It has been said more than once that ‘Music hath charms'. But it can hardly be said that this charm is encountered as often as it ought to be at Mass or Benediction in our parish churches up and down the country. There is a considerable lack of charm in much of the music connected with the worship of God amongst us. On the other hand, we have to remind ourselves that God has no car for music. He is not disturbed by the secondrate music or the flat notes of the parish choir or the congregational hymns, though he would be disturbed, if we could talk of God in such a way, by any lack of harmony to be found in their hearts. The harmonies most acceptable to God are those of heart and mind running through the congregation of worshippers; and it is hkely that beneath the lack of good music there will lie some very beautiful harmonies indeed.

It is now something over fifty years since the appearance of that major landmark in liturgical history that was the Motu proprio of Pope St Pius X, Tra le sollecitudini, published on November 22, 1903. The original text was in Italian, though it was accompanied by a Latin text also. It is worth examining briefly the nature of a Motu proprio, by way of comparison with some subsequent legislation. A Motu proprio is a papal rescript, including these words ('of his own accord’), signifying that the Pope has decided personally on its provisions, neither depending upon the request or advice of others, nor setting out to deal with a particular case. (A special legal characteristic of a Motu proprio is that it does not depend for its validity upon the validity of the reasons alleged for its issue, as is the case with ordinary rescripts where the phrase is not used: the Motu proprio is valid whatever may happen to the reasons.) The most well-known Motu proprio is this one on Church Music, so that the term suggests to most people this particular document.

Let Them? … If only they would! But let us not blame them. What have we priests done about it? Not that I think that everything is solved by lusty singing in church. Far from it! It is the whole picture of the people's part in the liturgy that we must keep constantly before our minds. Our first task is surely with the theological basis of the liturgical movement. It will be seen for what it is, a pastoral movement, when and only when its underlying theology has been studied especially in the light of the doctrine of the Mystical Body. This threefold movement of thought (theology of the Mystical Body), action (the Mystical Body at work in the lay apostolate) and liturgy (the Mystical Body at prayer) is a twentieth-century phenomenon only in so far as it is an organized movement.

Music, to be suitable for congregational use, must clearly possess certain distinguishing qualities, which it will be wise to try and define at the outset. Firstly it must be simple. Even in parishes where no prejudice against congregational singing exists to be overcome, it is necessary both to avoid the discouragement caused by attempting music too elaborate mclodically, too complex rhythmically, or of too great vocal compass; and to avoid, even worse, complacency in the unworthy performance of too difficult works. Secondly, it should be sufficiently appreciable in terms of current musical idioms to embody the virtues of popularity.

There are many people today who condemn the efforts that are being made to make the liturgy more intelligible. The Mass and the Sacraments, they say, are mysteries; it is only right that they should be unintelligible. All this concentration on the instructive power of the liturgy is a false emphasis; the ceremonies of the liturgy are not meant to teach, they are meant to convey a feeling of reverential awe for the great mysteries of our salvation which are beyond the power of our understanding. Why this desire to have everything pat and plain, to hear and understand all the words of the Mass? The Church uses mysterious rites and a language that is not easily understood because the liturgy expresses mysteries that cannot be understood. A hundred years ago as great a scholar as Dom Guerangcr could write: ‘The Church … proclaims her victorious and immutable doctrine in the language of the people who hear her; but her mission is not only to instruct this people.