Comments on: Men-folk, Sing! http://blog.ancient-future.net/2007/08/27/men-folk-sing/ The Ancient and Future Catholic Blog Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:42:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: A Simple Sinner http://blog.ancient-future.net/2007/08/27/men-folk-sing/#comment-994 A Simple Sinner Tue, 28 Aug 2007 03:56:00 +0000 http://perchristumblog.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/men-folk-sing/#comment-994 Here is a little secret, buried in the combox of a post a day or two old... Can't advertise it too much.<br/><br/>Ready?<br/><br/>Men love to sing.<br/><br/>Butch men. Football watchin' men. Change-your-own-oil kinda men. <br/><br/>Problem is, a lot of us wer always insecure about our voices, our grade school music teachers - if we had them - were women, and the girls excelled in those classes better than we did.<br/><br/>I know some manly priest-men types - Vietnam vets, football watchers, old timers with some Navy tattoos. They can sing, they can chant. As a Greek Catholic, you show me a priest who can't sing, I will show you priests who used to always be strategically placed in parishes with GREAT cantors. And that's just a few of them - our guys can sing!<br/><br/>So here is the deal - on top of all that we have to deal with, we have to teach our guys to sing. Look at these young men. They are loving it.<br/><br/>You pull a younger man aside and put him in a group after you have evaluated his range and his talents, than go from there. <br/><br/>Men do love to sing when you teach them how to do so, and give them music they can love to sing. Here is a little secret, buried in the combox of a post a day or two old… Can’t advertise it too much.

Ready?

Men love to sing.

Butch men. Football watchin’ men. Change-your-own-oil kinda men.

Problem is, a lot of us wer always insecure about our voices, our grade school music teachers - if we had them - were women, and the girls excelled in those classes better than we did.

I know some manly priest-men types - Vietnam vets, football watchers, old timers with some Navy tattoos. They can sing, they can chant. As a Greek Catholic, you show me a priest who can’t sing, I will show you priests who used to always be strategically placed in parishes with GREAT cantors. And that’s just a few of them - our guys can sing!

So here is the deal - on top of all that we have to deal with, we have to teach our guys to sing. Look at these young men. They are loving it.

You pull a younger man aside and put him in a group after you have evaluated his range and his talents, than go from there.

Men do love to sing when you teach them how to do so, and give them music they can love to sing.

]]> By: NiceneHobbit http://blog.ancient-future.net/2007/08/27/men-folk-sing/#comment-993 NiceneHobbit Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:14:00 +0000 http://perchristumblog.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/men-folk-sing/#comment-993 By the way, those eight young men singing...!! LIke angels of God! The tears just welled up and fell, it was so beautiful. By the way, those eight young men singing…!! LIke angels of God! The tears just welled up and fell, it was so beautiful.

]]> By: NiceneHobbit http://blog.ancient-future.net/2007/08/27/men-folk-sing/#comment-992 NiceneHobbit Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:05:00 +0000 http://perchristumblog.wordpress.com/2007/08/27/men-folk-sing/#comment-992 To witness a beautifully celebrated Mass, watch the Mass from Notre Dame Basilica (South Bend, Indiana), Sunday mornings, on the Hallmark Channel. The hymns are usually of the Anglo-German style with swelling organ and full choir and the Communion anthems include pieces both in English and Latin. There is also a kind of natural dignity in their celebration of the Mass, often lacking in modern Catholic Liturgies. The Mass at Notre Dame is simply executed, but not "homey" or "touchy-feely".<br/> It's such an aesthetic relief that REAL hymns are making a come back (you know, the big, full-bodied ones like "All Creatures of Our God And King", "Now Thank We All Our God"), as well as more pieces from our incredibly lovely Latin repertoire. <br/> And, yes, if and as parishes are exposed more to the old muscial treasures, especially male choirs, I think there will be more men open to "the call". To witness a beautifully celebrated Mass, watch the Mass from Notre Dame Basilica (South Bend, Indiana), Sunday mornings, on the Hallmark Channel. The hymns are usually of the Anglo-German style with swelling organ and full choir and the Communion anthems include pieces both in English and Latin. There is also a kind of natural dignity in their celebration of the Mass, often lacking in modern Catholic Liturgies. The Mass at Notre Dame is simply executed, but not “homey” or “touchy-feely”.
It’s such an aesthetic relief that REAL hymns are making a come back (you know, the big, full-bodied ones like “All Creatures of Our God And King”, “Now Thank We All Our God”), as well as more pieces from our incredibly lovely Latin repertoire.
And, yes, if and as parishes are exposed more to the old muscial treasures, especially male choirs, I think there will be more men open to “the call”.

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