FROM THE CHAPLAIN Music and the Reforming Impulse
M
OST OF US know something about the “Reformation.” The names Luther, Calvin,
Zwingli come to mind. For others, more learned in the history of the 16th century, perhapsMelanchthon, Bucer, or Menno Simons are sum- moned. Where would church music be without the Lutheran Chorale, the Geneva Psalms (metrical texts and tunes), the wondrous hymns of the Bohemian Brethren, and the vast range of composers, Protestant and Catholic, who flourished because of
the desire to reform church and liturgy? This year marks the 50th anniversary of another reform,
signaled by Vatican II (1963–65), especially by its most fa- mous document, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. An international group of liturgical scholars, pastoral leaders, and theologians are gathering this month in Wurzburg, Ger- many, to ponder the legacy of that document. This prompts me to think about the intimate relationships between wor- ship reforms and the reform and renewal of music in both church and culture. The impulse for reform of liturgy and the life of religious
communities stems from two primary sources. The first is when a community senses a gap between the “is” and the “ought to be” of the world and desires correction or change. When our hopes for justice run up against unjust policies, or when the promises of education are never matched by the ac- tual quality of a school system, we cry out for “educational reforms.” We should not be surprised that this impulse re- sults from religious faith itself. Sometimes the gap grows so strong that we are forced to rethink the relationship between worship and the nature and mission of the churches. As Al- fred Loisy once famously quipped, “Jesus promised the Kingdom, but we got the church instead.” Some of us feel that gap keenly just now, given all the problems Christian churches are facing. The second impulse for reform of both liturgy and music comes fromthe ongoing cultural changes swirling around re-
ligion and its practices. Present societies are undergoing great shifts in family patterns, in our notions of community, in the impact of technology, and especially in fundamental questions about how we are to practice our faith. These two sources are bound together in any desire for true reform. For musicians, however, reform and renewal of the wor-
ship life of the church are more than matters of changes in language or format, or even replacing old songs with new. Genuine reform has to do with a reorientation of attitude to the depths of life and faith. This is why debates about “tra- ditional” and “contemporary” can actually mask the deeper issues. Change for change’s sake is not true reform. Some of themost authentic examples of renewal come by a rediscov- ery of what has been neglected or lost. I’ve seen how vigor- ous “teaching” roles of the choir and instrumentalists have revolutionized the congregation’s sense of trust and deeper participation. The point is to create a new sense of genuine dialogue between choir, musicians, and the congregation. Alongside the opening of the treasury of cherished song, an enthusiasmfor learning new hymns and forms of prayer and worship is born. Musical leadership is at the heart of this re- forming/renewing impulse. One longtime church member remarked, “We can’t go back to our comfortable ‘how we’ve always done it.’” A new trust between the pastoral and mu- sical leadership gave her congregation confidence and open- ness. This dialogue involved more attentive correlation of preaching, scripture study, and the development of a sense of worship as “sung prayer” incorporating both ancient and contemporary musical settings. There can be little doubt that the liturgical reforms of the
Second Vatican Council have made a real contribution to Protestant impulses for reform over the past half-century. But we also are challenged by how much can yet be done to deepen faith and life through informed and inspired musi- cal leadership. Roman Catholic musicians know that they have yet to fully realize the promise of Vatican II. A more profound “Alleluia” is always possible, in worship as in life. This is the true spirit of reform and renewal. We must again “listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” Worship comes to its senses for the life of the world.
DON E. SALIERS
16
THE AMERICAN ORGANIST
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