Today being the feast of St. Augustine I was hoping to attend my diocese of St. Augustine’s celebration which included Mass, a procession and to be capped off by a speech by historian Michael Gannon. Unfortunately the local weather made this impossible. As a result I had to attend Mass at a parish that had a later Mass. The phrase "When we sing,we pray twice" is attributed to St. Augustine and he might have revised it if he attended the Mass I did. I thought I knew what was in store when I saw the Gather hymnal, but it turned out it wasn’t used. I guess they considered this hymnal not to be vapid enough and they had spiral booklets of their own hymnal. The priest who celebrated Mass did give an excellent homily and even chanted some of the Mass, but the music the choir used was discordant to say the least with his reverential celebration. Think what it would have been like to watch the Passion of the Christ with Barney on the soundtrack.
The choir included a drummer, electric bass player, and one acoustic guitar player. They had the tendency to drag every song they did on and on. When they did the alleluia before the Gospel I swear it lasted at least three minutes. I think I said alleluia when they finally finished. The same thing for the Agnus Dei. They had one of those multiple line introductions not actually part of the Agnus Dei and then said the refrains so many times that you were never sure when the verse would actually change from " have mercy on us" to "grant us peace." Now I have experience all this before and am getting better at just ignoring it and concentrating on the sacrifice of the Mass instead, or at least I though it was. After receiving Our Lord in Communion I was kneeling and trying to pray when what do I hear? Bah-ba-ba-dum-ba-da …, yes a drum intro followed by an electric bass for a couple of lines until the choir chimed in. Not exactly conducive to prayer. For the final hymn they invited children up to play the maracas and I witnessed the choir do some choreographed arm movements to whatever it was they were signing (I am desperately trying to purge it from my memory.) At the end people clapped and I can only hope that it was in response to the choir finally finishing. I am just not sure how people can be so oblivious to just how inappropriate the music was. At times during the Mass my wife and I would exchange glances when we were just dumbfounded by the music.
46 comments
I just don’t get it. Have all the Catholic choir directors gone mad?
Unfortunately, I can sympathize with you. My husband and I ran into a couple doozies while on vacation. At one church, I seriously had to check and make sure it was a Catholic church when we walked in to a singing trio that sounded like they were auditioning for American Idol.
And what ever happened to the choir loft, or at least not having the choir front and center?
In elementary school, at Mass we sang a “hymn” whose chorus went: “I cannot come to the banquet, don’t trouble me now. I have married a wife, I have bought me a cow. I have fields and commitments that cost a pretty sum. Pray hold me excused–I cannot come.” The tune and beat reminded one of a polka. Sadly, I am not making this up.
In the Mass I atteneded this morning the closing hymn was from the Gather… and I swear I heard that song every Sunday from the days of my youth when I went to a liberal “Protestant” faith community. They’re so liberal I don’t even think they deserve the name Protestant… At any rate it sounded like barney and friends. My spirit was not lifted to God, but rather the Spirit moved me to shut the book and stop singing.
That was the most reverent act I could do.
It is for times like these that one wishes someone could invent liturgical mental floss that could be stored in ones pocket or purse and used immediatly following a liturgy. Or perhaps not, we cherish the good ones all the more when we have been subjected to the really bad ones.
I have been to Liturgy where the music has included some drum, (Celtic, in the right proportion to the space and songs) and it was beautiful.
Not every piece of music at every liturgy has to speak to me personally, becauase it might be meant for someone else in the congregation, so I can tollerate a song I really don’t like at Mass because I know someone else might find it deeply moving. Our church is that big and diverse. Just another perspective to think about.
The priest gave a wonderful homily this morning on how suffering may be one of our greatest prayers and how it brings us closer to Christ.
So . . . “Offer it up!” 🙂
(Really, I feel your pain. Been there before.)
Kathy, I remember that song well; the local Episcopal choir sang it back in the 70’s. I’m afraid that the lyrics have stuck in my mind for eternity. This group was accompanied by tambourines.
At the parish I visited today, the opening song was “Sing a New Church.” Every time I hear it, I feel like standing up and shouting, “What’s wrong with the one we have?”
I think the original saying was “qui bene cantat, bis orat”…..he who sings WELL, prays twice.
Sue~ If that is the case, “Offer it up” should have started back in 1967 for me. I still remember the song at Christmas this guy from the folk group sang. It was about an unmarried young woman with child who knew God was with her. She carried the light of the world. My mother was so up set over this song. “Totally inapropriate” was the consensus from most everyone there.
You know what? Huey Lewis was right. It’s hip to be square.
How about this for an after Communion instrumental? “I don’t know how to love him,” from Jesus Christ Superstar. I can’t have been the only one in the church familiar with the lyrics. When we hit the line “I’ve had so many men before…,” I thought I’d explode.
The saddest thing was that this was at the ONLY church in my diocese where my family doesn’t have to be on “red alert” for heresy and liturgical abuse. The priests are faithful, the homilies are powerful, the church is beautiful…but the music leaves a lot to be desired.
We have a group of mini-skirted girls as a band–complete with tamborines–and they love to shout out “Sing it with me, now”
Honestly it reminds me of the “HootinAnnies” I attended as a child.
Keep expecting them to say “Just the left side of the Church sing now”
The parish we left had a performance group for their 10AM mass. They didn’t even give out the music to the congregation, and they sang songs that had nothing to do with the readings or the season, just stuff that made them sound great. And yes, people always applauded after Mass.
It didn’t surprise me to learn a year after we left that they’d given themselves a group name (The Road To Emmaeus) and were performing locally in addition to their Sunday services. HELLO? Wasn’t the point of the road to Emmmaeus story that the apostles had totally missed seeing Jesus right there in front of them? And now we have a “choir” that’s really a band and is not only missing Jesus’ presence in front of them but leading the entire congregation to do likewise.
At my church it was the opposite this weekend. Our music is primarily traditional (despite using the OCP music issue), ALL accompanied by a brand spankin’ new Rodgers organ. However, the pastor was away this weekend. Guess who we had for a guest celebrant for two of the Masses – you’ve probably heard of the 12-string-totin’ “Fr. Pat” if you’re from the New England region. Yup – him. His idea of preaching was him singing out “I’VE GOT GOOD NEWS (clap clap), I’VE GOT GOOD NEWS (clap clap again)”. He pretty much improved his own Eucharistic prayer (a combination of EP 3 and Reconciliation 1 on the most part). It was awful.
My music selections for that weekend didn’t change for anyone (not even Fr. Pat). They were:
Lift high the cross
Take up your cross
Keep in mind
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy
Psalm 63 setting from Worship II / Mode VI alleluia
Danish Mysterium A and Per Ipsum
Sanctus and Agnus XVIII (in Latin)
BMP
Are you there to experience the Gospel message and worship God or be a music critic. If that is all you took away from the celebration of the Eucherist, then you must pay closer attention going forward. The path to the cross is a difficult one. Do not be distracted.
One would think the Eucharist is a strong and profound enough mystery to rise above distractions. I agree with Toby. The danger of being a critic is that is can be difficult to remove the critic’s hat when a worship attitude is called for.
Catholic should not have to put on the critics hat at all – at least not in Church – as they should not be subject to such song and dance routines! It would all be very helpful if liturgical musicians took seriously the Vat. II exhortation that, all things being equal, Gregorian chant is to be given pride of place in liturgical music.
Yes Todd, the Eucharist IS strong and profound and the role of music is to enhance that fact. Therefore music (music and lyrics) which is vapid and banal has no place being sung AT the Mass (much less as part of the liturgy).
It is true that an entire industry has been built (co-opted would be the better word) around such music, and choirs and liturgical consultants have become so comfortable with it all that they will thwart any attempt to leave it all behind and go back to what worked so well for centuries.
I don’t think people are being ‘critics’ at all, it’s about what’s appropriate at Mass and what’s not! How can one concentrate on the mystery of the mass when there are drums and tambourines and applause?
You’ve heard the old saying, “Children should be seen and not heard”? I’ve always said that choirs should be heard and not seen. Back to the choir loft!
At my church, we had the priest facing the altar, the old spoken prayers of the old Said Mass in Latin, the large building packed to the brim with quiet, praying people. Before Mass, when Reverend Deacon came out and opened the tabernacle door, all the people fell to their knees in adoration. Long, long lines snaking to the confessionals before Mass, too. And guess how many altar boys (yes! all boys!) in training, out there in their cassocks and albs? Guess!
TWELVE. Plus the two primary servers.
I’ll offer it up for all you poor folks, but I’m smiling! 🙂
Oh, and come on over to Old St. Mary’s, if you want a break. You’ll be very welcome and we always find a way to make room for more. And after Mass, come downstairs for coffee and donuts and talk to Pat Buchanan and Justice Scalia. We DO like our coffee klatches, but we save them for AFTER the Mass.
Now, now, now, don’t throw things. Offer it up!
😉
And I see Todd is back, the defender of dissent and and inculcator of studied ambiguity about women’s ordination, lecturing us on proper Catholic attitudes again. Ah, well…
I still have memories of our church using “Let It Be” as the communion hymn. At least they never tried to use “Paperback Writer” or some such as the recessional.
I agree with the dissatisfaction being expressed here, and I agree that bad music is bad EXACTLY because it distracts us from what should be the centre of the event: the re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice in the Eucharist.
But rather than starting yet another diatribe about musical tastes, I would appreciate some recommendations on tested methods for influencing the “powers that be” so that better music is used in our churches during liturgical celebrations.
What have you done that works, why do you think it worked and under what circumstances could it work for others?
I feel that being constructive is better (though more difficult) than simply poiting the finger at the bad stuff around us.
Hi everyone
Don’t hate me – I’m one of the perpetrators of this trend.
I’m one of those people who leads a LifeTeen band Sunday evenings. Drum set, bass, keyboard, guitar and singers with a mix from contemporary worship and Music Issue songs jazzed up. All teens except me age 44. I did not seek this out when I returned to the church in 2000 from a 12-year wilderness (Assembly of God where I was also a youth worship leader). In fact I was running away from that world – my motto was “boring is good-chaos is bad” For me, the main attraction of the Mass was the scriptural depth of the prayers and hymns and the Christ-centeredness of it all. (news flash – many Protestants never actually read the bible at service and their new-fangled songs contain very little scripture). A crash course in why the Church believes what it does and I was hooked. We have a very othrodox priest who actually believes what the church teaches (he frequently preaches correctly!! on the subject of birth control).
Knowing my background, the parish asked me to do this along with the new Lifeteen program to energize the youth and prevent the exodus of them to the entertaining/easy grace/everyone-ministers Protestant denominations or into practical agnosticism.
I’m very picky about the songs – always match the readings, no vapid lyrics, no ambiguous (is it for God or for a girlfriend) lyrics. Dress code, no showboating, no solos, always participate fully in the mass etc. I have to say that the songs today are far superior to the dreck we were doing for folk masses in the 70’s (“Annie’s Song” or “Let it Be” anyone? – yes I did those back then and I never felt right about it). I print&photocopy the lyrics fresh every week – and there’s a note that all worship is directed to God, and applause is not appropriate. If there is hand clapping or gestures, it is only on the recessional song.
I have to admit, on our once a month off-week, I head for the parish with the smells and bells.
yet, there is something about the contemporary worship songs that really open people’s hearts, “Here I am To Worship” for example. This is a small city (pop. 15000) and people stop me at work and in town and tell me how much they and esp. their kids like the music and they look forward to going to that Mass. I usually take that oppotunity to ask them to come to one of Father’s excellent evening classes on apologetics, the Lamb’s supper, prayer, holiness, etc.
Some of my serious Catholic friends however, do not care much for the music I suspect.
So, am I doing the right thing? My biggest fear is that people are ignoring the real purpose of the Mass and just waiting for their favorite song and the good feelings associated with it (my other post-AoG motto – feelings are not to be trusted). On the other hand, many people were ignoring the Mass anyway. My other concern is that I may be priming people for this kind of music which is done much better at the local AoG for, and so they will more easily get sucked into that.
What do you all think. is there a place for this if it is done right? If not at Mass, what about at a praise meeting (they’re asking me to start one) – why can’t Catholics jump for Jesus?
mark
I got up to go to church yesterday and just could not face the idea of listening to any more Haugen-Haas schlock or having to sit through the music director’s choice of a responsorial psalm (oh, nevermind the one in the liturgy – they sing whichever one they feeeeeel like singing). So I drove 50 miles (round trip) to a 100+ year old cathedral downtown for a Latin Mass with singing only during the offertory and during communion, both in Latin and accompanied only by an organ. Aaahh. Sadly, with gas prices what they are, and with my commitment to supporting the local parish, I won’t be doing this very often and will thus have to learn to bear the cross of the bad, vapid, touchy-feely stuff that passes for music these days. (What ever happened to the idea of ‘sacred?’)
I console myself with the idea that God is putting this in my path to help me to learn patience. I also tell myself that at one time, even traditional music was ‘contemporary’ and perhaps seemed equally as offensive to those who then heard it for the first time.
Mark,
I don’t know whether you are doing the right thing or not from the info in your missive.
I do know Lifeteen is supposed to be a bridge from Confirmation as the capstone of childhood catechism to get teen-agers more interested in the liturgy AND THEN TRANSITION INTO AN ACTIVE, ADULT LAYPERSON.
The biggest problem I have observed with Lifeteen is that its advocates have no interest in transitioning into adulthood.
The contemporary music I can tolerate. The lyrics border on heretical.
I would challenge you to introduce and eventually integrate some of the beauty of traditional Catholic hymns. The lyrics alone can make you weep.
Dillene wrote:
“I still have memories of our church using “Let It Be” as the communion hymn.”
I remember seeing that in a folk hymnal, along with another title – “Give a Damn”. What a title to be using in church to begin with. YUK!
Surfing that horrendous St. Joan’s site, I surfed through the pics in there, and sure enough, the words to “Let it be” were projected on the screens in one of the pics. Don’t get me wrong – I’m a big fan of the Beatles, but NOT at Holy Mass.
I’m also in agreement with Fr. Totten. Everything at Mass MUST be sacred – spoken AND sung.
BMP
Hey y’all, interesting thread. I just have a couple of comments.
Kathy, the words of that song come from one of the parables of Jesus so it can’t be all bad. On the other hand it may be just awful and, in that case, it just goes to show that a song isn’t good just because it’s “scriptural.”
Mark, you are doing the right thing. Keep it up.
broed or whoever,
Could someone tell me what are traditional Catholic hymns? Now thank we all Our God? Immaculate Mary? Make me a Channel? I grew up in post Vat-II folk mass and Glory and Praise. Then I left RCC for 12 years.
Now in a different state in Upper Midwest and it SEEMS “traditional” to me in my parish’s annual
“music issue”. But that’s compared to AoG.
Anyway, I see in the blog that you all are knocking “music issue” music. So I’m wondering what traditional Catholic music is.
At the 100 year old “smells and bells” church that I occasionally attend, they sing from a hardbound hymnal and I recognize very few of the hymns. I enjoy singing them (I sight read). Musically, they sound “anglican” or “German” to me. (I can sight read but I am uneducated musically so excuse my imprecision). maybe this is it.
So any help as to what trad. Catholic music is, I woudl appreciate it.
Basically, Mark, the traditional stuff is stuff geared for the organ (and I don’t mean the one you hear at the ballpark), something which the “Music Issue” has only a limited amount of – probably about 40%. The remainder, including much of their Psalm and Mass settings, are geared for guitar/piano, in “secular” styles.
As for the hardbound, there are good and bad of those too. The best ones are:
Adoremus Hymnal (Ignatius Press)
Collegeville Hymnal (Liturgical Press)
Worship – Third Edition (GIA Publications)
I’ve yet to see OCP (who publishes the Music Issue) come up with anything with a repertoire similar to the above three. In fact, a good chunk of the Music Issue’s contents appears in the latest edition of Glory and Praise, which, in my opinion, is hardly an improvement from any previous editions.
OOPS! forgot to sign my post. Sorry. My bad.
Peace
BMP
broed, I think I’m going to have to get Mark’s back on this one. Can you please fill me in on what you’ve ever seen with LT in which you can assume that “its advocates have no interest in transitioning into adulthood”?? Or which songs you’ve seen used in such a setting that “border on heretical”?
The reason I ask is that, in my experience (4 years in high school, 5 years on Core, starting as a full time youth minister next month), things have been much more along the lines of what Mark describes. So just to help give some perspective…can you give something concrete instead of just throwing out harsh accusations?
So, according to Toby and Todd, it’s YOUR fault that bad music distracts you. You’re just not pious enough and not paying enough attention to the Eucharist. sheesh.
Todd wrote:
“One would think the Eucharist is a strong and profound enough mystery to rise above distractions.”
Toby wrote:
“Are you there to experience the Gospel message and worship God or be a music critic. If that is all you took away from the celebration of the Eucherist, then you must pay closer attention going forward.”
Kathy, I remember that song too! And just like the other commenter said, it is engraved in my memory as well, but with an unfortunate twist. In elementary school the little boys in the class would switch the words to ” I have bought me a wife, I have married a cow” followed by hysterical laughter. THAT’s how I remember it!
My favorite music wierdness memory was “Bridge over troubled water”, sung in the school gym in 1969. Somehow my mother wasn’t impressed.
It’s clear our blog host stumbled into a LifeTeen Mass or something close to it. After pointing out that LifeTeen involvement dwarfs that of the Tridentine Rite, a few things:
“It would all be very helpful if liturgical musicians took seriously the Vat. II exhortation that, all things being equal, Gregorian chant is to be given pride of place in liturgical music.”
“Pride of place” does not equate with “the only place.” Pastors set the leadership tone in a parish. It would be more helpful if priests were better trained in liturgy, at least enough to know that other musical styles beyond chant and polyphony are acceptable.
“Therefore music (music and lyrics) which is vapid and banal has no place being sung AT the Mass (much less as part of the liturgy).”
None of us knows if the music at this Mass was that bad. We know Jeff didn’t like it. But personal taste is insufficient grounds for allegations of heresy, or even banality.
” … they will thwart any attempt to leave it all behind and go back to what worked so well for centuries.”
Silly conspiracy theories. Chant isn’t done in parishes mainly because it was never done or not done well before Vatican II.
“How can one concentrate on the mystery of the mass when there are drums and tambourines and applause?”
Personal discipline. Lacking that, one can find a Mass more suited to one’s tastes and do a little research before hopping in the car and rolling the liturgical dice, as it were.
“And I see Todd is back …”
I never left, my friend.
“So, according to Toby and Todd, it’s YOUR fault that bad music distracts you.”
I don’t believe in the victim mentality; ie blame the musicians for the music I don’t like. I’m not sure the music was bad. But I’d be willing to listen to a recording before making a judgment. You go to a LifeTeen Mass; why wouldn’t you expect a different style from organ and choir or chant? I’m not sympathetic to our host’s plight. But maybe he would’ve been better off going to Mass Monday morning instead.
Todd,
I hope that at some time while you are in prayer I get to bang a drum next to you and you can show me just how elevated you are compared to us mortals that get distacted when quiet is called for.
Elijah would never have gotten to hear that still small voice during Mass after Communion in many churches.
Jeff, yes, well, I’ve always found the interior distractions to be more of a challenge.
I concede it was a difficult spot for you: no Sunday Masses left but for this LifeTeen experience. My wife knows I can be a severe liturgical critic when I put my mind to it, and she tries not to encourage me when we’re on vacation.
But I think your commenters speaking of heresy on things they’ve not seen (your experiences, in particular) is leading us down the wrong path to all of this. Liturgy needs to improve and music, even LifeTeen music can stand improvement. Does this kind of commentary get us there, or does it reinforce a negative personal preference and a sense of narcissistic superiority because “we” pray with chant and silence? Just wondering.
Gee whiz, this article sure sheds some light on why the SSPX thing might be so important, eh? Assisting at the Traditional Mass has ruined the Novus Ordo for me. It is a battle to be able to find the time or the silence to pray, really pray, to thank the Lord for His gift of His Body and Blood and to offer up worship and intentions in the N.O. It is possible, but man, what an effort. I choose to ask the Lord to knock years off of my (hopeful) purgatorial sentence every time I have to endure “Gather Us In” or the especially execrable “Table of Plenty”. Thank the Lord I can hit the Traditional Mass on most Sundays.
Until someone finally puts an end the madness, the horrors will continue to be updated with the times. Many posts have mentioned “Let It Be” and “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.” I was on retreat this past weekend and for each and every Mass the “meditation hymn” after communion, as if one is needed, was taken from Phantom of the Opera.
If that don’t beat all!
Todd’s contention that someone accused him of heresy because of his tastes in liturgical music is just his standard bait-and-switch. Don’t let him fool you! The issue was just–as always–whether his extreme ambiguity about whether he believes Catholic teaching, and his outright denial of the defining importance of doctrine at all, must not necessarily have an effect on his thoughts on the liturgy. Ecclesiology has an effect on liturgiology. Poorly catechized Catholics make poor liturgiologists.
That said, of course, Jeff Miller, it’s perfectly reasonable to say that some sorts of music that are perfectly okay in a secular context are a bad idea at mass, since they are not oriented toward reverence and interiority. Todd or anyone else can claim that a particularly style IS okay. But I think the question they should be asked is, “Well, then, what styles of music WOULD you consider unfit for liturgical use? Can one be outraged and upset by ANY musical development in the Church?”
I would maintain that many would usually not admit that ANY secular style is unfit for such use and that shows that they don’t admit the principle. They think “reverence is in the ear of the hearer” and all musical questions are so relative that one may never, in effect, find anything objectionable.
Look at the post above by Mark, who is truly humble and acknowledges the principle, but wants to find his way in charity to all AND to think with the Church at the same time. Contrast his way of thinking with Todd’s soft arrogance and individualism.
Todd wrote:
“Pride of place” does not equate with “the only place.” Pastors set the leadership tone in a parish. It would be more helpful if priests were better trained in liturgy, at least enough to know that other musical styles beyond chant and polyphony are acceptable.
True, Pride of place does not equate with �the only place� but neither does it mean �absolutely no place whatsoever.� Which is the way in which it has been interpreted by modern liturgists.
Furthermore, it would be better is more liturgists were better trained in liturgy (liturgy did not spontaneously begin with 1970, nor are its norms dictated by LTP, the LA Religious ed. Conference or the Notre Dame school of Liturgy. Research the liturgical movement of the early twentieth century and you will clearly see that many of the aberrations practiced in so many parishes these days are an abrupt change from what was advocated by those (liturgists) who were seeking organic development of the liturgy. ON that note the �Reform of the Reform� group is on the right track.
“Therefore music (music and lyrics) which is vapid and banal has no place being sung AT the Mass (much less as part of the liturgy).”
None of us knows if the music at this Mass was that bad. We know Jeff didn’t like it. But personal taste is insufficient grounds for allegations of heresy, or even banality.
Go back and read carefully what I wrote. I was speaking about music which is vapid and banal. NO, I wasn�t there, but it does not take much of a stretch to sympathize with what Jeff may or may not have encountered on Sunday! I was making a statement of fact: there is no place for vapid and banal music in the Solemn Celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Chant isn’t done in parishes mainly because it was never done or not done well before Vatican II.
On this you are right Todd! A tip of the biretta (actually I don�t own one). Chant was never done or not done well before Vatican II. Which is precisely why the fathers of the council called for its restoration (a word many, no doubt, will deplore) and that parishes implement it and implement it well. The desire to restore Gregorian Chant (leave polyphony aside for the moment) was largely the heritage of Solemnes and her foundations. One would be hard pressed to show me the Vat. II document which reads: since Gregorian chant is never done – at least never done well – in our parishes we will banish it altogether and replace it with toe-tapping feel-good music which fails to raise the mind and soul to contemplate the sublime reality of the Sacred in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Fr Totton,
“but neither does it mean �absolutely no place whatsoever.�”
Rare indeed is the parish that doesn’t pray the chant Lord’s prayer, O Come O Come Emmanuel, or the Exsultet. The real challenge is finding an appropriate place in a parish’s repertoire. How are you doing in your new assignment, btw?
“Furthermore, it would be better is more liturgists were better trained in liturgy …”
Well, there are musicians who are trained in their fields. I have a degree in systematic theology; would you consider that adequate?
” … you will clearly see that many of the aberrations practiced in so many parishes these days are an abrupt change from what was advocated by those (liturgists) who were seeking organic development of the liturgy.”
I think there are a lot of ways in which liturgy has gone off the tracks. “Organic” development is mentioned once in Sacrosanctum Concilium. It’s a valid principle, especially in dealing in the pastoral realm, but a good case can be made that the RotR group overplays it, or that liturgical reform, though speedy and unpastorally implemented in some places, was needful.
“One would be hard pressed to show me the Vat. II document which reads: since Gregorian chant is never done – at least never done well – in our parishes we will banish it altogether and replace it with toe-tapping feel-good music which fails to raise the mind and soul to contemplate the sublime reality of the Sacred in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.”
I think we’d both agree there is no such Vatican document, but if you want to argue from extremes rather than real world situations, we can probably conjure justification for just about anything from Vatican II. Check my web site over the next few days; I’ll offer some substantive advice for parishes trying to develop chant as part of their musical repertoire.
There are some Catholics who know exactly what is going on at Mass, and are so focused on Christ’s presence and gift to us, that they can suffer thru bad music, a lame homily, moderate irreverence, etc. (I know, I have had to do it while traveling.)
For these serious Catholics, their experience is enhanced greatly by the chant, traditional hymns, the symbolism in the rubrics, the quiet times, etc. Their interior worship meshes with these aids. But soul-stirring pop-gospel tunes wouldn’t add much to their experience.
I suspect this applies to most who post here.
But who will minister to the pew-warmers who just attend out of habit, never sing, and maybe never say the prayers xcept for Lord’s prayer. Their life choices often reflect their lack of teaching and relationship with God, – yet they want SOMETHING, or why would they still be attending.
Folks, this is like 80% of Catholics. And we are the generation that is used to secular music styles – I think that worshipful and even personal lyrics with the expressive contemporary style can help people break through. Of course, the sentiment of those lyrics is already in the Mass, but after many repetions it’s in one ear and out.
some examples…
“I’m forgiven because You were forsaken,
I’m accepted, You were condemned
I’m alive and well your Spirit lives within me
because You died and rose again.
Amazing Love, how can it be, that You my King would die for me. Amazing love, I know it’s true, and it’s my joy to honor you.”
etc. etc.
No doubt, some of you are groaning and that’s okay. But there are many folks in Mass on Sunday who are numb – they never contemplate God’s love and what He did for them on the cross. They won’t face up to their sinfulness, and so never really receive His Mercy. And that is the step of conversion that we all must take.
suffer me another example
“Break our hearts, O God, break our hearts
Break our hearts, O God, break our hearts
For the sin in our lives, break our heart
For the sin in our land, break our hearts
We cry out, we need Your help.
Come back to our land
We confess, we lived in sin
Come show Your power once again.”
a good one for Lent, when Father is coaxing people to confession.
This one rocks and is very popular
“Blessed be your name
in the land that is plentiful
where your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be your name
Blessed be your name
when I’m found in the desert place,
when I walk thru the wilderness.
Blessed be your name
Every blessing you pour out I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say.”
I’m not pushing this music on the church, but I think there is a place for it. Music is integral in our culture, and we have to reach people where they are sometimes. Does this mean anything is okay to reach them – of course not? But even the traditional stuff can turn into an “idol” – look at how people will flock to a parish that has a superior classically trained organist.
I ramble,
but I hope that you posting Catholics who “get it” on Sunday morning will consider that there are lot’s who need some special help.
mark
I feel your pain, but every trial is a blessing in disguise. Here’s Tolkien, in his Letters:
“Also I can recommend this as an exercise (alas! Only too easy to find opportunity for): make your communion in circumstances that affront your taste. Choose a snuffling or gabbling priest or a proud and vulgar friar; and a church full of the usual bourgeois crowd, ill-behaved children, from those who yell to these products of Catholic schools who the moment the tabernacle is opened sit back and yawn, open necked and dirty youths, women in trousers and often with hair both unkempt and uncovered. Go to Communion with them (and pray for them). It will be just the same (or better than that) as a mass said beautifully by a visibly holy man, and shared by a few devout and decorous people.” (Letter 250)
Yes, the Mass should be beautiful so that it will help turn our minds to God, but fact is, in so many places it’s not. So instead we can offer all these things up and love God for his own benefit rather than getting too attached to the outward spiritual beauty, recognizing this day and age as the Dark Night of the Liturgical Environment it seems to have become.
Hey guys, a few comments from a Protestant musician who is looking in on Catholicism (so that means I will probably make some real boners posting here, but it won’t be the first time—or the last!)
First of all, I truly feel your pain, those of you who love the traditional music of mass (Gregorian chant, et al). As a college music major, until I switched to English Lit., I studied it. I went into it fully prepared to be bored to tears, and found I cannot get enough of it. Palestrina is my favorite chant composer!
The only problem is, I was in my late teens/early 20s before I heard any chant at all! No one in my city, in any denomination, was doing chant! If not for my manditory music lit/history course, I would still be ignorant of it. And I have been playing music in some form since 4th grade!
My point is, you cannot expect anyone, even musicians, to love and play well music that they hear little or none of. And if said music is performed badly, well….
From what I’ve seen on this blog, Catholics are caught in an ecclesial Catch 22: hardly anyone plays the traditional music because so few have heard the music–like me they have never been exposed to it, and because so few have heard the music, no one plays the music. Not fun at all.
Another problem I have seen (again, as an outsider looking in, so I have probably missed a few things, forgive me in advance) is that there are people that sincerely want to play contemporary music that worships and honors God. But because they either have little or no music training, or little exposure to musicians who do have a great mix of contemporary music with orthodox lyrics, they are left with either trying to adapt secular music to worship purposes (Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand, etc.) or grabbing the first thing they hear on the local CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) station, whether theologically right or not.
There is also the problem of those with little or no music ability trying to write music for worship, but let’s not go there today, OK? And no, Catholics are NOT the only ones with that problem. But I digress…
The truth is, of course, that there are plenty of Christian musicians out there, of all denominations, who write contemporary Christian music that would fit whatever worship service you have. The problem is that we as believers are often very isolated from each other. I, as a Protestant, love the music of John Michael Talbot. I was in a Baptist church orchestra that performed his “The Lord’s Supper” for our own congregation, as well as at an Episcopal Church! And I am a percussionist, so please do not tell me no one can worship with drums—I’ve seen it done and I’ve done it! (For those of you who have not seen the instrumental score for “The Lord’s Supper,” there is a percussion part written for it—tympani, suspended cymbals, and chimes. Hey, who do you think plays that church bell at the opening? A synthesizer?) The music director at my Baptist church was college educated, and was comfortable with just about every musical style, past and present, and did it well. Because people knew and respected his musical training, he was able to do things musically with worship (like playing Catholic music to a Southern Baptist congregation) that probably would not have gotten off the ground at another Baptist church down the street. In other words, the congregation knew and trusted the man, and he repaid that trust by making sure we had plenty of the traditional Baptist hymns, and DOING THEM WELL. Lousy musicianship is lousy musicianship, no matter what century the music is written in. The only thing worse than bad music is the bad performance of good music! Anyway, because he had earned their trust, they were willing to give the contemporary music a chance. He did it slowly, and yep, he made some mistakes. But again, because he had earned the congregation’s trust over the years, they forgave him, knowing that his heart was in the right place, and that the next thing he tried would probably have people weeping as they realized the grace of God (I am not making that up, I’ve seen it happen at that church!) We also did new traditional music by John Rutter, as well as the contemporary music from people like Don Moen, Dennis Jernigan, and those awesome people at Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia (I call it “true Southern [Hemisphere] gospel music!)
Sorry this was so long, but I just had to speak out. To those who have trouble with drums in church, all I can say is, drummers have to learn and know what they’re doing, and yes, I’ve seen probably as many bad instances of percussion instruments gone wild in the Protestant churches I’ve attended as you have in your Catholic worship. But don’t let that turn you off from percussion altogether. That’s like saying you don’t want to hear Gregorian chant ever again because the first group you ever heard sang out of tune and the tenors got lost! Don’t mistake bad musical performance or bad musicianship for bad music. In my church orchestra, I’ve played percussion in compositions that were so moving, I nearly missed my entrances/cues, the music caught me up so toward God. And when I looked out at the congregation, it was easy to see that they were totally focused on God, because they were not looking at me, the other instrumentalists or the director. Some were on their knees, others were looking up or had their eyes closed. We musicians could have left the building at that point, and the congregation would never have noticed, because they were too busy telling God by their body posture or tears how great He is. God can and does touch hearts via music, and when He does, the final focus is always on Him.
Why oh why can’t something be done about the horrid music at the Sunday Mass. I’ve heard
“Whispeing Hope” (does anyone remember Ethel Smith?) and “Let’s all gather round the River”.
I’m not fond of Halle, Halle Halle Hallelujah when some of the congregation are stomping their feet and rolling their shoulders…..The saddest part is that the congregation likes it.
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