[ArrogantBustard]

Maybe so, but they have to have an audience.

Yeah. They do ... you.

Seriously. Do you honestly believe that the average Joe & Mary Catholic, sittin' in their pews actively want OCP/NPM garbage at Mass? Were they ever given a choice?

Not merely "No" but ... "censored NO!!!!!"

The demand comes from "ministers of music" and Priests who either don't know any better, or like the garbage for ideological reasons. Parishoners who object get "delphied" into oblibion.

BTDT.

[AnAmericanMother]

You can't be 'Delphied' if you're stubborn and canny.

A couple of good determined sensible people on committees can put the kibosh on THAT sort of nonsense. You can't have a mass meeting and 'breakout groups' until you've organized it via committee. THAT's where things really happen.

. . . I wound up on the Music Director Search Committee via working hard for the music program -- indexing sheet music, showing up every practice and Sunday, learning my parts, being friendly to new choir members, recruiting in the congregation (putting the arm on Joe and Mary Catholic), etc. Not any deliberate insinuation to achieve some plot, but simply working hard for what I love.

Once we all quit just complaining and get in there and pitch, it's amazing what can be accomplished.

[AnAmericanMother]

We got rid of OCP awhile back and use the missalettes from the St. John's Liturgical Press. I wish they would lose the hideous fake woodcuts, but the cover illustrations from the St. John's Bible are magnificent. More importantly, the Psalms have chant tones as well as the more modern settings (which we never ever use), and the hymns include good solid stuff, lots of old German as well as English hymns (with the inevitable dross of "Here I Am Lord (Here's Your Pizza)" and "Weagle's Ings" which we sing from time to time to pacify the hippies.)

We do not have a hymnal, we use song sheets which are under the direct management of the music department for the major Masses, and the back of the missalette for the rest.

We got 40 copies of the St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book (1948 edition) for the choir. Ordered them myself.