TheCompassGREEN BAY — The Diocese of Green Bay is participating in the 2010 Lifest Christian Music Festival, July 7-11, at Sunnyview Fairgrounds in Oshkosh. Discounted tickets for the music festival are available until May 26.
Lifest, now in its 12th year, includes more than 150 musical acts performing on six stages, as well as inspirational speakers, carnival rides, camping and a Kidzone.
"Lifest is a great opportunity to interact with Christians from many backgrounds," said Fr. Tom Long, vocation director for the Green Bay Diocese and a member of the diocesan Lifest planning committee. "Our Catholic presence is a support to the many Catholic families and young adults who attend. It is also an opportunity to dialogue with other Christians, or with Catholics who may be searching in their faith."
I don't have a problem with contemporary Protestant music. I like listening to bands like Relient K, Toby Mac and country singers like Carrie Underwood. The headliner this year is Kutless. But to call the concert "an opportunity to dialogue with other Christians" is shortsighted. People go to concerts to listen to music(here by Protestants). Is Kutless all the sudden going to sing Catholic songs(or change their lyrics)? These kind of events can be harmless if those attending understand that some songs might contain themes not in line with historic Christianity(I've heard the lyrics "You[Christ] already forgave me"). Billing Christ's "automatic" forgiveness without sacramental confession to a priest(or even some sense of imperfect contrition) is Calvinism, not Catholicism.
I'm assuming Lifest was started by the LifeTeen parishes in Oshkosh and Appleton. I attended a rock n roll Mass some years ago in Oshkosh prior to me knowing much of anything about my faith. One thing I did know; that ain't right.
4 comments:
Umnnnhhhh....
One positive that COULD emerge from the Diocesan 'booth' would be that Catholic kids who DO attend the event will be able to get RC teaching --if they ask, and if they go to the booth (or whatever.)
That would be an improvement from having zero presence.
But, (listen carefully, sonny!!) there is NO SUCH THING as "Christian Rock." That's like saying "Catholic marijuana." Rock, in and of itself musically, is deleterious to the soul.
You will not be the first who regards me as completely insane for saying that, either. Fortunately, B-16 thinks precisely the same way.
I will say I am coming around to that point of view. I but occasionally listen to "Christian Rock." But what people classify as "Rock" may be different. The whole Jesus in a Box style is definitely lacking.
How would you define good music? I have been really interested in this for a while. I've enjoyed Irish and German cultural music(yes folks, polka) but do we even have an American cultural music? Or is it that only "classical" music is good.
Oh and "Catholic marijuana" is another thing I DO have to argue against with certain people close to me. LOL
To clarify: the not-good element of "rock" has to do specifically with the back-beat (accents on 2 and 4 rather than on 1 and 3).
Gee. "Define Good Music"--in 50 words or less...
I suppose that we could begin by saying that the music must demonstrate both "mind" and "heart"--that is, it must exhibit genuine craftsmanship (mind) AND evoke the emotional (heart) response desired by the composer.
That certainly includes 'classical' music, but also includes other styles such as folk, country, hymns (!) and even some "rock." For practical purposes, however, "rock" almost exclusively uses back-beat--so 'good rock' is rare, indeed.
But there's lots of dreck masquerading as 'classical'. Violins and oboes do not Real Music make, necessarily. It can be poorly structured, or dry and emotionless. Much of 20thCentury 'classical' such as Glass, is just mindless drivel. Early Schoenberg was good stuff; late Schoenberg was seemingly LSD-fueled.
It's also licit, I think, to classify music in steps, such as 'good,' 'better,' 'best.' There's lots of 'good' classical, but not all of it is 'best.' In general terms, what's 'best' is what has caught the attention of LOTS of people over a number of years. Haydn and Mozart wrote lots of stuff, but perhaps only half of their output is truly memorable.
Back to the top: if it is not well-constructed, conforming to standards, or if it is not evocative, it's probably not 'good.'
Aside from back-beat, by the way, the principal problem with 'rock' is that the lyrics are jammed into a melody--thus, text is afterthought. Not true in all cases, but in the vast majority.
That's a start.
Ok this is great stuff. I'm going to do another post on this when these bishops stop moving around. Do you recommend any books on the subject? I've been hard pressed to find a book expressing just what you are saying here. Or maybe YOU can write the book...
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