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To: Desdemona
And...the whole question of taste, style, and artistic selection is not just a Catholic problem. It's a modern American one.

The idea that good fine art or music is "elitist" and therefore bad is part of this socialistic, left-wing levelling instinct that has some parallels in American Puritanism. Certainly anyone who is going to become a pastor or bishop, making decisions on such matters, should be REQUIRED to study something about the history of Catholic sacred art and music. I have been to parishes before where they sing these "gospel spirituals" from the Southern Baptist tradition and the whole congregation gets this giddy, silly hand-clapping circus going. It completely alters the mood of solemnity and reverence into something else which feels quite un-Catholic. I have never met an educated Catholic who says they like this and I have no idea who the people are who decide to pull such pranks at Mass, where they come from, or where they studied.

31 posted on 01/16/2003 9:02:59 PM PST by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
The idea that good fine art or music is "elitist" and therefore bad is part of this socialistic, left-wing levelling instinct that has some parallels in American Puritanism.

It's quite possible that the church architecture, music, vernacular translations, etc., are intentionally bad, operating on the theory that "elitist art" distances people from each other and causes people to indulge in private, individual contemplation, while anti-aesthetic surroundings, words, and music encourage people to "draw together" as a corporate body.

33 posted on 01/16/2003 9:50:36 PM PST by Dajjal
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To: HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
The people usually are musically inclined, and they reached their artistic zenith in high school.

Then they went to college and studied "music," and took graduate courses of NotreDame's liturgy school.

The nadir is reached when they get their first "liturgy" job and begin reading Natl Assn of Pastoral Musicians (NAPM--also known as NAPALM) periodicals, and attending Gabe Huck (huckster??) workshops, all paid for by the pew-sitter.

By the time they are 30 they no longer understand music which lasts longer than 4 minutes and view radio jingles as high art.
48 posted on 01/17/2003 2:31:42 PM PST by ninenot
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