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There's a significant difference between liturgical music, properly so called, and non-liturgical religious music (spiritual, devotional or celebratory music in a non-Mass setting.)

At a "Praise Service," a Festival, a Concert, a Youth Rally, a Christian Music Fellowship, a choral music gathering, a camp, a Faith & Sharing Retreat, in a stadium or at the beach, or on radio and CD's and iPods, that's where we can say YES to the electric guitars, a colloquial praise of God, the language of the street and the beat of the street. And there should be a lot more of it.

That's distinct from liturgical music, meaning the singing or chanting of sacred texts. This consists of the six fixed portions of the Eucharistic Liturgy--- Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei--- plus the "Proper," where the words vary at different Masses: the Responsory Psalm, the Alleluia and verse, etc.

Liturgical music, in this limited sense, Gregorian or Classical or whatever, should always be feel stately, reverent, heaven-sent rather than street-wise -- because together with the myriad invisible beings, the myriads of angels who join us there, we are participating in the Eternal Liturgy with all the Church and all creation.

On the other hand there should be many, MANY non-liturgical religious venues where any kind of composition, together with drums, cymbals, keyboards, electric guitars, singing, dancing, acting, charades, props, scenery, costumes, drama ---all this and more --- can find very full expression.

If there were lots of vibrant non-liturgical religious expression going on, people would learn to appreciate the distinctiveness of the Mass as the Mass.

My heart goes out Catholics under the age of 50, who don't even have the fragrance of it as an elusive and precious memory. I feel powerless to describe it further. I can't argue about it. I just want to see it before I die. I hope I shall see it after.

If there were lots of vibrant non-liturgical religious expression going on, people would learn to appreciate the distinctiveness of the Mass as the Mass.

There are. Lots of them. many people, though want a one stop shop. Having experienced the chant and the a cappella music in the right acoustical environment, it's difficult for some of us to truly be able to assist using Christian Rock.

The sad thing is that it really isn't all that difficult to make Mass as inspiring to Heaven as possible using music. That's what the vaulted ceilings and the chant and incense is all about. There's nothing like chant in a big, gothic church with no carpet on the floor.