Catholic Word of the Day: MUSICAM SACRAM, 10-31-09

CatholicReference.net ^ | 10-31-09 | Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary

[Salvation]

Featured Term (selected at random):

MUSICAM SACRAM

Instruction on music in the liturgy of the Sacred Congregation of Rites. An extensive document giving general norms and applying them to every important aspect of liturgical music. Among other provisions there should be choirs, at least one or two properly trained singers especially in churches that cannot have even a small choir. The distinction between solemn, sung, and read Mass is retained; Gregorian chant should be given pride of place; adapting sacred music for regions having a musical tradition of their own requires "a very specialized preparation by experts"; and those instruments which are by common opinion "suitable for secular music only, are to be altogether prohibited from every liturgical celebration and from popular devotions" (March 5, 1967).

All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

[Salvation]

Musicians, take note!

[Salvation]

**Gregorian chant should be given pride of place**

I like this!

[Salvation]

Catholic Word of the Day – links will be provided later by another FReeper.

 

Book of Zechariah	Temple (biblical)	Capsula
Holy Mary	Anaphora	Diana of the Ephesians
Evangelism	Eucharistic Oblation	Last Judgment
Veneration of Images	Aggiornamento	Pectoral Cross
Dark Night of the Soul	Solitude	Domestic Prelate
Incense Boat	Clothing of Religious	Laity
Abraham’s Bosom	Embalming	Dowry
Roman Gradual	Socratic Method	Theism
Memorial	Petitions to the Holy See	Perfect Happiness
Litany of the Sacred Heart	Feeling	Pope
Legate a latere	Extraordinary Magisterium	Nepotism
Canonical Penance	Inherence	Ineffable
Refectory	Pascendi	Musicam sacram

Catholic Word of the Day Ping!

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[AnAmericanMother]

We headed over to the Orthodox Cathedral last Thursday to participate in an Ecumenical Prayer Service with the Patriarch of Constantinople, who is here on an episcopal visit to the U.S.

We were invited to provide music after the first reading (which was read by our retired Archbishop). Our choirmaster kept firmly in mind the norms -- we led with chant, the Ave Maria, followed by the Tomas Luis Victoria setting of the Ave Maria, then the Litany of the Saints with all the Greek saints inserted for the occasion. We were only about 10 in number (since it started while most folks were still at work) but that included our best workhorse singers - our sweet-voiced staff soprano, our spectacular tenor, and a couple of good deep basses (and of course us altos!).

One of our priests who was down in the sanctuary told us later that the visiting dignitaries were very pleased by our musical offering! He said there were nods and smiles and approving looks all across the dais.

There was also a 50-voice Baptist choir down in the nave. Our mole reported that the Orthodox prelates looked rather stunned. They had never heard anything like THAT before -- at least we are within shouting distance of the Byzantine chant.

[Straight Vermonter]

Earlier Catholic Words of the Day

Book of Zechariah	Temple	Capsula
Holy Mary	Anaphora	Diana of the Ephesians
Evangelism	Eucharistic Oblation	Last Judgment
Veneration of Images	Aggiornamento	Pectoral Cross
Dark Night of the Soul	Solitude	Domestic Prelate
Incense Boat	Clothing of Religious	Laity
Abraham’s Bosom	Embalming	Dowry
Roman Gradual	Socratic Method	Theism
Memorial	Petitions to the Holy See	Perfect Happiness
Litany of the Sacred Heart	Feeling	Pope
Legate a latere	Extraordinary Magisterium	Nepotism
Canonical Penance	Inherence	Ineffable
Refectory	Pascendi	Musicam sacram

[Salvation]

**One of our priests who was down in the sanctuary told us later that the visiting dignitaries were very pleased by our musical offering!**

Congratulations.

Was it because it was ecumenical that the Baptist choir was there? Very strange.....and I can totally understand why the orthodox priests thought it very strange.

[AnAmericanMother]

Yes, it was an ecumenical service cooked up (as I understand it) by our Parochial Vicar and the Dean of the Orthodox Cathedral. I think they threw the Baptists in to get a Protestant group on board.

I enjoy that sort of music because I have lots of Southern Baptist relatives (and I even sing Sacred Harp myself - the white Southern Appalachian equivalent of black gospel music). But it's not within the usual ken of an Orthodox prayer service -- too modern, too boisterous, too LOUD.