The Politicized Concert Mass (1967-2007): From Secularism to Pluralism

Concert masses have evolved to reflect the socio-cultural context, with themes such as non-conformism, social activism, environmentalism, universality, and cultural pluralism. Composers have used the genre to promote a conciliatory way of being that values heterogeneity and reinforces the need to protect the diversity of musics, species, and spiritualities.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 242 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Since the transformative 1960s, concert masses have incorporated a diverse range of political and religious views that reflect their socio-cultural context. The long 1960s (c1958-1975) showcased non-conformism and social activism, while the 1980s emphasized environmentalism. The 1990s embraced universality, and the 2000s embraced cultural pluralism. Despite utilizing a format with its roots in the Roman Catholic liturgy, many of these politicized concert masses also reflect the increasing religious diversification of Western societies. Composers in the later twentieth century have employed the genre to promote a conciliatory way of being that values heterogeneity and reinforces the need to protect the diversity of musics, species, and spiritualities that enrich life. By combining the political with the religious, the case studies presented in this paper pose challenges for both supporters and detractors of the secularization paradigm. Overarchingly, they demonstrate that any binary division that separates life into either the religious or the secular and promotes one over the other denies the complexity of lived experience and constitutes a diminution of what it is to be human.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032271514