Liturgical Organ

February 2012
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Liturgical Organ
Rarely have I seen a question on here about liturgical music; your favorite: mass/oratorio/cantata/organ solo?

In centuries past, there was much great liturgical music composed, that is nowadays considered to be amongst the finest Classical Music ever penned.

But for me, it seems to have taken a decided second place to all other genres, now currently in vogue.

Shall we reminisce? Which are in your opinion, some of the most noteworthy; and should be performed much more often in today's concert halls?

Alberich

Music created to enhance worship has several functions that are not remotely connected with entertainment. For this reason, genuine music for worship is often not heard at its best in a concert hall. The expression of remorse, the ecstasy of a certain moment, the acceptance of bitter facts, etc. are not material appropriate for a concert hall, perhaps?

For conspicuous gallantry, genteel prettiness, postured reverence, etc. there is little liturgically based, orchestrally performed music more entertaining than the music of Mozart, Haydn, etc., and it is best experienced in a concert hall. It is not found particularly useful in a real worship setting now, however.

The music used in Liverpool Cathedral during Holy Week in recent years is often deliberately ugly, created to cause emotional pain, e.g. The incomparable music of J.S. Bach, well known to concert audiences, is sometimes used here, but it is far from typical. [Stravinsky is more appropriate here, it is found.]

This giant cathedral is felt to be a model of modern worship music, and features the music of Stanford, Parry, Byrd, Howells, Taverner, Lotti, Messaen, Durufle, etc. Hymns are generally set to new harmonisations regularly, and enormous care is taken to make each worship occasion musically 'new'. [This 'newness' is a feature of real worship music, I feel.]
Rarely, however, is music heard here that seems appropriate for a concert hall.

The enthronement of a new monarch is an occasion that the concert going public can enter a worship environment on something like 'their terms', and be 'entertained'. The wondrous setting of Vaughan Williams for the present British monarch is a case in point. (Westminster Abbey)

The justly popular Kings' College Choir (Cambridge) regularly regales the general public with fine choral singing, particularly at Christmas, and rarely allows itself to become corny. This is undeniably fine entertainment, but what would it be like if performed in a concert hall?
Bland, probably!

St. Paul's, London is another venue that the concert going public frequently attend, but the mystic effect of 8 seconds reverberation, so magical in a worship setting, deny these people the precision they tell themselves that music should possess.

Notre Dame, St. Eustace, etc., in France, are famous for exciting worship music. The French seem happy to go there, to their Cathedrals, to hear it!

I watched the funeral service for R. Reagan at an American Cathedral, a really beautiful building, a few years ago. I was quite impressed with the restrained majesty of the music, but wonder what the concert goers thought of it. While it was a little more populist than the music in a British Cathedral, e.g., it was decidedly not music for entertainment.

Music for a specific purpose does not always adapt to the concert hall. Where, however, is it written that the concert hall is the ordained centre of Music?

Chris Lawton at the organ of St Mary's Methodist Church, Handforth: Liturgical miniature number 30

RUBRICS DAN LOCKLAIR A LITURGICAL SUITE FOR ORGAN IN 5 MOVEMENTS
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CD BACH ORGAN CHORALES FOR THE LITURGICAL CHURCH YEAR HELMUTH RILLING
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Panis Angelicus by Franck rev Montani 1910 Organ sheet music Liturgical ed
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Johann Sebastian Bach 1933 The Liturgical Year Classical Organ Book
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St Louis Cathedral New Liturgical Altar Organ article
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Organ Chorals For Liturgical Church Helmuth Rilling
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OLIVIER MESSIAEN THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD LP LITURGICAL ORGAN CLASSICAL
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The Liturgical Year (Orgelbuchlein): 45 Organ Chorals
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Description

Contains both English and German text. Includes interpretation of Bach's organ chorals, choral sources, tempo, general rules for playing Bach and much more. Songs of praise, songs of faith, baptism, confession, salvation in Christ, communion, Thanksgiving and praise, christian life, trust, the church and more.

Hymn Preludes for the Liturgical Year for Organ, op. 100, Volume VI, No. 6, "Beautiful Savior"
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A Vierne Collection: Complete Choral & Liturgical Organ Works
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The Liturgical Organist: Easy Compositions Preludes/Interludes/Postludes for Pipe or Reed Organ with Hammond Registration (The Liturgical Organist, Volume One)
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Description

No. 7324, Volume One, Easy Compositons. For the average organist to provide church music and for possible performance-even on the smallest pipe-organ or reed-organ.