Advent Sunday Introit IX

‘To you, O Lord, I lift my soul’ from Psallite by the Collegeville Composers Group.

I put this down on my initial list as a choir anthem, since a descant is given even for the antiphon, but looking more carefully I see that the principal melody line of the antiphon is, in fact, intended for the congregation, and part of what you pay for is an 'assembly graphic' which can be inserted in orders of service. Have a look for yourself here.

For: Preserves the antiphon-Psalm alternation, and the text is an English translation of the traditional Introit. The whole Psallite programme covers every Sunday in the three year Lectionary cycle, so these are proper Propers: a communion song is given in addition to the introit. According to the publisher, "The music of Psallite clearly reflects the role of liturgical music envisioned in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. It is music that restores psalm-singing as the primary prayer language." Amen to that.

Against: This was published in 2005, so the translation obviously doesn't conform to the new translation of the Roman Missal. Has this text been authorised for use in Scotland? For congregational 'singability', the antiphon text has been reduced to a short snippet, with the missing verses reassigned to the choir or cantor part.

It's all very admirable, but at this point I have to go off on a bit of a rant. Liturgical composers who import styles or motifs from secular music, need to realise that these extraneous elements trail a great deal of baggage for their listeners, and that this might result in distraction and disedification - even when the secular sources are much loved. It's precisely because, as a teenager, I listened obsessively to the early recordings of Genesis that I cannot hear Shine, Jesus, Shine without that the vision of the young Peter Gabriel rises upon my inward sight. (Compare Graham Kendrick's song with "Window" from the band's first album.) This is why I would never programme the hymn Immaculate Mary, Star of the Morning to the tune of The Streets of Laredo, even though it sounds fantastic: the associations are wrong. And I shudder at the mere thought of the "U2charist", or the Jazz Reproaches. So when I watched this promotional video, I found myself being sold right off the idea of Psallite. Pope St Pius X decreed that, "Since modern music has risen mainly to serve profane uses, greater care must be taken with regard to it, in order that the musical compositions of modern style which are admitted in the Church may contain nothing profane, be free from reminiscences of motifs adopted in the theatres, and be not fashioned even in their external forms after the manner of profane pieces. Among the different kinds of modern music, that which appears less suitable for accompanying the functions of public worship is the theatrical style." (Tra le Sollecitudini, nn. 5-6) Of course he was thinking of Opera, but there is a modern theatrical style of music also, to which his strictures must surely apply.

I don't want to single out Psallite for criticism here, and of course there's a great deal of other music in our hymnals which is in a similar style (and often much less well-written) - and at least the Collegeville composers are trying to get us to sing the Proper antiphons and Psalms. But I think there is a serious issue here, and for me this vitiates the laudable work that Psallite is trying to do. Feel free to disagree with me, dear reader: that's what the combox is for!