Daniel Vitz in a post on the "Return of the St. Louis Jesuits" links to an article about their reunion and (gasp) new album.
There are some wonderful songs for funerals, some for prayers, and some that are rock-sounding. There’s something for everyone." Vocals will be handled by all four and a chorus; instrumentation will be mostly piano and guitar but augmented with some bass, flutes, drums, oboes, and strings.
Something for everyone? Maybe in this case I am the exception that proves the rule. Though I think there might be a lot of exceptions are there in St. Blogs and the St. Louis Jesuits certainly don’t rule dude!
In their heyday, the St. Louis Jesuits were a sort of religious equivalent of the Beatles, although they never toured or performed concerts. Instead, they conducted liturgical music workshops and spoke at conferences. This surprised some people.
Where’s Yoko Ono when you need her?
18 comments
Ugh. Well, someone I suppose will get up and cheer..probobably mostly the crowd that’s about as old as they are.
Thankfully, my parish does not play any of the St. Louis Jesuit treacle, favoring instead some of the music and hymns that Christians have been singing for hundreds rather than dozens of years.
I used to complain about the taste in music at the average Catholic Mass, then a buddy of mine challeneged me to do something about it.
Now,I’m in a 5-Man Gregorian chant group that sings at various parishes in our deanery. Most of the time, we are singing a communion meditation and a prelude, and the “normal” choir sings the other songs. When we sing a chant piece, it is a little funny watching the normal choir have to follow us with a Marty Haugen hymn. You can see the embarrassment in their faces as they walk up to their microphones. They know that the music they have to sing is less than inspiring, and in these instances, it is very obvious.
We aren’t all that professional, but it just goes to show you: beautiful music done by an average choir is better than horrible music done by a well-trained choir.
After these Masses, we’ve had numerous people come up to us requesting us for their own funerals.
I wonder why no one wants Marty Haugen sung at their funerals?
What I wonder is, how can these men continue to create such shlock when some of them of them have legitimate training in composition. In fact, I’m currently taking a class from one of the men they studied with. He prefers not to advertize the fact that he trained them, and when asked about it, just shakes his head and implies that they’re ignoring any training or talent they might have had. Even one of their composition teachers wants nothing to do with them.
“Now,I’m in a 5-Man Gregorian chant group …”
We appreciate your work, greatly. That said, we are adult catholics here; you can say “schola”. 😉
Pax
They do it because they run with a circle that admires them, praises them constantly, and has done nothing for the last 16 years but say, “When ‘r you guys comin’ back?” –the North American Association of Pastoral Musicians, a group that includes Marty, David Hass, etc. These are the “stars” and maybe they call is a music convention, but they are still treated like stars. And they are greying.
Their ‘re-debut’ took place in Milwaukee this past June to wild accolades and praise. (My b-i-l happens to be in this group.)
It is a sad fact that one of them is not even a priest anymore (in the sense of practicing, of course he’s a priest forever) he is an ex-priest living an unexemplary lifestyle.
Sad.
They lost me about 20 years ago when they started re-writing all their lyrics to reflect the “neutral gender” of God, which pleased all their feminist followers emmensly. If there’s one thing I hate in lyrics, it’s to have them re-written to take out all of the free flowing “he”‘s and “his”s and add in the awkward “God’s” in it’s place.
Where’s Yoko Ono when you need her?
Don’t you mean Mark David Chapman?
“I wonder why no one wants Marty Haugen sung at their funerals?”
Don’t get me started about funeral music.
I have attended funerals over the past year which featured, among others:
1. Dancing Queen – Abba
2. Amazing Grace – Elvis Presley
3. You are the Wind Beneath My Wings – Bette Middler
When my time comes – I want Abide With Me and Lead Kindly Light!
It really is a sad state of the church when we have to get the Catholic Beatles out of retirement-alias the St Louis Jesuits. Church music can be so wonderful but most Catholics always accepts 3rd or 5th best. When will the Diocese of USA stand up and get rid of the schlock the premeates worship in America under the guise of Catholic worship.
I like dancing queen – why anyone would consider that a funeral song, much less an appropriate funeral song is beyond me. Still —-dancing queen versus Haas Haugen crap — it’s a tough choice.
Note that it’s not a complete reunion – they’re missing Tim Manion.
I’m dying to see what kind of schlock the Church will be subject too with this new album. Let it stay on the album and OUT of the hymnals – please please please.
The only two songs I use by them that are anywhere near decent (IMO) are “Only This I Want” and “Christ, Circle ’round Us” – the latter has a text based on the “O” antiphons and a tune adapted to the Salve Regina. Those are all!
I too have gotten requests for “Wind beneath my wings” at funerals (yes, I’m an organist). I flatly reject them, politely letting the family know that it’s inappropriate for Holy Mass. I usually get a call later from the same family asking for “Eagle’s Wings” (another schlock song, but at least based on Ps. 91, which an organist friend of mine told me of a parody called “Beagle’s Things”).
BMP
Is it me, or do three out of four have that “separated at birth” look?
I suppose, given the surnames, that they could all be related back in Ireland….
I remember somewhere that another nickname for Eagles Wings is the “yoo-hoo” song.
yoo-hoo dwell in the ….
Each week, the St. Michael Hymnal looks more and more appealing. Today at Mass we sang at least four Haugen/Haas works (including the Responsorial Psalm) none of which I knew and each of which went on far too long with inclusive language, banal lyrics, and uninspired music! For now we are stuck with the Gather “Comprehensive” – or should I say the Rather Progressive”? – but the least we could do is begin singing old standards (even if the words have been butchered, at least it would get us ready to switch to a real hymnal). And to think GIA was once the “Gregorian Institute of Amercia” – no joke folks! Sta. Caecilia, Ora pro nobis.
The only drawback I found with St. Michael Hymnal – on the most part, it’s great, but you still have…
Be Not Afraid
Eagle’s Wings
a few other Glory and Praise classics
How Great Thou Art
a sizeable amount of Spanish material
Truthfully – wouldn’t you like to see those above titles eliminated altogether?
I don’t have the book – yet – but have read the indices provided on the website for it.
BMP
Brian said:
The only drawback I found with St. Michael Hymnal – on the most part, it’s great, but you still have…
Be Not Afraid
Eagle’s Wings
a few other Glory and Praise classics
How Great Thou Art
a sizeable amount of Spanish material
John Replied:
Nothing that a good razor wouldn’t fix…. 😉
“On Eagle’s Wings”?
And we will make them sing above their range,
Grammar, syntax, twisted strange,
A tune that can’t be pulled with wild horses.
Copyright North American Liturgy Resources.
Well, I happen to like “On Eagle’s Wings” and some of their Advent songs. I think many of the problems with the music can be solved with arrangements, including dropping some of the work into a lower key. The range is a VERY big deal in my family, since the men are usually baritones to bass profundo. My mother has requested the old Shaker hymn “How Can I Keep From Singing?” and “Be Not Afraid” at her funeral. The lyrics are appropriate and the music low enough that even my brothers can sing.
Very true, John. just pray there isn’t a decent piece on the flip side of the pages we’d be shearing off. 🙂
BMP