Church Musicians

During the morning blog surf today I came across a video that made me think of my friend the Maestro and his legions of colleagues known to us under the generic term, Church Musicians.

An interesting specie these folk.

Knowledgeable of my shortcomings I make it a habit of taking pause to acknowledge and appreciate talent. Particularly talents I would give my eye teeth to have. Musicians in general and particularly Church musicians fall in to this category.

As an old school guy who is too young to retain first hand knowledge of Pre Vatican II liturgy I spent most of my formative years struggling through week after week of guitar strumming folk Masses. It was a rare treat when for some reason our family could not make the 9am and had to attend the 10:30 high Mass with Choir and organ accompaniment. Good music has always made any liturgy I have attended that much more prayerful and special.

Over the years I have had the privledge to meet a good many of these intrepid women and men who after years of dilligent practice of their craft have scrupulously guarded our treasury of sacred music against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. They are all horrendously underpaid for their talent and most often are forgotten as an important component of the Church community.

The video reminded me of the years of preparation and ongoing work necessary for these good people to offer their craft. We too often take for granted their dedication and relegate their efforts to the background. So as you watch this time lapsed video of the assembly of a pipe organ at the Pontifical College Josephinum remember the years of work your pastoral musicians must endure to keep sacred music alive and well in the Twenty First Century.