Throughout the next year, and until the implementation of the New Translation of the Roman Missal, The Authentic Update will focus on issues surrounding the New Translation and developments in Sacred Music arising from it. I hope you will visit here frequently and join in the conversation as the Church enters into this remarkable period of liturgical transformation.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

We Sang A New Translation and... nobody noticed?

Hmm... This over at Jerry Galipeau's "Gotta Sing, Gotta Pray" blog:

There have been some great comments posted recently, comments from musicians like Kevin Keil. These musicians are beginning to implement the new texts, set to new and revised musical settings, now, in order to prepare their communities gradually for the upcoming change. I found Kevin's comments quite interesting:

"With all the variations of texts currently used in our present repertoire, no one noticed that it was a new translation; just another variation of the Gloria. Interesting."

As I have said before, I think the transition will be the easiest for the people in the pews; much more challenging for bishops and priests.


In Jerry's defense, yes, he has indeed said (well, for the past half year or so...) that the people in the pews will have less trouble. Even so, I still sense that he is uneasy that there is going to be all kinds of opposition, complaints and the such.

But... and here's my reason for posting this... I have been excoriated recently by an anonymous commenter (well, they believe themselves to be anonymous at least... :) ) who recently said the following:


(I had said)"The original post at PT that spurred this article was so transparently made from the point of view of a discouraged progressive who sees the time of the NewChurch coming to an end, wishing with all her strength that her unlikely predictions (of massive opposition to the new translation) might come true."

(the anon commenter then said) Baloney,

You've been chanting the same neum here there and on every blog for months now, and it's just not true, though it would certainly make it easier for you to deal with the incompetence and politics that produced the final, far inferior final version if it were true. So keep chanting.

All together now in Mode 1: "A-at le-ee-east we have a new-ew transla-a-tion now ..."


Now, that comment refers to another article at Pray Tell by an author who was predicting doom and gloom and insurrection by the faithful as soon as they heard the new translation. There would be pestilence and famine... riots and massive hordes leaving the church in rebellion.

But now we have Kevin Keil who (well, perhaps slighly under the radar...) introduces the Gloria... the most changed text for the faithful in the new translation... and.... NOBODY EVEN NOTICES THAT IT IS A NEW TRANSLATION.

I expect that this will be the reaction in most places.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming....

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