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Wednesday 24 September 2008

An interesting thread on introducing authenticity to Catholic musical prayer

This discussion at the CMAA boards is about overcoming irrational aversion to authentic Catholic music, and has some useful advice, (as well as the now-monotonous jabs from a fellow, one of the few non-anonymous trolls I've ever encountered. I know, or at least, I presume, that that is not his intention, but his inability to resist certain red herrings insures that that is his effect, that of a distraction at best, a troll at worst. In all fairness he also had some good suggestions on this thread. I do wish he could understand that not all annoyances are "challenges.")

Paul Ford, beside sage advice, offered up this marvelous quote:
“Gregorian chant is not music . . . it is a way of praying and a way of proclamation.” (related by Dr. Franz Karl Praßl)
But relating to neither of them, and indeed, to no one on the thread so far as I know, the whole thing has got me thinking.
I have been belatedly appointed navigator in cars where the driver, through carelessness or excessive adventurousness had gotten us hopelessly lost, more than once.
I have learned that there is a certain type of driver, to whom it is simply useless to suggest retracing our path, or going back the way we came, even if that is clearly the most expedient thing to do to anyone looking at the map.
What the thinking of such personalities is, I am not sure, and I will say that it seems to appear most often in the male of the species.
And it is not a matter of pride exactly, of refusing to admit error, for some people I know beat themselves up over such miscalculations, all the while being unwilling to find a jug-handle, as we say in New Jersey, and go back the way he came.
I think it is a matter of "investment," a goofy, unrealistic hopefulness, that manifests itself as preference for risking throwing good money after bad, over cutting ones losses.
The reason I bring this up is that I think a lot of well meaning people have royally screwed things up in the Church, particularly in the area of liturgy and music and their evangelical power, and they can see that they have, all the evidence points to the fact, either study or a quick glance suffices to demonstrate it, but they put on a brave face and insist, you can't go back! or onward, keeping going in the same direction! More of the same and it'll all work out the way we intended all along!
Bad pop-flavored music and casual warm-fuzzies-worship as a sort of liturgical hair-or-the-dog-that-bit-you.
And it's the word "investment" that gives it away.
I've encountered several aging-boomer-types recently, obviously swimming against the tide, clinging to the barely-afloat Liturgical Tambourine, or "Manual of Lay Preaching" or giant puppets who speak proudly of the years they have "invested" in that tambourine, or whatever.
I can see why it is hard to admit that their time and efforts were, frankly, a waste.
But since God can draw straight with crooked lines, even with them in the driver's seat, I have no doubt we'll eventually get where we're going.

And that's progress.

5 comments:

Mr. C said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mr. C said...

Dear Scelata,
What is it with the need to denigrate your otherwise worthy thoughts by characterizing the cited poster as a "troll?"
In this case, I think I know who you refer to, and not me (tho' I'd take the bullet if so.)
If troll has a positive connotation in cyberville, let me know, please.
But, its usage reminds me of another word bandied about in blogs: "ilk." Everyone loves to lump their offending targets with "others of his/her ilk," as if that's a besmirching.
There's enough flames to go around in the next life; I would shy away from playing with them in this one.
YMMV, and I'm not trying to upbraid you or your posts from any moral high ground. I'm just trying to mosey along the pilgrimage with everyone. If I stumble....

Scelata said...

Thanks for not upbraiding me, Charles.
No, I know of no ameliorative usage of "troll."
It was my intention to say something critical of him.
The poster in question seems intent on throwing in not so much contrarian views or different perspectives, which I hope would be welcome, but deliberately irrelevant distractions, such as his reference to "clown Masses," the denigration of those who opt for EF communities, etc.

Mr. C said...

Point taken.
I'm really enjoying the proliferating bursts of posts lately. You've got a really good take on a lot of things and I am always encouraged by people who speak and act with passion.
You stay frosty!

Anonymous said...

Okay, now I'm really startled.
Banned from the CMAA boards?
I find it difficult to believe he would have posted anything that merited that.