Author Topic: Eleison Comments (446) (Read 4125 times)

Gerard from FE · « **Reply #10 on:** February 04, 2016, 09:21:19 AM »

Quote from: Wessex

I can understand so much of this is lost on American-born audiences who are exposed to so much junk as their musical foundation. I have a hard job explaining over here what is worth listening to and what is commercial dross. Weird jungle noises and drum beats originating from West Africa are not part of our tradition although there seems to be a tendency among the young to express themselves in this way.

We all know that the French went overboard with their religious music during the nineteenth century and composers excelled in producing the kind of sentimental music that accompanied those passions aroused at Mass. I wonder what the bishop would say about that.

If I get your meaning, I think the bishop once said not too long ago, that the steps that lead one downwards can be used to lead one back up.

I take the meaning to be that one can be at the bottom of the barrel listening to rap and hip hop and rock music and move upwards step by step into higher quality music. A person could move up to folk music older pop music (a person might like Perry Como's Till the End of Time and that might lead them to listen to Chopin's "Heroic" Poloanaise which is where the Perry Como song gets its melody) and from there to the Romantic, Classical and Baroque forms of music. And if you understand and benefit from those, you can be open to using music for prayer.

Wessex · « **Reply #11 on:** February 04, 2016, 10:21:33 AM »

Quote from: Gerard from FE

Quote from: Wessex
I can understand so much of this is lost on American-born audiences who are exposed to so much junk as their musical foundation. I have a hard job explaining over here what is worth listening to and what is commercial dross. Weird jungle noises and drum beats originating from West Africa are not part of our tradition although there seems to be a tendency among the young to express themselves in this way.

We all know that the French went overboard with their religious music during the nineteenth century and composers excelled in producing the kind of sentimental music that accompanied those passions aroused at Mass. I wonder what the bishop would say about that.

If I get your meaning, I think the bishop once said not too long ago, that the steps that lead one downwards can be used to lead one back up.

I take the meaning to be that one can be at the bottom of the barrel listening to rap and hip hop and rock music and move upwards step by step into higher quality music. A person could move up to folk music older pop music (a person might like Perry Como's Till the End of Time and that might lead them to listen to Chopin's "Heroic" Poloanaise which is where the Perry Como song gets its melody) and from there to the Romantic, Classical and Baroque forms of music. And if you understand and benefit from those, you can be open to using music for prayer.

Which is at variance with his assertion (about training) that the youth of today are too far gone to be effective priests. Possibly, you may get some people developing an appreciation where none existed before but I do not know any. My experience is unless one is exposed at an early age, there is little foundation to build on other than receiving it at a superficial level. Listening to 1812 in Hyde Park does not cut the mustard. Invoking Loyola again. Of course, dumbing down from quality to junk is de rigueur today. Our masters do not want an educated population beyond the ability to produce, consume and play. Gosh, there is a long journey from the material jungle to the supernatural plane ..... without the aid of drugs!

Gerard from FE · « **Reply #12 on:** February 04, 2016, 12:54:20 PM »

I don't think he was especially pointing to a method for forming priests as much as improving the overall health of the culture.

Youth may be too far gone to be effective priests, but they might make decent Fathers and foster a vocation.

And a youth that discovers higher qualities may not be an effective priest but he may make an effective priest in a later life ordination.

Wessex · « **Reply #13 on:** February 05, 2016, 05:44:36 AM »

Quote from: Gerard from FE

I don't think he was especially pointing to a method for forming priests as much as improving the overall health of the culture.

Youth may be too far gone to be effective priests, but they might make decent Fathers and foster a vocation.

And a youth that discovers higher qualities may not be an effective priest but he may make an effective priest in a later life ordination.

Yes, I get the cultural references. Ordaining priests later in life may be a solution after such candidates have acquired the foundation necessary for today. But the pool of priests is going to be very small given the number of dropouts and defections.