North of the Shire

Here’s an article regarding the Kenyan constitutional vote upcoming;

http://www.cisanewsafrica.org/news.php?id=4605

It seems the Catholic(?) Vice-President of the U.S. would like to bribe the Kenyans into a constitution that would support abortion. The man will have a lot to answer for one day.

Here are some of our Catholic Kenyan brothers and sisters. I like this one;

They love to praise God. Let us pray for them, that they can resist the abomination of abortion in their constitution.

I have wondered why it is that I like this piece so much. Listening to it once more I begin to wonder if it is the fact that the voices are balanced, unlike many chorale pieces.

I had thought it was simply because of the basso profondo but it is more than that. The deep bass voices are there and prominent but I think the beauty is in the way they are balanced with the tenors, altos and sopranos. So much of chorale music stresses the high tenors and sopranos.

I suppose to me this gives a more rounded feel of the human voice and there is nothing as beautiful as the human voice in music. That is why the a cappella chorale is the best.

Here’s another that I love because it features an alto soloist who I find amazing.

I listen to this first because I love the sound of Russian sacred music and I can stand shoulder to shoulder with our Orthodox brothers in praying the prayer our Lord taught us to pray. So much almost goes without saying.

But I notice this video in particular has a quality almost of the old days of the Soviet Union, such that it has been done surreptitiously, and even the singing of the Lord’s Prayer would be dangerous to those participating. The church itself seems almost barren and the videographer takes time to show the pipe organ, not being used for this musical selection.

This seems to me almost symbolic in the sense that under oppression the Christians are tested and survive and they have become very good at singing a cappella, so good in fact that it has its own quality that surpasses the instrument supported music. And indeed, there is something so beautiful about human voices in chorale sans instruments when it is well done that in my own mind it is really the highest form of music and liturgically speaking the highest form of praise to God.

It would be nice to get the recording. Fascinating that the monastery has been going without interruption since 1133. That’s one that was out of the reach of the kings of England.

There is something that really bugs me whenever the liturgical discussion comes to the fore. The latest I heard this was yesterday on the Across the Nation show with Bob Dunning on the Catholic Channel on Sirius. I don’t wish to pick on Bob Dunning because he is just one example of an understanding that is all too common. Besides that, he’s a nice guy, and does a good job as a broadcaster/host in the talk format on the Catholic Channel. While I don’t always agree with his opinions on issues, he usually has a balanced presentation and a wide range of guests.

Having said that, Continue Reading »

This is from a couple of years ago upon the announcement of the Motu Proprio regarding the “Extraordinary Form” of the Mass. I love this one;

Franciscans of the Immaculate, The sisters singing behind a video excerpt of the Latin Mass