Letter from GIA Publishing:
Last year, we were deeply heartbroken as dozens of women came forward to share their allegations of sexual assault by composer David Haas.
I assume that by now you are aware of the non-profit organization that supports survivors of sexual abuse, Into Account, which recently released a comprehensive investigation and report about these allegations.
Unfortunately, new information has just surfaced reporting continued grooming behaviors by Mr. Haas towards a young woman, which is why we are reaching out to you now with this email to share the actions and position we have taken with regard to Mr. Haas’ music.
Specifically, we have suspended our publishing and sponsorship relationship with Mr. Haas and have also removed his music, books, and recordings from our catalog and website.
While we understand that Mr. Haas maintains his innocence, we took these actions out of compassion and respect for the dozens of survivors who have come forward and because we believe Mr. Haas’ music no longer has a place in communities committed to maintaining a safe environment.
The above story comes from a recent post by the Diocese of Oakland.
This guy was a monster. Ironically, the best article I’ve read about his case by far was featured in the National Catholic Reporter. I’m pretty sure most readers on here would like reading it as well. It’s title is “We need to talk about David Haas” by Jamie Manson.
I read the article. What I read wasn’t so much as hold Haas responsible, as it was to blame men in general. It is a typical liberal hatchet job against men and and an all male clergy, even though Haas isn’t clergy. Jesus chose men for their specific leadership role in the Church. His plan was to have men be spiritual fathers for his flock. Women have an extremely important role, but it is a different role. The devil likes to sow confusion. If anyone doesn’t like his plans, they need to take it up with the Lord, Himself.
That article fails to mention that it is his ex-wife and her wife’s organization that is gathering these accusations and that the ex-wife and her experiences with her husband are among the instances he is being accused of.
The article also fails to mention that Haas’ ex-wife is civilly married to another woman now.
WE BELIEVE
that no institution, family, or community is more important than our right to autonomy over our own bodies.
that sexualized violence can happen to people of all genders.
that sexualized violence can be perpetrated by people of all genders.
that homophobia, transphobia, and queerphobia are forms of sexualized violence.
that the struggle against sexualized violence is inseparable from the justice movements against patriarchy, white supremacy, Christian supremacy, economic inequity, and all systems of oppression and exploitation that order our society.
that institutions should prioritize transparency over liability fears.
that confidentiality can be respected without perpetuating a culture of secrecy.
“… is more important than our right to autonomy over our own bodies…” Huh? I thought we were to glorify God in all things, and that includes our bodies, which Scripture calls the temple of the Holy Spirit. This is the foundation of Christian resistance to self-mutilation, abortion, suicide, and the improper use of our sexual organs. By your strange logic, all Christian standards are sexualized violence. The irony is that the result of your credo is the rejection of all standards of right and wrong except which satisfies your demonic attention to “autonomy.” What conversation can be had with you since you reject God’s Moral/Natural Law? It is no phobia to proclaim God’s standards amidst the moral chaos and insanity of our times. The only phobia is to fail to do so.
Maybe I was unclear.
This is the “About Us” page from the organization that has investigated and reported these allegations against David Haas. There is more if you want to click the link that says “about these allegations.”
I stopped reading the accusations because they were so sexually graphic.
He apparently is taking some responsibility for his behavior according to this wikipedia page.
I apologize to the readers. In attempting to show what kind of organization was collecting and making public the accusations against this musician, I really just spread a lot of error. Regrets
I don’t necessarily like his music style or his politics, but is this another case of guilty until proven innocent? I can’t stand to watch Andrew Cuomo and would delight in his removal from office, but he is entitled to due process and should not be forced to resign from societal pressure or pressure from the media. We have a court system designed to deal with these issues. Same thing has happened to Trevor Bauer. Accusations are made, so he is not allowed to continue his career. If someone is proven guilty, then rightfully punish them, but if you are a male accused of a crime against a female, you are guilty in the eyes of public opinion, no due process. It’s the modern American way.
LD in general, you have a good point. In Cuomo’s case, there wasn’t AN accusations, I think there were ELEVEN. And there were eye witnesses.
Sure, for criminal cases, he deserves a fair trial.
As a leader we want to look up to, even as a Democrat, i think it’s time for him to go. If he has exculpatory evidence, let him present it and run again.
Why you, a self proclaimed Catholic, embrace the Party of Death is incongruous and scandalous.
Perhaps (Nearly former) Gov. Andrew Cuomo will enjoy this music.
You know…. all of you have good points. Thank you for reading the article and your comments.
Well now there can be real Catholic music by Mozart, Haydn, Palestrina, Bach and Schubert instead of the silly infantile Protestant hymns the Church has used for 50 years.
Romulus, let’s keep in mind that Mozart, who wrote wonderful music, became disenchanted with the Catholic Church and was a Free Mason. Bach was for all of his life a devout Lutheran, even though he wrote a Catholic Mass so that he could ingratiate himself to a potential sponsor. Even into the 1950-60s his music was not allowed in a Catholic Church without some permission from on high.
Bob One, always the fly in ointment, but loves guitar masses
Yes, you are correct, Bob One. I recall well, the stern pre-Vatican II prohibitions against all Protestant composers. But I also appreciated protection of our holy Mass, and theological correctness desired by the Church, in all we were supposed to do, in professional church music. Romulus really knows the truth, however, of the great and sad destruction to our tremendous Catholic music and liturgical treasure, in the post-Conciliar era– although this was not originally called for, in “Sacrosanctum Concilium,” at the Council.
Are you donating money to your local parish to hire musicians capable of performing such difficult music? You need an accompanist and director, and vocalists who can read music. That’s minimum six people, preferably more vocalists. Pony up.
Much of the reason for mediocre or even bad music at Catholic parishes is because parishes don’t pay enough money to attract talented musicians. Parishes that have all-volunteer music ministries have to be happy with what they can get.
You get what you pay for. That’s a fact.
It is not necessary for every parish to have a budget for a full sacred music program. However, most parishes can easily afford a good organist and a Cantor. A professional organist and soloist should also be available for special needs, such as Weddings.
I agree. The most sacred, beautiful music that I have heard in Church is whenever their is an organist and a cantor singing from the choir loft. Too many beautiful churches have been destroyed by putting a piano and choir seating up near the altar so that people can “perform” during Mass and then receive applause and the end of Mass. And the we wonder why so many young families prefer the reverence of the Latin Mass to the Woodstock Masses with guitars or the Masses of the piano bar music. The Woodstock generation just doesn’t get it liturgically speaking.
Well, these “religious songs” are not professionally-composed hymns. They are highly secularized, very informal, contemporary “pop” songs, with religious “pop” lyrics. The melodies are secular in style, like songs on the radio. The lyrics often have too many informal, unprofessional, “me”-oriented personal references, unsuitable for worship in church– with lots of theological errors, at times. Some are suitable for informal gatherings, such as singing songs around a campfire, with guitar accompaniment, at a youth church cookout. Hymns must have a formal, church-like, professional, sacred quality, a sacred character, with formality and solemnity, suitable for professional use in a big church, for worship of God. A hymn should have a melody of a sacred character, with very excellent, well-written lyrics. Many famous professional poets and writers of the ages, have written beautiful religious poems, that have been set to music by famous composers, for use in both Catholic and Protestant churches. The words to a hymn must all be 100% theologically correct, suitable to the church where it will be used. In our vast Catholic liturgical treasury, we have five very great hymns, with poetry written by St. Thomas Aquinas, set to beautiful music. Our Church today, needs a greater recognition and respect, for all of our tremendous Catholic liturgical patrimony.
Music often moves us in spite of the sins of the composers because it speak to our personal experiences. I was not fond of all of David Haas’s music, but one piece used to bring me to tears. It was “I Heard Him Calling in the Night”. Why? One Friday around dusk I found myself with an unshakable urge to go to a Catholic shrine, even though I wanted to just stay home and relax. I eventually put on my street clothes, got into my car, went over to the giftshop and found myself wheeling around a woman in a wheel chair until her son came to pick her up. I have always felt that God called me there.
For what it is worth, the actual name of that song is “Here I am, Lord.”, not “I Heard Him Calling in the Night”, but that is the line I always remember after my experience. I never really paid any attention to it, do not even remember if I ever heard it until after my experience with the elderly woman at the shrine. I first remember crying when hearing it at another church. The church where the elderly priest years before told me not to take the birth control pills, thus saving my life and giving me thirty-one more years. God does work in mysteries way his wonders to perform using us his unworthy servants.
Anne TE– It is true, God always does work in mysterious ways. Glad your life was saved by that elderly priest.
Thank you, Christifidelis.
I, too, prefer classical music for church as I was brought up with Wesleyan hymns, and there was a pipe organ in the small church of my childhood. I do agree with the people on here that we should use our best Catholic music for God whenever possible.
I love Gregorian chant, and there is nothing heretical in it, so it is one of the best genre to use. We need to remember, though, that Silent Night was originally written for guitar when the organ broke down in the composer’s church that night.
Anne TE– Revs. John and Charles Wesley, founders of the Methodist Church in America, wrote the most beautiful hymns– over 6500 of them! They were so talented. Their irresistibly beautiful hymns are now sung in nearly every church– including ours. I see that you can find many hymns now, Catholic and Protestant, performed by excellent choirs and soloists, on YouTube. And you can also find hymns appropriate for each Sunday and Feast Day of our liturgical Church Year, based on the Lectionary readings– online and on YouTube.
Anne TE– this is very interesting, but I think that during the lifetimes of Revs. John and Charles Wesley, their hymns were only sung at informal religious gatherings, not in church. Both were Anglican priests, and belonged to the Oxford Methodism Movement, which they later brought to America. Both men lived and died in the 1700s. It was not until 1820 that congregational hymn singing was allowed in the Church of England. Their services were similar to Roman Catholic liturgies, and they mainly used Anglican Chant– which is still in use today. So, did the Wesley brothers ever get to hear their congregations sing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” (at Christmas) or “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” (at Easter)? The words to both of these beautiful hymns were written by Rev. Charles Wesley.
David Haas is one of the worst composers of the era. Music like his ruins the New Mass. The old Church wasn’t always wrong to burn things -I nominate Gather or anything by GIA – miserable. Pity Haas wasn’t banned for wretched music.
I find a lot of the hymns such as,The Old Rugged Cross,Amayzing Grace able to lift my heart to the Lord during Mass.Don’t you?
Bad for the guy…but…wow…yay….the Mass….sorry it took this to get rid of that horrifying music, good riddance, tho….
David Haas and his insipid music that does not raise my heart to God, is one of the reasons I fled to the Traditional Latin Mass with Gregorian chant. The others are: un-noteworthy sermons on a regular basis, EMs traipsing around the altar, altar girls, refusal to give me Holy Communion on the tongue.
Ditch the songs in the current missalettes and go back to the wonderful songs and hymns that we sing during processional and recessional at the TLM. In an old fashioned hymnal that has all the songs/hymns that I love.
would you mind telling me the names of some of the processional and recessional hymn that you love? I would like to get educated in music like that.
“All Are Welcome” is a favorite at my progressive parish.
“Go Out, Go Out” is a great one to send people off into the world to do justice.
“Sing a New Church” is another good one.
“For Everyone Born” is one that our congregation sings with gusto.
I meant the old fashioned ones.
Someone above wrote about “That Ole Rugged Cross” and “Amazing Grace” which are not Catholic in origin
I will look up the songs you mentioned.
I remember a song that started with “Holy, Holy, Holy” and was the Te Deum set to music.
I remember a song that went “O Most Holy Trinity, undivided Unity, Holy God Mighty God, God Immortal be adored.”
I learned the Salve Regina doing the May Rosary Marathon.
What else do the traditional Catholics sing?
Request– good idea to attend Mass at a traditionally-oriented parish church that has a good organist, professionally-trained Cantor, traditional choir, and reverent, traditional Novus Ordo Masses. Maybe they will also have a lovely Trudentine Latin Mass. You can make your wishes known to the priests and organist/choir director.
Request– One easy place to start would be to call the EWTN Religious Catalog Dept. at 1-800-854-6316. Mother Angelica’s nuns are sure to have some lovely CD’s of traditional Catholic sacred hymns. I am sure you will be very pleased.
Besides Gregorian Chant, some composers used are Palestrina, Jacques Arcadelt, William Byrd, Morales, William Henry Monk, Pierre de la Rue, Han Leo Hassler, and many others. Some of the pieces used are O Salutaris Hostia, Jesu Dulcis Memoria, Vexilla Regis, Sicut Cervus, Adoro Te Devote, Dixit Maria, Panis Angelicus, Ave Maria and many more.
You can go to the “Institute of Christ the King” website, click on resources or music resources and see all the chant.
Two other composers that are used at the Traditional Latin Masses are Claudio Monteverdi and Heinrich Isaac’s Manducaverunt.
Request– The Gospel hymn, “Amazing Grace,” was written in the 1700s by a British captain of a slave ship, John Newton, who had led a wild and irresponsible life. He finally had a religious conversion, when a miracle occurred, and God saved his ship, during a terrible storm at sea. He then gave up his slave ship enterprise, repented of his sins, and became an Anglican priest. So, in his Gospel hymn– he was actually the “wretch” that “got saved” by “amazing grace!” How ironic, that “Amazing Grace” sounds like a Black spiritual.
The Institute of Christ the King website for the liturgical music for the Catholic Church Year is just beautiful– but it is for the old Latin Mass. They are excellent.
Christifidelis, one of the things that helped lead to John Newton’s conversion was his reading at that time of the Catholic classic “The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas A. Kempis. He became a Baptist first, if my memory serves me right. That might be the Baptist “rendition” of it, though, but I have no doubt he was reading the “Imitation”, which usually can be bought in some form or another in many Protestant book stores.
Anne TE– that is so interesting, about John Newton’s conversion. It’s fun to learn things like that. I know that the “Imitation of Christ” has always been a popular book.
I still never understood why in the Novus Ordo service they have a women at a lectern waving her hands trying in vain to get the congregation to sing those silly songs that have nothing to do with Catholicism, and for heavens sake those “shrieking” voices that sing off key, mind you I cannot sing at all but my goodness can’t the Novus Ordo get anything better?
You get what you pay for.
If you get what you pay for, none of us could afford the services of the priest. He brings us the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ at every sacrifice of the Holy Mass. No one could afford to pay the priest for his services. It’s not about money, it’s about God’s grace.
If it’s about God’s grace, then Romulus should stop complaining about bad music and non-existent clown Masses and felt banners at Novus Ordo parishes. Mass is Mass, if grace is grace.
Uhmmm, where did anybody use the word “Priest”?
Perhaps Mr JTF was implying that the free un professonal volunteers may not be very talented.
I myself formerly attended a 7AM Mass that included an enthusiastic but loud snare drummer of the Keith Moon style.
Pleasant young man. But, not a very talented drummer.
At least the High Anglican-Catholics never got rid of their great music, evensong and Gregorian chant in Latin, but Rome sure did.
I don’t think Rome did.
Anonymous post: lock phasers on target to delete.
Re-named.
I’m getting better at remembering.
I have often said that when Gregorian Chant went out the back door of the Church, Hindu and Buddhist Chant came in the front door. A bit of hyperbole to say the least, but somewhat true nonetheless.
The Holy Spirit did not remove the anointing that is on David’s music. As a songwriter who is not without sin, let’s take a look at what our founder wrote, “Let those of you without sin cast the first stone.” I will continue to sing and use his music.
I am one of those untalented volunteer musicians who has been playing at Mass for the past 40 years. I watched as every time some one tried to take our music back in time, the parish attendance dropped by half. If you want to ban music from people like Haas, Please hold everything you bring into the Church to the same standard. Just because they became a saint after they died, they may have been miserable souls in their younger years and this can not be forgiven. Even the Apostle Paul persecuted early Christians. Should we revisit hi writings because of the woke, self righteous political correctness of the current times? As a musician, I love when someone like Mozart is used as a good example. He was a wretched decadent p[person who wrote brilliant music. Hold his music to the same standards then.
If you want to be a purest on tradition, then there should be no music that isn’t from early Christianity. Medieval European music was modern at one time also.
We are all flawed but we shouldn’t hold others to standards we refuse to live by ourselves!