Ebook: Sing Like a Catholic

I'm reading this book online using Scribd (can I say that here?). I find that it is poorly edited as another reviewer mentioned. (On page 101, we read 'pre-Tent' for, presumably, 'Pre-Trent'; on page 103, we read first 'tetragrammaton' followed very soon after by 'tragrammaton.' On the same page we read a sentence that says, in full: 'It begins by explaining THAT the importance and integrity of translations.' Clearly a sentence that was revised but not checked carefully to make sure it still makes sense. Looks like the copyeditor was getting sleepy around this point.)

I checked Amazon.com to read the reviews and find out if this is just a collection of essays, thrown together, because that's how it reads. One review calls it an 'argument,' but I'm not finding a logical case being built up here. For example, there's a chapter that calls itself a 'Letter to Praise and Worship Musicians.' And it's just that - suddenly the audience becomes quite specific, right down to age and taste in music. It's not the same audience as in the previous chapter, and I wonder why it wasn't revised so that it fit into the style of the rest of the book, which seems to be addressing a more general audience. Some chapters don't seem to have a close connection with the chapters that come before, or they seem to repeat. There's a chapter on what's wrong with 'Gathering Hymns,' and then a chapter that says we should do away with hymns altogether (so why wasn't this one, well-argued chapter about getting rid of hymns?). Then there's a chapter about slowly getting to the point of being able to have a high Mass; followed by a chapter about the history of a particular gradual, followed by a chapter on a Vatican directive to stop using the word YWHW-with-vowels-inserted (you know what I mean but can't write) during the liturgy... And while this stuff is more or less interesting, I'm finding it hard to find a thread of argument that runs through the whole text.

I was interested in this book because I find myself a non-musician in rather special circumstances. I'm overseas, and the only knowledgable native-speaker of English who can help some priests in this country celebrate an English Mass for native-English speakers. I need help finding out what to do about the music, especially how we (the priest is more or less willing, but his English and time are limited) can move toward something that is more in line with what the Church wants the liturgy to be (in the process I'm finding out that the priest doesn't know some things the Church wants the liturgy to be). I needed a clear, simple explanation of what it means to 'sing like a Catholic' so I could know what to do, and so I could share it with others here who also have some role in the selection of music. I hoped that 'Sing Like a Catholic' would give us a clear 'blueprint' for how to do what the title says. I'm not finding that, at least not in a clear, easy-to-follow argument that I can easily summarize for others or a 'plan' that I can put into use.

In any case, if you are a layperson who would like to sing in Mass, but you don't have any background in music, this is not for you. If you are a layperson looking for a book to give your music director, to nudge him or her in the direction of really GOOD, sacred music and out of the tired 1970s clap-trap you've had forced on you for way too long - I don't think this book will make the case. It's too random; it's not a well-argued, logical case, built up step-by-step to an unarguable conclusion; nor is it a neat blueprint for introducing Gregorian chant into your liturgies. It talks about these things here and there and everywhere, but not in an organized fashion that tells you clearly, 'Here's your game-plan.'

Perhaps my expectations were wrong for this book. Perhaps no book exists that will tell me what I need. Perhaps some of the problem has to do with reading a book online (I've never done that before), but I think that the book is, in fact, various unconnected articles put in between covers. I think people should read it online first, and if they find that it's exactly what they are looking for, buy it. But if it seems to you as it seems to me - a disjointed collection of essays that don't really give you a solid argument or plan for how to 'sing like a Catholic,' then don't buy it.

I really, really wanted this book to be just what I'm looking for as I begin my education in how to 'sing like a Catholic,' but I'm just not advanced enough to get as much from it as I hoped it would give me. So I'm learning what I can from it, but on my extremely limited (volunteer's) budget, I won't be buying it in hard copy. Meanwhile, blessings on Mr Tucker for his effort and for allowing it to be available online. It it were not for the Internet and the great work done by websites like Chabanel chants and Musica Sacra - and YouTubers who put up clips of chant and traditional hymns - my work would be infinitely harder. I'm gleaning leads to other resources from this book, and every little bit helps.