www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall NPM Convention

I noticed that this Roman Catholic Music convention has scheduled Byzantine Morning Prayers. What Byzantine Catholic Churches send representatives to this Roman Catholic Music Convention?
Any Melkite, UGCC, Romanian GC, Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic representatives sent to this convention and why would they be there?

www.npm.org/EducationEvents/convention/ [npm.org]

Ungcsertezs

www.npm.org/EducationalEvents/convention/ [npm.org]

Although I am Byzantine, most of my musical work is in a Roman Catholic church. The church pays my membership, but I generally disregard NPM. This is the organization that has brought us Haugen, Haas, Joncas, and others not worth mentioning. I belong to the Church Music Association of America (the old St. Cecilia Society) which is attempting to restore authentic Catholic music. Prof. Thompson has written some good articles in the NPM magazine and is involved with the eastern section of NPM. However, I suspect we Byzantines are more of a curiosity to the RCs than anything else.

Dear Ung-Certez,

The mission statement for the NPM refers to those who "serve the Catholic Church in the United States"; I have no doubt that most of the members are Latin-Rite Catholics, but a number of list members attended the workshop [metropolitancantorinstitute.org] on Eastern chant there a few years back. Since the conference is for church musicians, I'm not sure why the churches themselves would send representatives.

Or are you somehow trying to pin the label 'Roman Catholic' on Father Galadza, Professor Thompson, or others who participate in the NPM?

Yours in Christ,
Jeff

Seems odd that a Roman Catholic Convention would have any connection to any Eastern Catholic Church. Very odd that this Convention holds Byzantine Morning Prayers when their audience is Roman Catholic. Strange.

Ungcsertezs

Dear Ung-Certez,

There is an annual Divine Liturgy at Franciscan University (Steubenville), and I believe we have also seen such Liturgies in places like Illinois, all of which probably had quite a few Roman Catholics in attendance. In fact, for years I have seen recommendations on this very forum that we try to educate Roman Catholics about our Church and its services; for example, at a local Knights of Columbus meeting we led the singing of an Akathist to the Mother of God, even though most there were Roman Catholics. Do you object?

Jeff

Jeff,

No. You would think Eastern Catholics have nothing in common with Roman Catholic musicians. Is there an Eastern Christian part of the NPM? Wouldn't you think that the Eastern Catholic Churches would have their own Music Pastoral association and own work shop convention? If not, wouldn't it be better to send Eastern Catholics to an Orthodox Music Convention, since we share the same liturgies and in some cases, liturgical chant heritage?

Just making an inquiry.

Ungcsertezs

Ungcsertezs

I know, it is strange. It's like our bishops belonging to the USCCB. The Latin conference is so overwhelming in size it seems to have a bad influence on us. I am always afraid someone is going to come back from one of those conferences and say, "look at what the Latins are doing. We should too."

Dear Ung-certez,

Yes, it would be wonderful if there were such a regular convention, and in the meantime NPM is officially a "Catholic" rather than a "Roman Catholic" organization. Professor Thompson's article [metropolitancantorinstitute.org] in their journal a few months back did a fair job, I think, of noting both the advantages our chant and "liturgically-centered" traditions have, and the liturgical problems we have been facing over the years. It's good that other Catholic musicians are aware of what CAN be done with liturgical chant.

Jeff

P.S. And I agree with you, ByzanTN; I have always looked askance at the NPM's general tenor, and have been glad to see occasional resurgences of the Ancients... It's not a lions' den I'd want to enter, but who says we are always allowed to stay nicely disengaged? Like it or not, "they" are Catholics too and thus we have obligations to them in the Faith.

I just don't see the connection between Roman Catholic liturgical music and Eastern Catholic chant music. Does not the OCA have a musical organization and musical convention?

Ungcsertezs

Like to be a fly on the wall listening to conversations about the "Motu Proprio" issued on Saturday 7/7/07. Timely that the conference is at the same time, but unfortunately I don't see any workshops on "Singing the Restored Roman Rite."

Is the "Byzantine Morning Prayer" Matins or some other prayer service based on Matins? Who is the officiant? Anyone know?

Any other Ruthenian parishes sending their cantors or choir directors?

Fr. Galadza?

U-C

I once saw in a Roman Catholic hymnal a hymn to the tune of "Chervena Ruza". It sighted the music as a "Slovakian folk song"

U-C (Mala ja muzha, muzha...)

"Today's entrance hymn is on page 34. (Od Ungvara...)"

I think that's how the "Polka Masses" started!

U-C

Dear Ung-Certez,

The OCA has an official department for liturgical music and translations, which occasionally sponsors talks and one-day workshops, but is not a "membership organization" as such.

The Pan-Orthodox Society for the Advancement of Liturgical Music just held their FIRST national conference in August 2006; the booklet [orthodoxpsalm.org] lists Professor Michael Thompson as one of the attendees. (He also directs a choir at an Antiochean Orthodox church, so he would have had a variety of reasons to attend!)

Check out the resources page on the MCI website for information about some other Orthodox liturgical music resources.

Yours in Christ,
Jeff