The Spin Is In on "Sing To The Lord"

About 6 months ago, the USCC released its revision of Music in Catholic Worship, bringing forth a document that actually acknowledges the writings of the Second Vatican Council on the topic of music. That document was called Sing To The Lord.

Sing to the Lord is .....aahhhhh....an improvement over MCW, (which doesn't say all that much.) But the Oregon Catholic Press (OCP), which makes a lot of money on its liturgy & 'music' pamphlets and books, manages to review STTL and spin like a Democrat politician.

Fortunately, there is a clear-eyed and rational church musician who spotted the silliness.

From OCP's review with parenthetical insertions from Chironomo, we read:

“In Section II (The Church at Prayer) attention is focused on those who have significant roles in the celebration of the liturgy. After mentioning ordained ministers (for 3 pages !) the document stresses (for 1 page) the role of the Gathered Liturgical Assembly, the entire people present at a celebration. Only then does it address ( for 5 ½ pages!) ministers of liturgical music as such, highlighting the various individual ministerial responsibilities. Perhaps this may not seem of great significance, but I do not agree. Sing to The Lord clearly emphasizes that music ministers are servants of the assembly, a concept that is not always understood or appreciated.”

Chiro comments:

To begin with, since when is something 'mentioned' for 3 pages, 'addressed' for 5 ½ pages, but 'stressed' for 1 page? Wouldn’t we ordinarily say that those topics to which more space is given are being stressed?

I'd say that the reviewer is 'stressed' to make his point--in favor of OCP's spin.

For REAL upside-down cake, though, that "servants of the assembly" highlight is priceless.

STTL's language?

Choir members,... are servants of the Liturgy and members of the gathered assembly.

The director of music ministries fosters the active participation of the liturgical assembly in singing; coordinates the preparation of music to be sung at various liturgical celebrations; and promotes the ministries of choirs, psalmists, cantors, organists, and all who serve the Liturgy.

Umnnnnhhh....yah. Musta been a typo, eh?

The reviewer also managed to entirely omit any reference to Latin, which WAS mentioned, clearly, in STTL.

He goes on to mis-prioritize other items--such as the role of the choir, the importance of listening as a means of actual participation, and submerges the singing-role of the priest.

(Might I add that both STTL and the review mis-use the term "minister." ONLY those who are ordained are "ministers" in the Catholic church--but that's a discussion for another day...)

Then we learn, to our disappointment, that this review was written by....a BISHOP!

"By the waters of Babylon,....we wept..."