McChoir's Music Corner Extensions - #3
- Patrick McGuire
- Feb 5
- 4 min read
A hymn like "O God Beyond All Praising" is an insertion into the liturgy and requires discernment to determine ‘fitness’ for being sung at Mass. Though the text is clearly sacred in nature, we cannot simply say that a song that talks about God will always be appropriate for use in the liturgy. Context matters very much in these things, and it is up to good priests and church musicians to make prudent decisions around all things that touch the Mass in our parishes. Many a soul is stirred by the powerful melody and words that carry our praise in "O God Beyond All Praising," and yet, there are places and times where this hymn may not be appropriate for the liturgy.
One example might be in the UK, where this hymn tune may be more-associated with the text “I Vow to Thee My Country,” a hymn of patriotic zeal for Great Britain. If our primary association with a piece of music is external to liturgical worship, it will not be advantageous to use that music in liturgical worship. But in Fargo, North Dakota? Nobody is confusing patriotic zeal for old England with the praise of God when we hear and sing this melody, so it can work more readily for us!
But even then, it may not always be so—for this hymn originates from an orchestral suite titled, “The Planets” by Gustav Holst, which was premiered in 1917. The music for "O God Beyond All Praising" (THAXTED) comes from the “Jupiter” movement. Holst wrote this suite as 'mood music' that represented the astrological character of various planets. In 1920, it was probably too soon to be using a secular melody like this for a sacred hymn, as the primary context people would have had to hearing it is external to the liturgy (i.e., the planet Jupiter, or simply an orchestral performance of classical music). Over 100 years later in our day and age, perhaps the connotation is not so present, and it will not draw our minds away from the Lord, but will draw us to him. It remains a classical giant of sorts and is still played in symphony orchestras across the globe, but it has also become a commonly used hymn-tune in churches, and that co-existence in the secular and sacred realm is not necessarily a bad thing!
So how does that perspective change? Well, for a simple answer: time. The true works of art in this world that may be worthy of admission to the liturgy are shown by their passing of the test of time, in addition to their beautiful artistic craft that transcends any one period of time or place. Holst's musical work is considered some of the best music of his day, and continues to delight on a purely musical level. From there, this is a great example of how our liturgy can include elements of human culture and art:
“the liturgy of the Church presupposes, integrates and sanctifies elements from creation and human culture, conferring on them the dignity of signs of grace, of the new creation in Jesus Christ.” (CCC 1149)
Over time, we see certain things develop into a congruent relationship with the liturgy, where it can become a sign of God’s presence. We take the best of what we have to offer-- our 'first fruits,' if you will-- and present that in worship as a reverent display of our devotion to God. We don't just offer any music, we offer the best music we have. We don't just place the Eucharist in plastic cups or Styrofoam dishes-- we offer the sacrifice of the Mass in the most beautiful vessels we have. The presentation absolutely matters when we are engaged in the worship of Almighty God.
So, if we are to insert something, like a devotional hymn, into the liturgy, this is the kind of thought process that might begin to help us determine whether or not to include it. With time, we can see what is congruent with the spirit of the liturgy and can remain, and what we should leave aside for use outside of the Mass.
With this, I think an important point ought to be made: In far too many circumstances, we have gotten away from the assurance we have in our traditions of chant and sacred polyphony, or even the hymns of the Divine Office. There is a lot of 'muddy water' to trod through in determining the appropriateness and context of a secular melody sung with a sacred text, or the use of a devotional hymn at all. It is not so clear or consistent what is, and what isn't, appropriate for Mass when one continually ventures beyond the scope of music that was made for the Mass.
When we sing Gregorian chant, for example, we sing something that is not an insertion into the liturgy, but something that has grown up within the liturgy since the Church began to pray as one. Initially developing from the Jewish cantillation practices of the synagogue, Gregorian chant (plainchant) has always stood as the exemplar of sacred music in the liturgy for Roman Catholics. Any efforts to return to this great tradition of ours is well worth the extra effort that has been sucked away by asking questions like, "is this (insert questionable choice here) appropriate for Mass?"
So, consider well anything that you might be 'inserting' into the Mass as a devotional hymn, and be sure to balance those efforts to a similar if not greater degree in restoring Gregorian chant in your parish.
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