by Fred Moleck

The New BCL Music Document: A Second Peek

Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship, the new BCL document on the liturgy, numbers 260 paragraphs. The 1972 Music in Catholic Worship numbers 82 paragraphs while Liturgical Music Today (1982) numbers 74 paragraphs.

Yes. Much has gone on the past thirty-five years.

Thirty-five years! I dare say that many of you had not been born yet.

You never lived through the phase of Catholic Americana when one would hear in the kitchen of a Catholic American family after the dad had come in after the 9:00 A.M. Sunday Mass:

“Martha! They sang a Protestant hymn at Mass today! */!!!#”

And singing “Come, my brothers, praise the Lord, alleluia,” a.k.a. “Michael, row the boat ashore, alleluia.”

By the time you were taking organ lessons or bought your first guitar, there was a musical and liturgical ferment already in place for several years.

It was on this scene that the 1972 Music in Catholic Worship appeared, whose chapter 1, paragraph 6 caused many of us to leap for joy.

Faith grows when it is well expressed in celebration. Good celebrations foster and nourish faith. Poor celebrations may weaken it.

“May” weaken it? That was an understatement.

We already had seen enough of poor celebrations of lousy music, out-of-tune instruments, screaming cantors and Mother’s Day homilies that began, “What is a mother?”

It now appears that we didn’t lose our faith (sort of). We’re still showing up for parish and community liturgies. We still go to NPM conventions. We still are in search of the perfect setting of Psalm 23.

We are still in the church (sort of).

Let’s contrast the three documents by examining the first two sentences of each one:

Music in Catholic Worship:

We are Christians because through the Christian community we have met Jesus Christ, heard his word in invitation, and responded to him in faith. We gather at Mass that we may hear and express our faith again in this assembly and, by expressing it, renew and deepen it.

Liturgical Music Today:

Liturgical music today exhibits signs of great vitality and creativity. During the nearly twenty years that have passed since the promulgation of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council, the ministerial role of liturgical music has received growing acceptance and greater appreciation by the Christian people.

Sing the Lord:

God has bestowed upon his people the gift of song. Indeed, who could have dreamed that the Creator would place such a magnificent good within each believer’s heart?

The style is more than just a change of tone; it is a mature milestone in the evolution of postconciliar liturgical music. It is a major statement honed by competent liturgical musicians who have labored long and hard in the field.

There are not many surprises in the content. There are three subheadings that I did not expect—Music in Catholic Schools, Acoustics, and Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest.

Happily, the three classic judgments of the liturgical judgment, the pastoral judgment, and the musical judgment have been retained.

I’m deliberately steering away from the many fine clarifications on the individual ministries, musical items for the rituals, and on and on.

I wouldn’t know where to stop.

Well, how about just one example?

The concluding rites

200. Where it is a custom, all may join in a hymn or song after the dismissal. When a closing song is used, the procession of ministers should be arranged in such a way that it finishes during the final stanza.

Told you so!

You can reach Fred Moleck via email at fmoleck@comcast.net

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