Thursday, June 18, 2009  The State of Catholic Music in the U.S.
Here is a truth that most mainstream Catholic musicians will not
want to hear: Catholics in the pews are deeply unhappy, nearly
to the point of disgust, or even past that point, with the state
of Catholic music in the average parish. The longer the status
quo continues, the more demoralized and angry they are becoming.
I’m not speaking of cathedrals, which have been improving, or of
famed and growing parishes that are currently working toward the
great ideals of sung prayer in liturgy, and I’m not even
speaking of seminaries, which are undergoing rapid and thrilling
rates of reform right now.  Instead I’m speaking of the run-of-
the-mill Catholic parish you happen into on your travels here
and there, anywhere in the country, the parishes that don’t make
the headlines, can’t afford the trained musicians, don’t have
the wonderful organs, and just have to get by on the resources
they have.  Here is where the status quo prevails in a nearly
tyranni