The Recovering Choir Director

Chapter 1 of Paul Hume’s Catholic Church Music, titled “Music in the Church”, is divided into three parts. The first part acknowledges that, while progress was made in Catholic church music in America since the turn of the twentieth century, it had not been as rapid as the rise of secular music. He also states that progress in improving sacred music is at a crossroads.

It can continue to climb. Or it can continue to meander in circles on its present plateau. And on this level the excellent achievement of so many individual Catholic musicians is obscured by the apathy and mediocrity that presently have a stranglehold on the music of the Church.

Hume tells of the rise in prominence of the liturgical movement of the twentieth century, first spearheaded by Pope St. Pius X’s motu proprio Tra le sollicitudini, noting that

The increasing interest of the laity in the liturgy has caused a corresponding growth of interest in the problems of sacred music. Once considered the exclusive preserve of the clergy and the Church musician, music has lately become a real concern to the layman (both ecclesiastically and musically speaking) who now feel more and more that what goes on in the choir loft is not only his business but his responsibility.

Thoughts:

• The musical plateau spoken of probably wasn’t too high, based on the state of music described by Thomas Day in his book Why Catholics Can’t Sing. If the plateau is lower today, it isn’t lower by much.
• Monsignor Martin Hellriegel’s good work in reviving the liturgy surely must have been on Hume’s mind when writing this book, as well as other similar efforts.
• If a layman today feels that what goes on in the choir loft is not only his business but his responsibility, he should make it his business to read up on the documents concerning sacred music.