The new translation of the Roman Missal

stimulus

Grading the Missal

response


I am a cradle Catholic who has sung in choir on and off for over 6 decades. I now sing at a liturgically ideal parish - an excellent music director/English adult choir leader (it says something to have to be that explicit in his role), a deacon who is taking singing lessons to be able more fully fulfill his liturgical role, and three English speaking priests who can sing and will sing on occasion. The laity sing robustly, at least at the choir Mass. The music parts were introduced last summer. When the choir restarted at Labor Day, they were singing the new music with the new translations, mostly unison. To the choir and general congregation, it was just another music setting that took some getting used to. The one (of three) deacons who sings does more than before. But that trend started as a personal commitment of his own dating back to his ordination. The other two do not sing. It is probably best that way. We have to know and accept our limitations. The priests are not singing more. Two small prayers, one at the start of Mas and one just before the distribution of Communion are said or sung by the cantor. We have a professional tenor cantor with a strong clear voice. It is easy to defer to him. Other than the Mass parts, the choir repertoire has not changed. Two sources dominate: classical composers (e.g. Faure) and modern composers of good polyphonic music, mostly not Catholic. Net result: nada, except for general griping, which happens anyway but now has a liturgical focus. I just hope that those who invented and implemented these changes got a good warm fuzzy. On a personal note, I know and understand enough Latin, and appreciate well written English, to think too many of the changes are ill-begotten abominations. Such is the way of autocratic bureaucracy. At my work, We recently did a major corporate reorganization. I had philosophical differences with the leaders of the division into which I was placed. I posted out and am transitioning to another division. This may be coloring my view of the new translation. I don't find that an option in my liturgical life.