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LITURGICAL-MUSIC Jan-25-2006 (650 words) With graphic. xxxn
'On Eagle's Wings' tops all songs in online liturgical music survey
By Mark Pattison
Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- "On Eagle's Wings," the musical reworking of the 91st Psalm by Father Michael Joncas, topped all other songs in an online poll asking which liturgical song most fostered and nourished the respondent's life.
Two songs made popular by the St. Louis Jesuits -- "Here I Am, Lord" and "Be Not Afraid" -- came in second and third, followed by "You Are Mine," by David Haas.
The online poll was sponsored by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. The poll was featured last year in an issue of its membership magazine, Pastoral Music, and announcements about the poll were distributed to diocesan newspapers in an effort to get the input of "rank-and-file Catholics," said J. Michael McMahon, the association's president.
In the poll, respondents could vote for only one song. No songs were listed on the Web site to give them suggestions. About 3,000 people took part in the poll.
Of the 25 liturgical music songs mentioned most, songs written after the Second Vatican Council took not only the top four positions, but six of the top nine, and 12 of the top 25. The fourth-ranked song, "You Are Mine," received 138 votes, 81 percent more votes than the fifth-ranked song, "How Great Thou Art," which got 76.
McMahon, in a telephone interview with Catholic News Service, cautioned against the notion that post-Vatican II music has dominance over all other liturgical music. "We got 670 different songs mentioned," he said. "Even the top choice is only 8 percent of the total," or 242 votes.
The poll results didn't surprise McMahon. "It panned out pretty much like the way I expected," he said, adding that The Tablet, a British Catholic newspaper, conducted a similar survey, which found "Here I Am, Lord" to be the top choice of its readers.
Rounding out the pastoral musicians association's top 10 was, in sixth place, the traditional Catholic hymn "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name," whose lyrics are ascribed to Ignaz Franz, followed by John Newton's "Amazing Grace," Marty Haugen's "All Are Welcome," Sebastian Temple's "Prayer of St. Francis," and "Ave Maria."
Those who voted for "Ave Maria" and "Panis Angelicus," which finished 15th, probably meant the versions by Franz Schubert and Cesar Franck, respectively, "but we don't know for sure," McMahon said. "Since many of them (voters) were not professionals, they probably didn't realize there was more than one version."
Currently filling in as a parish choir director, McMahon said, "I'm always surprised how many young people ask for 'Ave Maria' or 'Panis Angelicus' at weddings and funerals."
One Spanish-language song, "Pescador de Hombres," made the list, finishing 17th. Many hymnals print English-language companion lyrics, calling the song "Lord, When You Came to the Seashore." In his current interim job, McMahon said, he asked "who had heard this song, and only one did, and she came from Latin America."
McMahon said this points to "the divergence of American Catholic churches," including "the hymnals they use," since songs published by one copyright holder don't always find their way into the hymnals of their competitors.
Other contemporary Catholic songs in the top 25 were "We Are Called," 11th place; "I Am the Bread of Life," 13th; "The Summons," 14th; "Shepherd Me, O God," 19th; "One Bread, One Body," 22nd, and "Hosea," which tied for 24th place with the traditional Catholic hymn "Pange Lingua."
Other traditional Catholic hymns on the list were "Ave Verum Corpus," 20th, and "Tantum Ergo," 23rd.
Songs on the list with roots in Protestant or evangelical hymnody included Richard Gillard's "The Servant Song," 16th place, and Donna Marie McCargill's "Servant Song," 18th.
Also making the list were "Let There Be Peace on Earth," in 12th place, and "Lord of the Dance," in 21st. "Both found their way into liturgical use, but came from outside the (liturgical music) culture," McMahon said.
END
Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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