Shop 'til You Drop

A post here draws our attention to the convention of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, which this year features some talk of the proper chants, and some discussion of a pre-1970 Church document. You have to know something about NPM to see that this is surprising news.

I went through the schedule of this event fairly carefully. It is so expansive, with so many breakout sessions that you have to click at least five times to see it all. Mostly the program is what you expect: publishers pushing their newest and trendiest stuff, and their composers telling us how fabulous their music is. It seems that the authentic music of the Church that is intimately linked to the Mass itself is making a brief and hesitant appearance as part of a vast range of options, like one of a thousand side dishes in a massive all-you-can-eat buffet. I'm really not sure how to think of this. I suppose it is progress. It would be silly to deny it, I guess. And yet...