Rome, Italy, Apr 16, 2011 / 14:48 pm
A renowned Catholic composer says he fully agrees with the critique of modern Church music mounted by Grammy Award winner Joseph Cullen.
Cullen, the choral director of the London Symphony Orchestra, told the English Catholic publication The Tablet that since the 1960s there’s been a “glaring lack of sympathy” for “worthy sacred music.”
Now the composer James MacMillan has told CNA that Cullen is spot on. “The Church should not ignore this timely and expert insight into the crisis in our liturgy. We have ignored our music and our musicians for too long,” he remarked.
MacMillan is currently in Minneapolis, Minn. for the premiere of his third piano concerto, “The Mysteries of Light,” which is inspired by Pope John Paul II’s Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. In 2004, Queen Elizabeth bestowed MacMillan with the title of Commander of the British Empire for his musical contributions. Last year he also composed much of the liturgical music for the Papal Visit to the U.K.