustily.
But after the first Mass, Father was not pleased... what's with that opening song, we can't sing that, what happened to all the good Easter hymns?
It's a setting of the proper.
I don't care.
Would you prefer Holy Anthem for the remaining Masses?
Why need I even bother to ask...?
So I found myself in the peculiar position of defending a piece of music I don't even like, and only programed because I thought "they" would like it.
I suppose my initial reaction of annoyance was really at the thought of changing 25 choir folders, the hymn boards, the cantors book...
And if I were snarky enough I would take that as a pre-emptive request not to use the already-programmed Shepherd Me, O God, (which I would happily deep-six,) in a slot that apparently rightfully belongs to a hymn.
But I am snarky enough to take that as license never to use the refrain, and thereby switch to, perhaps, a Chabanel psalter setting, or one of my own composition, for the Sixth Sunday of Easter.

(*although I admit there is one lovely contemporary hymn I won't schedule because it makes me weep and I can't see the keys or the notes...)

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