Italian journalist: papal liturgies do not follow Pope's own lead on sacred music
May 30, 2011
Pope Benedict XVI has called repeatedly for a restoration of the great Catholic tradition in sacred music. But Vatican-watcher Sandro Magister of L'Espresso charges that the commitment to beautiful Gregorian chant and polyphonic music has not been evident in the Pope's own liturgical celebrations, such as the beatification of John Paul II.
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Posted by: stpetric -
May. 30, 2011 8:20 PM ET USA
Whoo boy, that's for d*mned sure! Whenever I see Vatican liturgies on TV I'm struck at how screechy the choir sounds. I always hope it's poor acoustics or difficult microphone placement...but I fear it's really just the choir is simply *bad*. OTOH, every provincial English cathedral seems to have a better choir. And it's not just the Anglicans--Westminster Cathedral's choir is excellent. I suspect it's a different national choral esthetic, so what the Vaticsn needs is an English choirmaster!
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Posted by: -
May. 30, 2011 6:47 PM ET USA
Well, it would've been quite inappropriate for the beatification of John Paul II, now, wouldn't it?
