Readings for Jan. 18, 2015

·  Reading 1 1 Samuel 3:3-10, 19

·  Responsorial Psalm ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10

·  Reading 2 1 Corinthians 6:13-15, 17-20

·  Gospel John 1:35-42

Here I Am, Lord: The Catholic Music Tradition

Do you hear music in our Old Testament reading today, as Samuel tells Eli, “Here I am”?

If you did, it was likely to the tune of Dan Schutte’s 1981 Here I am, Lord (Isaiah 6:8 and 1 Samuel 3, published by OCP), one of the most familiar hymns in our modern Catholic music tradition. Used at a variety of liturgical celebrations, from Confirmation to Catholic Burial, Here I am, Lord captures God’s personal call and the dignity of servanthood. Because of its inspirational message and catchy tune, it has been ranked among the most influential songs among Catholics, but has also been adopted for worship in many Protestant churches.

For centuries, composers have created some of the world’s most important music for the Catholic Church. Catholic composers include men and women from around the world, representing a variety of cultural and music traditions. They include priests and nuns, converts, professional musicians, and lay people. Although Schutte’s name may not be familiar to you, the same is not likely true for the likes of Johann Christian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Joseph Haydn, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart—all of whom wrote significant works for the Catholic liturgy. Twentieth-century music icons Igor Stravinsky, Edward Elgar, and Ralph Vaughan Williams are also listed among the most important composers who wrote Catholic sacred music.

But much has changed—and is still changing—in Catholic music. In 2008, Washington Post Staff Writer Hank Stuever wrote, “Catholics don't argue about abortion or the death penalty nearly as much as they argue about what music is sung (or not sung, or used to be sung) at their local Sunday Mass.” Stuever is describing the significant changes and continuing controversies that have taken place in our music heritage since the Vatican II era, “when Sister first shortened her habit, strummed a G7 chord and, to hear some Catholics tell it, all heck broke loose.”

While Vatican II affirmed the value of traditional Catholic music, it also inaugurated a new era in Catholic liturgy by calling for a move toward congregational participation in their native languages and cultural styles. As a result, songs like Here I am, Lord are part of a massive, growing, diverse contemporary music repertoire that often draws on folk music, incorporates cultural preferences, and adapts to institutional changes in instrumentation—that is, away from the venerable pipe organ and toward more contemporary (and cost-efficient) pianos and guitars.

Though some will continue to prefer our more traditional music, we should all be proud of the rich and growing legacy of our Catholic music tradition.

Katrina Quinn

SOURCES

Documents of the II Vatican Council. Vatican Archive. Web. 10 Jan 2015.

Roccasalvo, Sr. Joan L., CSJ. “Rebuilding Catholic Culture: Church Music and Fad of ‘Folk’ Style.” Catholic News Agency. 19 Sep 2012. Web. 10 Jan 2015.

Steuver, Hank. “Between Medieval and Folk, Two Mass Audiences.” The Washington Post. 16 Apr 2008. Web. 10 Jan 2015.