New CD - Vatican "torture"
A daily chore for parish priests is opening assorted envelopes that arrive in the post each day, taking one look at the contents, and throwing them and the envelope in the bin. I have one of those big square "stack 'n store" boxes next to the desk since they can take more reams of paper before you have to empty it. To be honest, I look forward to the postal strikes.
Occasionally there is an item worth at least reading. The other day a flyer arrived for a new CD "Alma Mater. Music from the Vatican". To be honest, years spent in Rome meant that the promise of "Music from the Vatican" didn't really get me rushing for my credit card - but it did say that it featured the voice of the Holy Father and this gave me pause for thought. Not a long pause: after a few seconds, I decided that it might well be just a bit of exploitation of the Holy Father to sell a mediocre CD.
My snap judgement is confirmed by Damian Thompson who has listened to the CD and did not like it. That is an understatement: his review is very entertaining. The overall verdict:
The Catholic Church may have abolished the Inquisition, but it still knows the meaning of torture.See: How dare they subject Pope Benedict to this musical atrocity?.
10 comments:
Thank you for this Post, Fr. One wonders why the Vatican (Sistine Chapel Choir) don't bring back divine polyphonic music in their Masses, preferably in Latin. They did once (Palestrina). He was rather good !!! In addition, I noted that there were three sets of brothers (among the ten Altar Servers present) on the Sanctuary, this morning, for Mass. Is this a record, one asks oneself ? And, thank God for good Catholic families who encourage and foster such devotion.
Would that there were an Inquisition - be a nice job for me, Grand Inquisitor!
A friend's son (aged 12) has told him that he doesn't want to be an altar server any more because his classmates (in a Catholic school) make fun of him. What are we coming to?
That is very sad - but unfortunately peer pressure against the faith in Catholic schools is a real problem nowadays.
Can Hobbits be Grand Inquisitors ?
Dear Fr Tim.
Further to my last Post. . .
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2009
Roman Polyphony Returns to Saint Peter's
BY GREGOR KOLLMORGEN Sandro Magister today has this article at www.chiesa:
Great Roman Polyphony Returns to Saint Peter's
Not in a concert, but in a Mass. It will be conducted by Domenico Bartolucci, the most brilliant interpreter of Palestrina's music alive today. He was removed as head of the Sistine Chapel choir twelve years ago, but now, with Pope Benedict, has finally been rehabilitated
My apologies, Fr Tim. I omitted to credit the NLM for my previous Post, today,(reference Roman polyphony returns to St. Peter's). The NLM article was by Daniel Kollmorgen and dated Monday, 16 November 2009.
Zephyrinus might like to look at Sandro Magister's blog which can be found at http://chiesa.espresso.republica.it/?eng=y
He posts that the Holy Father has re-appointed Domenico Bartolucci to the post of director of the Sistine Chapel Choir after a ten year spell in the wilderness. Signor Bartolucci is the finest exponent of Palestrina in Italy, we are told.
JARay
Apologies for writing "signor" Bertolucci. I should have given him his title of "Mgr" Bertolucci.
JARay
In my day (the 60s) being an altar boy (as we were called then) carried a lot of prestige. In addition, every year we went on a summer outing and at Christmas were taken to the circus and carnival. In those less affluent days such treats were a rarity. However, they more than made up for having to get up on a winter's morning to serve 7.00am Mass.
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