On May 29, at 12 noon, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone will host a webinar with the renowned Scottish Catholic Composer Sir James MacMillan. The two will explore questions such as:
“Who or what is a religious composer today? Does a religious composer only write music for the liturgy? Or can a sense of the numinous be found in all music, as some argue, including secular forms and purely instrumental concert music? Is there a moral dimension to the act of musical composition? Does the work of a composer ever impact on the desire to sustain civic values?”
Sir James MacMillan (b. 1959) has been called “the pre-eminent Scottish composer of his generation.” His works have been performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and the New York and Los Angeles Philharmoni Orchestras.
Among his Catholic works are a Seven Last Words and a Stabat Mater, which has been called one of the greatest classical works of the 21stCentury. In 2010, when Pope Benedict XVI visited London, MacMillan was invited to compose the music for the Holy Father’s Mass at Westminster Cathedral.
MacMillan gave a very clear-sighted answer to a question posed by interviewer Madeline Kearns in a 2019 interview on Yahoo News: “You’re a Catholic — and we’ll get on to discussing how that influences your life and work in a minute — but, for now, what did it mean to be a Catholic growing up in Scotland in the 1960s and ’70s? And what does it mean, do you think, to grow up Catholic in Scotland now?”
MacMillan responded: “But nowadays it’s not so much the Catholic–Protestant relations that are problematical. It’s something that Catholics in every country in the modern world would recognize as a problem. It’s become very countercultural to be a Catholic, because you just seem to be against the grain all the time. And that grain is an internationally recognized political correctness. So defending Catholic values when it comes to, say, the sanctity of life or the particular nature of Catholic love, for example, or sacramental marriage, and so on. It’s becoming more and more difficult for all Catholics because we’re besieged by a misconception of what our religion is, an ignorance of theology, perhaps. And so that tension is there for all of us, whatever Western country we’re in.”
Martin Ford of the Archdiocese of San Francisco told CalCatholic, “We consider it a great honor for Sir James Macmillan to virtually visit our archdiocese to share with us his perspective on how music can be a door to God. I hope that Sir James Macmillan will inspire us to encourage musicians, especially composers, in their important vocation in the work of bringing more souls to know the person of Jesus Christ.”
The Vatican premier of MacMillan’s Stabat Mater may be seen here , Pope Benedict XVI’s London Mass may be seen here, and the Seven Last Words here.
To register for the ZOOM event with Archbishop Cordileone and Sir James MacMillan, go here.
The above was written by Gibbons Cooney.
I’d like to hear the perspectives of Catholic composers Bob Hurd, Marty Haugen, David Haas, Michael Joncas, Dan Schutte, Ken Canedo, Jesse Manibusan and Ricky Manalo. Let’s be inclusive.
Why not start by listening to Sir James on Saturday then?
And, don’t you want Matt Maher’s perspective?
Anonymous, the focus of the article was to get the perspective of an outstandingly great composer and a very deep Catholic. I don’t think you understand how fortunate Archbishop Cordileone was in getting one of the world’s greatest composers to weigh in on Catholic music. This is not a politically correct session but a chance to see into the heart and soul of a great man. By comparison, the names you mentioned are minnows in the pond. If you want their perspective, go the REC in Los Angeles or just sing their music. By the way, Marty Haugen, last I heard, is not Catholic.
You are kidding, right?
Anonymous– sorry, but you really have no idea as to who you are talking about. Sir James MacMillan is a very great young modern Catholic composer, from Scotland– not America. He is a very devout Catholic husband and father, too, and a devoted parishioner at his local Catholic parish. As for your remark about “being inclusive”– he really cares. In addition to composing great modern classical religious musical works for the Church — he also composes very simple liturgical settings, for easy congregational use.
I will always love best, the sacred choral repertoire of our Church, of the Renaissance. I especially adore Palestrina’s eight-part, double-choir setting of the “Stabat Mater.” But I also greatly appreciate gifted, devout Catholic musicians of today, who love God, lead good lives, and give of their talents to the Church, for the glory of God.
For those of you in the Bay Area, there is a Solemn High Latin Mass with the polyphony of the Benedict XVI Schola at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Brentwood on May 30. Seating is limited, but if you’re interested, see the link here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/solemn-high-latin-mass-celebrated-by-father-candelario-jimenez-tickets-155723772997?aff=odeimcmailchimp&mc_cid=cd81bd98d7&mc_eid=59ff6bc058
The old Mass has been consigned to history. It’s futile to try to reinstate something that has been superseded. We live today, not a hundred years ago.
Anonymous– Don’t be ridiculous, don’t be deceived by the “Zeitgeist” (popular trends) of an era! Christ is Eternal, above all times and all centuries! And the excellent, glorious, 1500+ years-old Tridentine Latin Mass is Eternal, too! “The Mass Of All Time!” This era’s Modernist “Zetgeist” is dominated by Science, Technology, and “radical hippie rebellion,” disobedience, and catastrophic sin. It is “popular” to reject God, Religion, Christian Morality, and the human heart and soul, as well as to reject all forms of Beauty, Goodness, Virtue, and Truth, taught and handed down for many centuries, by extremely gifted souls– many were Saints! Such things are precious– you don’t ignorantly “throw them away!” And ignorant people who do try to “throw away” priceless jewels of our Church and Western Civilization– are weak and flimsy, and do not last long– and are strongly opposed by gifted souls of our era, who know better.
Maybe so, Anonymous, maybe so. But not long ago Benedict had a different idea. Francis’ mission, among other things, is to destroy Benedict’s different idea with one that coincides exactly with your own. And he seems to be succeeding quite well. But God has the final say. Another Benedict could become pope in the future and restore the hermeneutic of continuity that was Benedict’s guiding star.
In time it will be the Novus Ordo that turns to dust with its felt banners and rainbow flags. Even it we Trads are just a remnant and in the catacombs we will outlast and replace you.
Spoken like a CINO.
The Church has some exquisitely beautiful music, and these pieces are some examples. Sir James Mac Millen has a fine head of silvery hair I might add too.
Anonymous, the Mass is very holy, and Timeless. It has nothing to do with “today” or “a hundred years ago,” or the whims of different people. Ju
The Mass changed before it had the form of the TLM. It changed into that form, which was fine until the modern age. At Vatican II the church fathers realized a new Mass form should be developed to suit very different circumstances in which people live and the Gospel was celebrated ritually. The TLM is not “timeless”; you say so, the church does not. It will continue to be celebrated as a small, fringe rite for people who want that, much as the Ambrosian rite or any of the others are. The new Mass is the way forward for about 95% of Roman Rite Catholics.
No, the Holy Mass is Timeless, and the Latin Tridentine Mass is very great, and cannot be suppressed nor abrogated, nor can the New Mass replace the old Latin Tridentine Mass– Canon Law has always forbidden this. The decisions regarding the Mass will change from time to time, with new Popes– the Novus Ordo is likewise subject to change. Liturgically, the Novus Ordo of 1969 is regarded as an inferior work, and not solid and time-tested, liturgically– it is viewed as more “new” and “experimental”– sorry! And this current Modern age is considered as an age of terrible rebellion against God, the Church, and Christian Morality. It is a terrible age for the Church, and for Christianity. In a better age, Church experts say that things will be much different– and much better, for the Church. There will always be, in every age, regardless– only a very small percentage of worshippers who are truly followers of Christ. The reason is that this”fallen world” is very sinful.
This post of May 28 at 2:27pm, was written by “Anon.,” but I was not able to sign it.
Why not choose a moniker already.
Picky, you choose your own moniker– and respect everyone else’s decisions.
No respect for laziness/fear.
Don’t waste your time, Picky.