Notes from the Music Guy XV

The Taizè Community is a monastic community in France, famous for its form of prayer and its music, which is central to its form of prayer.

"Lost in prayer and praise" might be a good way to describe it. A key phrase, often scriptural, is set to a melody, and then repeated over and over again, much like the Rosary. It allows the participants to empty their minds of other things and focus on God. Another religion might call it a mantra, but Taizè prayer is always focused Godward, and, again, is usually scriptural.

We have sung a number of Taizè pieces in our mass here. "Eat This Bread" is especially well known, but also "Wait for the Lord", "Jesus, Remember Me", and "Gloria, Gloria", which we sang this past Christmas.

If you ever get the feeling that a song is just repeating over and over again, and is only inviting you to boredom, listen harder - it's really inviting you be "lost in prayer and praise". Because sometimes, lost is good. Especially if you're in good company.

May Christ be the song in your heart,

Jay

Notes from the Music Guy XIV

A little over a year ago, I lost virtually all the hearing in my left ear, after an ear infection. The hearing loss was followed by extreme bouts of vertigo. I was off work for over a month, and it took me closer to two months to be able to return to my ministry as organist for the gospel choir at St. Elizabeth's.

Take up your cross, the Savior said,
if you would my disciple be;

As I went from doctor to doctor hoping for a different prognosis, I wondered, "Why me?" In addition to my music career, I was trying to get a fledgling recording studio off the ground: it's very hard to mix recordings when you can't hear in stereo. It seemed so unfair. I really NEEDED both ears. Why not an eye instead? I bet I'd look cool with a patch.

Take up your cross with willing heart,
and humbly follow after me.

I learned to adjust. I accept the permanency of my condition, though I pray for a miracle. And I realize there are worse fates than being a musician who hears in mono. I rejoice that I am able to serve God here, despite my limitations.

Take up your cross, and follow Christ,
nor think 'til death to lay it down;

In fact, if not a good thing in itself, there's at least a silver lining or two. I take nothing for granted anymore, or at least I try. And it made me sit down and take stock: there are parts of my life that really needed an overhaul - I'm working on those.

For only those who bear the cross
may hope to wear the glorious crown!

So, I'm thinking that this is my cross. I hope I'm right. That crown sounds like a pretty good deal.

And if you say something to me, and I don't respond, I'm not snubbing you, I promise. Try saying it again into my right ear.

May Christ be the song in your heart,

Jay

p.s.: One last reminder - the St. Clement Choir will be accepting new members at Wednesday night rehearsal, 7pm, through February 23rd. Come for music, prayer, worship and fellowship. As always, the more the merrier.

Notes from the Music Guy XIII

"We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you, for by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world."

Though this response is generally reserved for good Friday, it is a cogent reminder of what the entire season of Lent is about. Particularly the second half of Lent. The redemption part is key to retaining our perspective: though we bring Christ's journey to the Cross forward to our time, and walk it with him, we also know how the story ends. The Cross becomes the sign of victory rather than defeat, joy rather than suffering, eternal life rather than death.

Our hymn of the season for Lent is Haugen's "Adoramus Te Christe", which is the Good Friday response in its original Latin. The assembly will sing the refrain, and the choir or cantor will offer verses from other songs in between. Together, we will keep our eyes on Calvary, remembering that, ultimately, our triumph is in the Cross of Jesus.

A reminder: the St. Clement Choir will be accepting new members at Wednesday night rehearsal, 7pm, through February 23rd. Come for music, prayer, worship and fellowship. As always, the more the merrier.

May Christ be the song in your heart,

Jay

Notes from the Music Guy XII

There's nothing quite as lovely as an Irish melody.

Did you know that the melody for "Baptized in Water", though perhaps better known as "Morning Has Broken", is actually taken from an old Irish folk tune named "Bunessan"?

In his popular book "Why Catholics Can't Sing", Thomas Day raised the proposition that the spoken mass took a strong foothold in Ireland, where Catholics had to worship quietly for centuries, in constant fear of discovery and persecution. Singing would be the surest way to a quick and painful end the mass.

So it's a bit ironic that the tunes that are helping us find our collective voices - Columcille, St. Columba, Derry, Bunessan, and Wild Mountain Thyme, were all folk songs brought to this country by the same Irish immigrants who brought their non-singing tradition with them.

In coming weeks, you'll hear more Irish music: Our Lenten Gospel acclamation is set to Wild Mountain Thyme, and one of our Good Friday anthems is set to Derry. And in future months, we'll be using an alleluia written by Irish priest Fr. Liam Lawton, a man with a keen ear for a beautiful melody.

A reminder: the St. Clement Choir will be accepting new members at Wednesday night rehearsal, 7pm, through February 23rd. Come for music, prayer, worship and fellowship. As always, the more the merrier.

May Christ be the song in your heart,

Jay