Posted on 12/01/2004 7:48:32 AM PST by sionnsar
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Interesting article. Thanks for posting it.
As for the article, I agree in part and disagree in part. Certainly I think the modern-pop "praise music" or contemporary Christian music is by and large just trash. From a musical point of view, the melodies are trite, repetitive, unimaginative, and banal. The words even more so - just advertising jingles with Our Lord as the product.
I think the author gives too much credit to the music as having an actual theme or goal, or an effect rather than simply that of being forced to listen to bad music. Perhaps the words have some sort of osmosis effect of leading the listener/singer to dwell on narcissism, but most of the self indulgence that's going on is that of the composer and writer. The analogy that comes to my mind is not a warm bubble bath but stagnant ditch water.
But then I REALLY hate bad music. It's an insult to the Lord to offer Him any less than the very best we have.
I've been to a number of churches that utilize this music. It is the musical equivalent of tepid oatmeal.
I guess there's nothing left for me to say about that....
There's nothing intrinsically wrong with newer music, of course -- so long as it's good music. Our choirs frequently sing newer stuff (as anthems), and it can be excellent.
Perhaps the difference is that "praise stuff" is typically written for a small group/lead singer, which can easily lead to the narcissism mentioned in the article. The small group ends up performing for the congregation, and there's always that tendency to "make the song mine," even if the congregation gets to sing the refrain. It turns into show biz.
Music written for choirs, or for the congregation is obviously different -- it would be ridiculous if everybody in the large group tried to "make the song mine." The motivation is rather to "be a helpful part of the group," which is the point of music in public worship.
Not to mention lame, wimpy and geared toward freeze-dried hippies.
How's everything going with the family, BTW?
or, Why I Avoid the Five-Thirty Youth Mass.
They pass out the words, but not the music, and the tunes are that vague wandering stuff with no beginning and no end so that they cannot be learned by ear before you get to the last verse. So the "song leader" cum guitar winds up singing all by himself, and yeah, it does sound a bit self-indulgent. The fact that he has a voice like a lounge singer doesn't help. "Feelings . . . wo wo wo . . . nothing more than Feelings . . . . " My kids HATE it, don't know who the organizers think they're reaching. As Alfred E. Neuman (NOT Neumann) used to say, "Yecccch!"
My daughter prefers to go to either the 10 or 11:30 Mass anyhow. For one thing, she gets to hear a decent choir (which is getting better all the time! Hooray!), and for another since she's an altar server she likes to watch the routine when she's not in the middle of it. She says it's very hard because the Catholic altar server routine is similar but subtly different from the Episcopalian version - so that it's tough to catch the variations.
Last weekend she served the 8:30 a.m. Sunday Mass, and none of the other altar servers showed up except for the leader (they are long-term servers drawn from the high school boys) and the two of them had to work the whole deal. They were as busy as . . . (fill in your favorite paperhanger or yellowjacket joke here), but she was thrilled because she got to assist at the altar for the first time since we changed churches. She had just been promoted to the altar when we moved, that was a major disappointment for her.
I'm really thrilled with how well our new music director is doing. At the rate we're going, we should be issuing a CD soon < g >.
Haven't heard from Mom today - she won't have the second surgery til Thursday week. When I spoke to her last she was upbeat and optimistic.
We visited my husband's mother over Thanksgiving. She had breast cancer last year and has beaten it hands down. She had chemo, but no side effects and didn't even lose any hair. We are hoping for a similar outcome for my mom.
Absolutely. I think it will happen. She sounds strong-willed and faithful. She will be OK.
"...modern-pop "praise music"...is by and large just trash."
No kidding. How many times have I had my ears assailed by "My God, He's a great God, He's great, He's God, yada, yada, yada... Repeat, re-repeat, ad nauseum.
And what is this "He's a great god" stuff? Either He's God or he isn't. If you really are a Christian, there's only one.
Not sure if the author's talking about the Regulative Principle hymns of the Reformation, or the latest Word Records "Zoe Girl" release here.
"Reformed folk music" is an incredibly poor phrase to use. What music is being referred to here? Is it the current playlist on K-LOVE? The content of contemporary Christian (rock) music in the last four decades is more Arminian in theology and practice than Reformed. And I'm not aware of any church that uses "folk music" in worship, unless the writer meant music performed on guitars instead of organs? The term "folk music" conjures up memories of acoustic guitars strumming out Joan Baez protest songs, not the electrified Fender Stratocasters performing the latest John Tesh worship song on stage during Sunday Mass.
Sadly, there are great swaths of Catholic parishes here in the West that haven't seen an organ. Ever. Acoustic guitars, on the other hand ....
It's what "everybody wants". Or so the "experts" say.
Glad to hear. Will continue praying for her.
Will remember Ann in my prayers as well, N_O_B_V.
I will temper my comments in the future, then. I don't know of many Protestant congregations that are using acoustic guitars in worship. Electric guitars, on the other hand....:/
Musical buffoonery in Protestant circles seems to tend towards the hyper-amplified rock-n-roll style ... There's no Catholic equivalent to Stryper etc.
Thanks, TT.
AB, I busted out laughing at your post. Thanks! But c'mon, Stryper??? You know how much that reference dates you, don't you?
I hope she is doing well and keeping a positive outlook (and that you are too!)
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