Be not afraid of funerals. Just the music.

Funerals.
With 4 occurring in 5 days time, I feel it appropriate to reflect on the musical planning of such:

3/4 funerals include Amazing Grace
3/4 funerals include Ave Maria*
3/4 include On Eagle's Wings
3/4 include Be Not Afraid
1/4 included performances by a Spanish guitar/tambourine/mariachi band from a parish an hour away (i renounce all previous statements about publishers inclusion of "mariachi" music for Spanish-speaking peoples as blind sighted and racist...I am now convinced [yes, because of one encounter, call me close-minded] that every person of Mexican heritage goes around playing "La Bamba" in Churches. Oi.)

0/4 include In Paradisum (although we do sing the Song of Farewell based on Old 100th [and not some trite, lame melody] at every funeral - of course, the family gets no choice in this matter)

*Schubert's "Ave Maria," albeit beautiful, is all too often seen as an appropriate substitute for the use of any and all other Latin texts.

It really makes me wonder: even though I want nothing more than chanted Latin propers (with some Tallis or deVictoria at offertory), will my family go ahead and choose music that makes them "feel good?" (This is in response to one family who went on and on about how their dad loved everything traditional, loved the Latin Mass and used to rail against the use of guitars in Church. [yay old Italian men] They even said, "there better be no guitars," but then went on to choose the usual non-traditional staples. Not that their father cares now - he is able to experience the most beautiful and celestial music in all of eternity - but what is wrong with at least "simulating" eternity with the most pure, beautiful and transcendent music we have? *sigh*

Lost opportunity?

Wow. Even NPR put aside the usual liberally-tainted cynicism in their article: http://www.npr.org/2010/12/22/131753494/for-these-young-nuns-habits-are-the-new-radical

Everytime I read another one of the many articles written on this beautiful order of Dominican sisters, I cannot help but feel that twinge of guilt: that should be me. And desire: that could be me.

Being the new kid on the block: one antidote to the spread of Political Correctness.

A former band director once told me, "you can not be blamed for what you simply forget to remember." He was of course, speaking about an ongoing battle between himself and the football coach, in which he would weekly "forget" the band was not supposed to march in the front gate of the stadium.

 I have since adopted a similar approach. The result: I am now perceived to be a dim-witted, mindless fool.

Of course, the joke is on them. There are few times in our adult life when we are actually able to plead ignorance. Speeding on the highway is unfortunately not one of them, but starting a new job IS. Therefore, I have strategically capitalized on this "newbie" status time and time again in order to further the aims of truth, and for this, I am more than willing to suffer the consequence of being dubbed "parish ignoramus."

One example of such behavior: I have been told countless (probably twice a week since the onset of employment) times that "we" at "Suburban Catholic Parish A" replace all masculine pronouns (i.e. His, Him) with the more gender-neutral, ambiguous term "God." To be fair, this edict has not come from the clergy, but from several women who wish they were. (I refer to them as the "old guard.") Each Sunday Mass, I must endure the same ritual. Upon hearing me sing "His glory," one of the old-guard fem-bots gives me a polite (or not-so-polite) tap on the shoulder and reminds me through pursed lips about saying "God's" instead. Each time, I give them a big, warm smile, and tell them, "I'm sorry. I'm still getting used to everything, I'll try to remember next time." [Of course, then my guilty Catholic conscience gets the best of me about lying in church. But then again, the same conscience also cynically notes that the Tabernacle is not technically even in the church, and besides, half-truths for the sake of truth are technically not lying! After all, I am sorry [that they live under this guise!], and I am still getting used to everything! And I will try [albeit not very hard] to remember next time, but trying is not the same as promising!]

Anyway, until I receive a thundering proclamation from the priest, who signs my checks, I will continue this little game. Is this behavior disagreeable? Perhaps. Will I create enemies? Undoubtedly.

Therefore, "draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness."
- Letter to the Ephesians, 6:10-12

The Matrix

When I chose the background for this blog, I was drawn to the vertical binary code. Although I'd love to take the time to fully explain the multiple reasons why the background is relevant to the blog, it'll probably happen in small posts over time.

In a nutshell, it has to do with perceived reality versus REALITY. This can be interpreted as Earth vs. Heaven. Another idea is our perceived world, including sunshine and bunnies, and the reality of demons and good angels constantly battling around us while we walk around oblivious to the situation.

But neither of these ideas is foremost. What if you realized that your understanding of a situation, something you took for granted, was mind-numbingly wrong?  What if the very people you trusted appeared to be working against you?  And what if ALL of you were Catholic, attending church in the same small community?   All of this is hypothetical, of course.

My Matrixesque background is a reminder to be cautious, aware, and never trust too much.

Symphonie Romane - Charles Marie Widor, Final

This is the last movement of Widor's 10th Symphony. The theme is taken from the Easter Gradual "Haec dies quam fecit Dominus" (“This is the day the Lord hath made.”)

This piece will conclude my recital, which will be held most likely sometime in the first two weeks of November.

Mah Test Post

Since the death of my first blog, there have been several occasions when I thought, "I must blog that!"

I remember not one of those critical items that came to mind.  Alas.

Now I have a new blog, and a good place to file all of those random and definitely-not-random ideas that come to mind.

Thanks for stopping by.