King's Singers rebuffed

[Ein Heldenleben]

Indeed: but they must have had to choose their program(me) carefully to have it deemed acceptable, given what the students are banned from listening to, and one might have thought that that in itself would raise alarm bells if it didn't on previous occasions.
The choir I'm in had to drop an item from a concert (yes, a concert, not anything liturgical) in a local church in Advent as it contained an Alleluia! We were told that were a performance of Handel's Messiah to take place in Advent it too would not be allowed to have the Hallelujah Chorus sung. Presumably they don't allow their associated primary school to hold a Christmas Carol concert/service in Advent either: we didn't ask!
We've not been back to that church.

Forgive my theological ignorance but what is the objection to the word “alleluia”? Isn’t there a 19th century hymn with that as the final line to every verse? It’s not a general ban on words cognate with Allah is it ? Or some sort of prejudice against Aramaic ? Or is it a bit too evangelical ? I am utterly perplexed.

[Bryn]

Forgive my theological ignorance but what is the objection to the word “alleluia”? Isn’t there a 19th century hymn with that as the final line to every verse? It’s not a general ban on words cognate with Allah is it ? Or some sort of prejudice against Aramaic ? Or is it a bit too evangelical ? I am utterly perplexed.

https://www.learnreligions.com/no-alleluia-during-lent-542948

[Pulcinella]

https://www.learnreligions.com/no-al...ng-lent-542948

And this particular church, though not RC, extends the 'ban' to Advent, not only Lent.
I'm not sure what their stance is on Glorias; likely banned in Lent and probably not making an appearance in Advent either, as mentioned in the article Bryn linked to.

[mopsus]

Constraints on performances in churches may have more to do with the bias of the priest in charge than any theological justification. Applause was banned at concerts in Bath Abbey until 1990 or so. The college chaplain at my College would not allow a piano to be used in concerts in the chapel 'the piano is a profane instrument'. (There was an exception - a concert put on in the Chapel by his children's school.)

[Ein Heldenleben]

Constraints on performances in churches may have more to do with the bias of the priest in charge than any theological justification. Applause was banned at concerts in Bath Abbey until 1990 or so. The college chaplain at my College would not allow a piano to be used in concerts in the chapel 'the piano is a profane instrument'. (There was an exception - a concert put on in the Chapel by his children's school.)

Good job he never heard my attempt at boogie - woogie on the organ at the local church.

[Ein Heldenleben]

https://www.learnreligions.com/no-al...ng-lent-542948

Thanks I ought to know that but went to C of E school.

[ahinton]

It seems surprising that the ensemble accepted a date to perform there in the first place. It's also surprising that no human rights organisation seems so far to have focused on this institution; I would have thought that certain US specialist lawyers might have had a field day with its codes of practice - but then all sorts of surprising things seem to happen in the "sunshine state"...

[richardfinegold]

Of course this is nothing to do with Jesus and everything to do with homophobia, and in particular the pernicious way in which it's been normalised by the government of that state.

They are a private school that doesn’t accept any State or Federal funding.

[french frank]

They are a private school that doesn’t accept any State or Federal funding.

Don't laws apply to private enterprises as much as publicly funded ones? In which case isn't the government responsible for the laws which pertain, permitting or forbidding certain actions or conduct?

[Pulcinella]

One wonders how many of the students are there willingly (sadly, probably a fair few) and how many have been sent by their bigoted parents.

Richard will tell us, but I imagine that education is state not federally controlled, and Florida will do little if anything to discourage illiberal attitudes such as these.

[Barbirollians]

One wonders how many of the students are there willingly (sadly, probably a fair few) and how many have been sent by their bigoted parents.

Richard will tell us, but I imagine that education is state not federally controlled, and Florida will do little if anything to discourage illiberal attitudes such as these.

I see that most forms of dancing are also banned - Oliver Cromwell would have loved the place.

[Ein Heldenleben]

You have to live in the States to get an idea of how much religion , especially Christianity, still pervades everyday activity so this doesn’t surprise me at all sadly . Although state schools have no assembly I once saw somebody sent to the principal’s office for saying “go to hell.” In the supposedly liberal sixties on the eastern seaboard (one of the more liberal parts of the US ) even very young children were not allowed unclothed on the beach by the police; most families said grace ; and one once asked my father what how well Billy Graham’s mission had been received in the UK. This university though with , amongst other things , it’s disavowal of evolution is at the wackier end of the spectrum. We get a very false impression of mainstream opinion in large swathes of the States because so much of what we see is produced in New York and California . Of course the Republican’s great triumph was to politicise this mass of “conservative “ opinion largely through the abortion issue.Though there are tentative signs this constituency is unpicking.

[french frank]

Florida will do little if anything to discourage illiberal attitudes such as these.

I took it that that was what RichardB was referring to: recent restrictive legislation by the state administration, creating a wider range of 'criminal' activity. "If it's against the law it's wrong." That's what 'normalises' attitudes.

[EnemyoftheStoat]

Well, here's a thing. A member of my family moved to the States and faced with the choice of having to requalify to practice medicine there - a tit-for-tat as the UK does not recgnise US qualifications - went to work instead for an religious organisation that you'd think least likely to approve of firearm ownership. Not a bit of it; everybody had a gun in their desk or handbag.

Nuts!

[ardcarp]

I'm quite surprised that The Times article, which post #9 flags up, is somewhat even-handed about the views upon 'gayness' at the college. One would expect that a 21st century tolerance in our society would have resulted in Pensacola having more more of a bashing. Not to mention extreme views held in the US.