About LifeTeen music

[la_vita_nuova]

This is for the lovely k8tlou, who tells me I'm funny:

So I have gone to about 4 LifeTeen masses in my time and I'm going to tell you what I thought of the music.

The first one was at St. Ann's in Coppell. (This was the only time I ever visited there.) I was immediately struck by how off the perspective was on the painting of Jesus in the apse

Comments

[k8tlou]

I think my favorite expression would have to be 'ocean-ass music.'

Most of the music we use at UD is written in G, which you have to be a soprano to sing comfortably. Most of the congregation doesn't even try.

Personally I laugh anytime we try to do a salute to the African-American community - I love the music, but we white girls just don't do it justice.

[la_vita_nuova]

I like those too, and particularly the ones from South Africa.

I can sing the music, but a lot of time I'm just like ugh. But then there are some really good songs too. Every Sunday before Mass starts I look at the music credits for each song- if it was written before 1950, or if it's ethnic, i'm like w00t.

You guys do a great job, UD has the best music of any Catholic church in Dallas that I've been to, with a possible exception of the Cathedral. Do you have any say in what we sing every week?

[la_vita_nuova]

HAHAHAHAHA!!

Yeah, some of the old hymns are boring & pedantic as well. But it seems to me that there is just a richer range of material there, from chant & plainsong all the way up to some allright 19th century stuff. There are some awesome hymns that are translated straight from Latin and I wonder why we don't use those more. And I really like most of the Spanish or African songs as well. Reading through some of the post 1950 songs though, the lyrics seem so Gerturde Stein-ish but not in an avant-garde way, but in a glib way.

I read a very interesting book once called Why Catholics Can't Sing, talking about the newer songs. I might revist it some time & write a series of posts on it.

[la_vita_nuova]

Seriously.

[jadeejf]

I have to say, your reference to koalas made me giggle. A lot.

"Koalas aren't hard, they some little bitches"

[la_vita_nuova]

Did you see the metaquotes entry on it?
http://community.livejournal.com/metaquotes/5806869.html
http://cheezdanish.livejournal.com/147933.html

Re: "Koalas aren't hard, they some little bitches"

[jadeejf]

No, I didn't- I just saw it on your husband's LJ and about died laughing. I'll have to go check out the metaquotes, because that's sure to be a gigglefest, too :D

Re: "Koalas aren't hard, they some little bitches"

[la_vita_nuova]

BTW - No offense to you if you like Jars of Clay or CCM - I have their first album & I like it. I think their subsequent albums weren't as good, and I'm more critiquing the derivitave-ness of CCM & LifeTeen than the bands that were more individual & innovators within those genres. I would also say it's the same with Blink-182 compared to more original punk music, but I also recognize that Blink songs are fun to listen to and can spark an interest in other punk music. I really don't want to come off as patronizing, since I know art is often a matter of individual taste and my musical tastes are really stringent compared to most people.

[arcessita]

Much like koalas, Christian rock thinks they all hard, but they is just little bitches.

::dies laughing::

Yeah, I'll keep my oppressive Anglican organ and choir, thanks.

[dogs_n_rodents]

Most of the LifeTeen stuff I ever saw was as you said, more for the "awesomeness" and nothing for the actual worship.

For me, I'm all for the old-fashioned church music at church and Christian rock on the radio as I drive about town.

Although, you should be glad that you're not at my church were our music director thinks that the congregation can do vocal gymnastics with some of these much older, much more complex songs. They are great if you're a trained opera singer, but it makes singing the music as a layman/laywoman much more difficult.