Dear Malc and Val
I am not sure in which diocese Varen lies but for years the diocese of Albi has insisted that in concerts at least 50% of the music is religious and a programme has to be submitted in advance to ensure that it conforms. So it may be that the new curé is doing no more than enforcing something which his predecessor ignored.
This has not been at all limiting and we have had wonderful concerts of Basque and Corsican Poliphony, Spirituals and Jazz which has been accepted no problem. As to concerts which are entirely instrumental, the attitude has always been that these works have been entirely inspired by God so there has never been a problem.
Our problem is that currently the diocese only permits 5 concerts in any church each year. We could easily double that number here in Puycelsi especially as we can fill the church at the time that it would otherwise be empty and with no services being held either. But it is a fine balance between attracting people into an otherwise empty religious building and turning it into a secular hall by default. Sadly unlike in the UK the Catholic church here does not relinquish buildings and allow them to be used for other purposes but perhaps if we can persuade a greater use of churches for concerts even if they have to have a high percentage of religious music in them, the churches will be used by more people and that is something which people of all faiths or none would welcome.
Ginny
Hi Malcolm
Ginny
Hi Malcolm
I can't see anything wrong with secular music being performed in churches - if it weren't, so many lovely concerts couldn't take place, as you say - though I know some clergy are sensitive. Mostly they just want to fill their churches with happy people as often as possible. However some secular music could be considered profane or irreverent, even blasphemous. I should have thought that would be a more practical place to draw the line.
C
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