Wednesday, May 25, 2005
St Louis Jesuits, part 5
(It's not about them)
Unlike today's market-driven liturgical music "stars," the St Louis Jesuits "were noted for their refusal to do large-scale staged performances." Commentary from the article continues:
"That was the difference between the Jesuits and earlier groups," says Gary Daigle, member of the fellow liturgical group the Dameans. "They didn’t do concerts. When they gathered people, they would do their evenings more like prayer services, hymns and carols."
Virgil Funk, NPM founder says, "They understood from the beginning that it was not about them."
Most composers find ministry roots in a parish or other worshipping community. A notable few do not. It shows. It is possible to write good music with Scriptural lyrics, but the same liturgical music will fall short of the ideal if it is not rooted in the prayer of the people. I just don't see how people can make travel and workshops the focus of their ministry. Maybe someone else has an idea.
The parish is a drag on one's ego, and that is reason enough to stay rooted. Working in a parish is like making a recording. All its faults--all your faults--are on display for all to see and deal with. Swooping in for a concert, a workshop, is easy work. It's like live music: only the grossest of errors will be focused on.
