Fr. Ruff on “Performance” as a swear word

You might be interested in Fr. Anthony Ruff’s defense of the term performance in the context of liturgy, which I find persuasive. Too often people use the term performance, always in snarling tones, to music they do not like – and the forbidding of anything at all resembling a performance has been used to rule out anything artistically accomplished from taking place at Mass. See page 383 of Sacred Music and Liturgical Reform (1987).

2 Replies to “Fr. Ruff on “Performance” as a swear word”

  1. Jeffrey,

    I have always been taught that sacred and liturgical music in the context of the Mass is prayer. Thus, as a very humble chorister, a main component of my task in singing is to support the parish congregation's participation in the musical forms of prayer, in both hymnody and chant. I think you have captured the sense of this in your post, and I know our Director of Liturgy and Music agrees with your usage of "performance." This very much requires that we see our singing as very distinctly different than a form of entertainment performed for the congregation.

    Pax et bonum,
    Keith Töpfer

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