Why Catholics Can't Sing

A couple of months ago, I read Catholic Matters, and wrote the hotly debated blog post about it here.  In his book, Father Neuhaus references Thomas Day's Why Catholics Can't Sing: The Culture of Catholicism and the Triumph of Bad Taste.  I was majorly intrigued by the book and immediately moved it to my ever-growing amazon wish-list.  Then my dear friend and mentor, Leslie, told me Day's book was a classic in their family.  The book very quickly moved from my wish-list to my cart!!

Thomas Day does a brilliant analysis of the modern day liturgy and the history of Catholic music in America.  To begin, he describes the influence of the Irish in American Catholicism.  Yet when we look at the history of Irish Catholics, we are stunned by the oppression they experienced!  "From the sixteenth century to the nineteenth, the Catholic Irish were the most systematically and ruthlessly suppressed people in all of Western Europe" (pg. 19).  He goes on to describe the silent Masses Irish Catholics held behind barns and in fields.  Singing would draw attention, so they were silent. 

This is where I show my age.  Apparently previous to Vatican II, silent Masses were quite normal in America, much to the chagrin of the Vatican.   "There were exceptions...but, before the Second Vatican Council, the Irish and their cousins in the United States acquired the reputation for being people who were frigidly indifferent to liturgical music, if not hostile.  They did not need such things" (pg. 21).   Post Vatican II, Irish folk songs "were, and in some ways still are, the foundation of Roman Catholic church music in the United States" (pg. 27).   He goes further to explain, but I'll let you read it for yourself!  Fascinating!

In his chapter "Ego Renewal" which had me laughing from the first sentence, he notes, "Paul fretted about the charismatics who could impress everyone with a gift of tongues that was more theatrical than spiritual" (pg. 58).  His fictional choir director, Mr. Caruso, letting loose at full volume and the choir on or next to the Altar do suggest that Paul would not be pleased with the theatrical performances today.  Day then makes notes of particular songs.  He lists several and writes a paragraph about each.  I'll focus on few briefly- all quotes from pg. 61:

• Make Me a Channel of Your Peace: "The founder of the Franciscans intended this deeply moving prayer to be recited privately...sound like an obnoxious form of boasting, an inventory of my spiritual greatness."
• Let There Be Peace on Earth- "There is not a syllable referring to God's saving grace or the peace that flows from Christ.  "I" bring peace on earth by myself; God merely watches on, approvingly."
• They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love: "This song canonizes every member of the perfect, sinless congregation."
• We Are The Light of the World: gives the impression "they have lived up to the standards of the Beatitudes, without faltering once and without a speck of sin." 

He recognizes that the narcissism in the above listed songs might be in his imagination alone, but gives a grave warning about

"the tendency of this music to let the congregation become the 'Voice of God.'...In Other words, the composer sets the text so that the congregation sings God's words, usually without quotation marks, in a somewhat bored, relaxed, almost casual style.  This is startling and unprecedented in the history of Christianity" (pg. 64).

For example:

• Be Not Afraid
• Hosea: Come Back to Me
• I am the Resurrection
• I Have Loved You with an Everlasting Love
• Lord of the Dance

"Here is the revolution.  Here is where the folk phenomenon has completely changed the very idea of worship.  In all of the above religious songs, "I" and "me" do not mean the individual worshiper but God Himself.  Through the miracle of "contemporary" music, the congregation (and each individual in it) becomes the Voice of God" (pg. 65). 

Roman Catholicism has now gone from this type of extreme caution to a situation where the congregation, without giving it a second thought, "plays God" in song and makes Him into a dreamy, slow-moving divinity, that endearing mascot of the believers at the folk liturgy" (pg. 66). 

Furthermore:

"This is all very puzzling.   The documents of the Second Vatican Council praise the beauties of the pipe organ; they indicate that Gregorian chant should receive an honored place in worship" (pg. 93).

I could easily go on and on and on.  (and I am tempted to!)  But I will stop here and recommend that everyone read this book and buy a copy for their pastor and music director! 

OH!  ONE LAST THOUGHT!  He closes the book by pointing out that Here I Am, Lord shares in part a melody with the theme song from The Brady Bunch!!! 

"Is it I, Lord.  I have heard you calling in the night..."
"Here's the story, of a lovely lady who was bringing up three very lovely girls." 

As much as I loved this book, I fear I will never be able to worship to these songs ever again without great effort and focus!  (And that may not be a bad thing!)