Notre Dame de Paris

With the Triduum and Easter coming up soon I will be watching the liturgies from ND in Paris on French Catholic TV http://www.ktotv.com/cms/programmes
The contrast with St Peter's Rome and Westminster Cathedral are marked. Musically, Westminster wins with little competition though ND de Paris is improving. Rome is nowhere in my view. If you seek the roots of the word 'liturgy' and find 'worship' then you go off in a certain direction. See the word linking to that which 'the gathered people do as worship' then the outcome is quite different. For me, Judith Butler's concept of 'performativity' is helpful though it is a an odd sounding mouthful. Westminster is a first rate musical performance (heavily influnenced by the wonderful Anglican cathedral and collegiate traditions) with some contributions from the congregation. Paris's musical tradition goes back to the radical developments of the twelth century which led from monophony to polyphony. For those used to the sheer professsionalism of the Anglican cathedral and collegiate sounds, Paris is cheap and cheerful: one or two cantors, perhaps a small mixed (voice and ability) choir and a nave full of people who will have a go at the French or Latin congretational parts. Rome, almost all in Latin of course, is but a background to the papal liturgies. The singing is usually poor to middling. For those with a liking for Counter reformation baroque big-space liturgies this is the place to watch. B16 and his boys, and they are all boys, believe me. These days, of course, lace is big with the boys especially those with glitzy careers ahead of them, ad orientem, muttering in Latin to fewer and fewer of the faithful (whilst the rest of us sing 'Shine Jesus Shine' and other atrocious ditties because of the refusal to accept that musically we are a big house with lots of tunes, including SJS and worse etc). Sorry, rather got carried away with myself there. Where am I? Oh yes, back to ND de Paris Vespers for the Lent 4 with the celebrant splendidly arrayed in a PINK cope incensing the altar and the statute of ND to the right with her International Style Gothic S shaped body. By the end of the Vespers the cathedral is now packed ready for evening mass usually celebrated by the cardinal of Paris, Msg Andre 23.

Watch KTOTV.COM this Holy Week and Easter to see everything either from Paris and Rome then make up your own mind. Meanwhile, back at Westminster? One of the best church choirs in the world and how do you get to hear it other than being there? Buy a CD. The UK Catholic Church really needs to think about how its spends its resources. A tv channel might be worth the dosh. Happy mothers day.