Pope had released a CD. Although, thinking about it, perhaps it isn’t that strange. The Vatican is keen to embrace technology - selectively, of course: as long it doesn’t threaten family sizes. It already has a rather swish multi-lingual website (www.vatican.va).
ACD of music is an intriguing departure for him. Why? And what is this thing called papal pop? Disappointingly, the Pope doesn’t pick up a musical instrument, and he is not going to start gyrating or throwing television sets out of hotel windows. It is merely “songs, chants and prayers set to music with the voice of His Holiness Pope John Paul II”. Potential titles such as “Now That’s what I call Pious” and “God Rocks” were ousted by the rather mundane “Abba Pater”.
It is all pleasant enough in a let-it-allwash-over-you kind of way. When he speaks in Latin it is quite intoxicating: you don’t understand it, it feels magical and terribly edifying. When his words are in English (about a tenth of the time) you realise that it is drivel. The rhythms of Latin give way to the stiltedness of a man speaking English as his seventeenth language.
Nothing too surprising. Until the extraordinary track four - “Abba Pater” - the Pope chats for a while, then there’s a drum machine over which he begins to croon the Lord’s Prayer as if he were Matt | es fell over when I heard that the Munro. (“Pater noster qui es in coelis - yeah, that’s right baby”). To be more accurate, it sounds like a frail old man who’s had one too many at a wake, trying to imitate Matt Munro. The credits don’t reveal whether this is actually JP singing or not. It is not lifted from a service, I’m sure, for this is lounge music, not church music.
Did they coax the Pope into the studio or was it obtained with hidden dictaphone in the shower? More likely it is a Vatican session man.
Quite what the Pope contributed to the album, other than his blessing, is unclear.
Even the introductory sleeve notes are by eames : ome q “pie RELIGION...ist das opium des volkes.’ Karl Marx (1818-1883) > wv a ‘ ’ +4) the General Director of Vatican Radio, who reports that the Pope says the album is intended to help us “to embark on an interior pilgrimage toward the house of our Heavenly Father...” It is quite clearly from a speech and quoted out of context (unless it was a speech to Sony about the importance of religious albums -“Blessed are the music makers for they shall be called pop stars and receive great royalties.”) REVIEWS Edited by Alison Webster e-mail willweb@easynet.co.uk The album is studio-crafted and, putting the heap of vocal samples aside, has next to nothing to do with the Pope. It demonstrates that he is not just a marketable but a bankable figure. The way the CD is presented is very elegant, and it is keen to suggest that “He’s got the whole wide world under his thumb”.
How catholic is this Catholic project? It features some token “ethnic input”: namely some simpering pan-pipes from South America and, more promisingly, on “Un Commandemento Nuovo” we get a snatch of a lively African choir - until it is drowned out by His Holiness’ holy platitudes. His sanctimonious words suffocate the engaging, more primal music: almost a summary of missionary culture. Mostly the album sounds like heaven is supposed to sound: misty, gentle, deadly dull. If your music must be capital “C” Christian, give me the raw blues of the Rev Gary Davies or the smooth and soulful Al Green over this.
There are moments that carry you away, such as the swelling strings (reminiscent of a film score) or a beautiful soaring soprano.
Yet on repeated listens what was soothing becomes tiresome; “Abba Pater” is thoroughly forgettable and hence not offensive. It is background noise. Which, as someone ought to tell him, is exactly what the Pope is himself.
Tim Woodcock is editor of the SCM magazine “Movement” THE CONTROVERSIAL NEW WORK FROM RICHARD HOLLOWAY, THE BISHOP OF EDINBURGH “A brave and necesught to read this book.” sary book, and refrom a Bishop.” DON CUPITT, author of After God and Sea of Faith “His writing is lucid, convincing and manifestly compassionate.