Wednesday, April 10, 2013  Rantings on Liturgical Music  I
offered a Requiem Mass (in the ordinary form) at a wake earlier.
Before the Mass, the members of the choir approached me to ask
if they may sing the responses at the Mass. "Old translation or
new translation?" I quickly asked. "The old, father," the leader
said, "we have not yet updated ourselves." I was disappointed
with the answer as the implementation in the Philippines of the
new English translation of the Roman Missal was a year behind
the implementation in most English speaking countries.  I ask:
Why is it that in spite of the formation given by the Diocesan
Liturgical Commissions, choirs still insist on singing the
responses in the old translation? If the priests are obliged to
use the new translation, why should the noncompliance of the
choir be toleration. I think that insisting on using the text of
the old translation is really arrogance. If priests must follow
rules, why shouldn't the choir? Also, in the Philippines,
certain compositions pa