What would Saint Cecilia say present about the state of church music in Poland?

Remembering today's patron saint Cecilia, patron saint of church music, let us look at the state in which this music is now. The first conclusion 1 can draw is that in fresh years the level of music played and sung in our temples has increased. Of course, there's inactive a lot to do. And it is definitely worth taking care of the sacred music, because, as St Augustine said, "He who sings well, prays twice."

The level of church music in Poland varies. It is best in the parishes operating in cities, especially in large ones. This involves greater availability of educated musicians who want to work on the setting of Mass and services. And the thing is, the level of music played and sung in churches depends on the musical level represented by the organist or another musician employed in the parish, conducting the choir or school. In agrarian parishes it is hard for specified musicians. Just a fewer of them live in agrarian areas and fewer musicians want to work in agrarian parishes, get the courage to abandon urban comforts and live in the province. What is much more modest is besides the financial possibilities of many agrarian parishes.

Looking at the issue of the music luminaire The Holy Mass and church celebrations, however, must be said that overall the level has risen in fresh times. The parishioners employment more and more educated musicians. erstwhile I remember the game and the singing of an organist who worked in our parish 10 years ago – I would alternatively not remember it. Times have changed, the organist has changed. The fresh chief of the parish hired a young man, with a diploma from the Academy of Music. And you can hear it.

Perhaps in the past years, erstwhile churches were bursting at the seams of the faithful, many parish priests simply did not care about the good level of church music. They most likely came out of the presumption – that individual would sit behind the keyboard, play something and sing something – after all people would come and sing. But now the situation with parishioners' attendance at Mass and services is completely different. And the faithful appreciate quality. And rightly, we are talking about serving God!

Much good music, which we hear in many temples, was brought by the “Instruction on Church Music”, published by Polish bishops 7 years ago. "Music in liturgy is not its luminaire, but it is integral to the celebration of sacred rites," bishops noted very well. The paper approved by the Episcopate of Poland recalled another crucial principles of liturgy and singing in churches issued by the Holy See. The Polish bishops, the Instruction on Church Music, somewhat inhibited her secularization, which went full steam a fewer years ago. They besides recalled that the main intent of music played and sung in churches is to worship God, not to concert, sometimes very loud – to which there is simply a place in the Philharmonic, or in another performance halls.

The temptation to freely choice musical works is peculiarly strong erstwhile slapping music Holy Masses during which the sacrament of matrimony is given. Only a fewer years ago, there was frequently a “free American”. For example, I was at a wedding erstwhile Leonard Cohen's track "Hallelujah" was performed at the end of the wedding and erstwhile the bride and groom left the church. Although the title of this popular song is “pious”, the music truly touches the heart – but its poetic text has absolutely nothing to do with the liturgy of the Church. Fortunately, the parishioners are increasingly correcting the musical desires of the bride and groom. After all, wedding Mass is not a want concert. Not everyone, unfortunately, understands that. On the roots of this misconception of ecclesiastical music, Polish bishops wrote: "The reason for this phenomenon lies primarily in the false sense of freedom and ignorance of the doctrine of the Church." Nothing to add, nothing to say.

So far I have written a lot to which musical works should not be reached, setting the musical frame of the Holy Mass. So it is time to say what music perfectly combines with liturgy. I don't want to be smart and brag about the cognition that I have very small about liturgical music. So it would be best if I gave my voice to the specialists who wrote, approved by the Episcopate of Poland – the Instruction on Church Music. "In accordance with the instructions adopted, it is absolutely essential to stand on defender for the performance of specified liturgical music, which is an authentic art, always aimed at the sanctity of worship, and to introduce into the liturgy only what corresponds to the sanctity of the place, the dignity of the liturgical rites and the piety of the faithful," the church paper clearly indicates.

We can besides learn a lot about what sacred music should be like from a paper much older than the Instruction of Polish Bishops, published in 2017. This is the “Music sacram” paper written by the Holy See in 1963. Finally, perceive to the wise words contained in this instruction: “Under the concept of sacral music, we realize the music that was created for the praise of God and is characterized by the holiness and perfection of form, namely: Gregorian singing, old and modern sacral polyphony in various forms, organ music and designed for another instruments, acceptable for usage in the church, and sacred folk singing – whether liturgical or spiritual at all.”

Adam Białous