This year’s CCMLA, “New Music, New Texts: Preparing for a New Missal,” ran this week, Monday night through yesterday afternoon. It was a rousing success, with over 175 participants. We’ll offer more on the new missal next year – mark your calendars for CCMLA 2011: June 20-24. Below are a few photos, including a mini-concert by the National Catholic Youth Choir. They sang Latin chant, Palestrina, Bach, Distler, and the rousing “Praise His Holy Name” by Keith Hampton.
More photos will follow.
The presenters did their best to provide a positive and inspiring presentation of the new missal. The new ICEL settings were sung – eg the Gloria, the prefaces of Eucharistic Prayers 2 and 4, the rest of the Order of Mass – and everything seemed to work well.
Two disturbing signs if you’re trying to take the pulse of the People of God on the coming changes. One participant said that they came to the conference fairly neutral and uninformed about the new translation, and now they know enough to know that they don’t like it at all. Another participant shared with a presenter (not me) that she felt hurt by the way the hierarchy is imposing this on people without listening to them. She was in tears.
The forum with the panel of presenters brought about a lively discussion. My sense of the mood was that a depressing cloud descended on the group. Is it because so many parish liturgists and musicans are too liberal and lacking in obedience? On the contrary, I didn’t hear anyone say they were going to resist or fight the changes. Everyone spoke about “how to make the best of this,” what to do since “we have to do this.” In a way, it’s admirable obedience – these people are willing to do what the Church asks, though, for many of them, it is with a heavy heart.
awr
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