Quality music can take root and flourish in our church but only if the upper ranks of church heirarchy are willing to change some pretty fundamental mantras. Sadly, I don’t see much chance of that in a group that was OK with changing “Ave Maria” to “Heavenly Father” so they could allow a Mormon performance of the beautiful song, and still wrap thier heads around such a crass attempt to Mormonize the wording.

During a stint as primary music leader, I tried to further the young minds’ development of music diversity through devoting some of my alloted music time to introduction of classical music. I was astonished at how few of them had actually had had any exposure to anything other than the songs they sang in primary or the music they had heard their families play at home. There was something disquieting they they were cluless about classical, jazz, blues, etc. but responded with almost hysterical vigor if I relented and allowed them to sing “Scripture Power”.

-dex

I would bet 90% of church members don’t know/care that there is no beauty or variety at church. It is all about being functional, and wards and temples are now franchises of utilitarianism. It hardly feels like worship when there is orange carpet or a basketball hoop over your head. However, I suppose it could be said that Kirtland was built with funcionality in mind (the curtained off little pew rooms.

On the flip side, choirs at more liturgical services are full of beautiful trained voices, but musically, the singing a “scripture” thing doesn’t work for me (you know, when they sound like they are making it up as they go along just to fit the tune). But I suppose I would take it over ward choir. And I would LOVE to hear a ward do “How Can I Keep From Singing?” unless they found a way to turn it into a soulless corporate-style dirge. The other issue I have with choral music in the church is the predictability of how the songs are done. There just aren’t that many varieties: one verse with men only, one with women only, sing this verse triumphantly to match the words, sing this one sadly to match the words, do this one a capella, have the congregation join the last verse. It’s just so rote.

The conformity really drops away once you get to really know people. Society may warp us in some ways, but we’re all pretty damn interesting when it comes right down to it.

That said, I’m not ready to give up aesthetics or shots at greatness.

We don’t and never will have a Milton or a Shakespeare or Dante let alone a Handle or a Mozart or a Copeland. We are the purest of puritanical and conformist. We are Borg. The chapels are sterile and empty, and since BKP got his hands on the music of the church that’s been stripped too. I remember having full brass with Handle’s Messiah growing up, but not anymore that’s “off the Plan” Conform! conform! Resistance is futile you will be assimilated.

When all we are fed is the manual and Church approved sterility all you get is uninspiring mediocrity. Drones. And mediocracy IS NOT good it’s soulless it’s Stepford Mormonism at it’s best.

I also think the rampant theft and disregard for property rights has sent many good artistic member in direction of non-religious themes to make a living. (I can give examples if you want them). What ever the reason it’s sad.

The Mormon church can’t come close to the aesthetics of other churches with it’s grow-as-fast-as possible ethic. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. BUT, we can certainly do better. In the past, the church had professional music trainers at the stake level, but it stopped that when the church grew significantly outside the intermountain west. The church currently has satellite leadership training, why not satellite master classes on conducting and organ playing? The church has area authorities, why not area music authorities who do training at the local level? The church has a little music training material on their website, but it’s very very rudimentary and it will probably never create a competent ward organist. The church should support people who have some skills and ability by providing the training they need to take things to the next level. Laziness is probably not the issue, Ardis, it’s lack of institutional support and burnout. How about asking someone if they want a long term calling in music and giving them real support (like money for lessons and child care for practicing)? I bet there’d be people who would jump at the chance and work hard at it.

Also, when there are only a handful of full time music jobs in the church (all in SLC), it’s a wonder ANYONE becomes a professional organist in the LDS church. Choir directors are more understandable because there are high school/college jobs in that. But pretty much the only place to work as an organist is for another church, which is a hard lifestyle to maintain as a Mormon. I know, I’m living it.

I have had experiences, though, that resemble that of Moriah’s. I am thinking in particular of our ward choir director when I was in high school. He was one of the most gifted musicians I have ever met (he became a professor of music, but could have easily been a professional musician), and he really struggled to use his musical talents in church. We had one of the best ward choirs I’ve been in with a not overly strenuous practice schedule, but the leadership in our stake put so many limits on the types of music that he could and couldn’t do, that he was constantly frustrated. He wasn’t able to use his talents to bless the ward as fully as he could have. It was really hard to see his frustration because all he wanted to do was bring the joy of beautiful, sacred music to the lives of the people in our ward.