Offering Our Musical Best at Mass (Part II)

Part II: A Possible Solution

Fortunately, the Madeleine Choir School, undaunted by its detractors, has thrived. Could there possibly be some redemption here? Can the rest of us who have no choir school within easy reach learn from this embarrassment? Could the episode catalyze a rapprochement of pastoral authorities and trained church musicians?

It could if it persuaded church leaders to educate their flocks about the value of good music in liturgy. For the enemy is not elitism. It is ignorance, and to defeat ignorance we must have a thorough catechesis for music ministers, congregations, and pastors too. We must restore the fine music that the Mass deserves; we must offer the best we have. Otherwise, how can we proclaim that the Eucharist is the "summit of the Christian life" (as Vatican II and the Catechism teach)?

Pastors should not be expected to know music intimately, any more than musicians would be expected to know the fine points of theology. That being the case, pastors and congregations ought to recognize musicians' expertise. This means deferring to their musical judgment. After all, it is they who know how to use the organ to encourage the congregation to sing fearlessly and enter crisply, who are able to decide whether a particular "Gloria" is within reach, who can search the centuries of Christian repertory for just the right effect, and who can make the change of liturgical seasons real. Don't they deserve the same respect as is accorded the heater repairman, who is given a job to do and then is left alone? This does not imply that the office of music minister is a dictatorship, but on matters involving music, his voice should be accorded its earned authority.

Parishes should be taught, preferably by example but by explicit word if necessary, that music is not by nature a democratic art and that musical values - like doctrines - are no subject to vote. We must transcend our American provincialism on this point. The Council documents do not demand music that is homegrown, made merely with good intentions, democratically chosen, or even well loved; they demand music that is good. Judgments about musical value and propriety are extremely sensitive, requiring at least the perspective of one who knows the whole tradition of Catholic sacred music, including that of the local community, not just the new "hits" of the last five years. Ultimately, if the music minister is a true professional and the congregation is patient, the results should compensate a hundredfold for any bruised American sensibilities. I say this with confidence because the Catholic tradition holds by far the greatest musical repertory of any institution in the world. If we could only draw on its inexhaustible treasures!

And the music minister, for his part, can minimize such bruising by involving parishioners in those aspects of liturgical music that practicality permits. In most cases there will be no choice - no music minister, no matter how qualified, can go it alone. Volunteer singers and associate instrumentalists will likely be necessary. As they recognize his leadership and authority on matters musical, he should accommodate their capabilities - and their desires, whenever appropriate.

Finally, in building a parish musical tradition, there must be patience on all sides. The current climate of ignorance means that the building must start from scratch, since so many parishes have lost all touch, all consciousness of Christian musical sources. Congregations will need patience with strange old songs and chants, music ministers will need patience with their learning and reception, and pastors will need patience with the whole business.

Copyright © 2000 New Oxford Review.
Reprinted with permission from the New Oxford Review
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Joseph P. Swain is Associate Professor of Music at Colgate University, specializing in music theory, music history, and general education. He is a contributor to several journals.