...while on the subject of Chrism Masses (see report on the Westminster Chrism Mass, below)....I also went to the Chrism Mass of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. This took place at the church in Warwick Street, just off Piccadilly Circus. Some good photos of the Mass here.
The church was packed so Auntie joined friends in the gallery. First time I've ever been at a Mass that I've viewed from above. All rather stunning. A choir sang a very grand Mass setting, but almost more impressive was the absolutely magnificent singing of hymns by the congregation: "Praise to the Holiest in the Height", accompanied by trumpets in the last verse, was marvellous...oh, please could we have something of this great tradition passed on to the rest of the Catholic Church in our country? We have such feeble hymn-singing, and many Catholics seem to take it for granted that when a hymn is announced, you open the relevant page and then do absolutely nothing.
2 comments:
* Very Good Pictures
of the Mass !!!
The hopeless singing is partly because too many Catholic churches took on dreadful "modern" hymns with non-existent tunes. Once, at a church I was at, where no one ever sang, "Faith of Our Fathers" slipped in to the list somehow. (Perhaps someone put the wrong number on the board :)) Everyone suddenly woke up, twigged that they vaguely remembered it from Catholic school and sang their hearts out. America has these caterwauling lady cantors to try and lead people in the singing, which is, if anything, worse, as they tend to choose the worst and most complicated tunes. I'm not saying it's because they want to show off, just thinking it.
Post a Comment