A music poll of sorts

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I’ve got another thread going venting about my dissatisfaction with the music at a local parish among other things. There’s another thread by someone else with the same complaint, but it sounds like she’s at the other end of the spectrum.

So let’s try a poll. Which song have you heard at Mass in the last year?
 
I haven’t heard any of those at Mass. Personally, I prefer the hymns of the 3rd century. Although, the hymns of the 2nd century are said to be more traditional and reverent. 😉
 
Faith of Our Fathers I’ve heard. I haven’t heard the other two. Of course, it could possibly be because I’m the music director and those other two hymns are ones that I refuse to play. Also, I won’t play the “Faith of Our Mothers” verse that certain hymnals have sneaked into the middle of the hymn.

I prefer doing chants and old Latin hymns, but I don’t always have the luxury to be able to do so.
 
Unfortunately, among the other two, I have heard “On Eagle’s Wings” within the past year and not the others sung at Mass. I would have heard “Faith of Our Fathers” this past year, but Father’s Day weekend fell on Trinity Sunday, so the hymns were Trinitarian in nature. If it was a regular Sunday in Ordinary Time, we would’ve sung it. My music director never does “Amazing Grace” unless need be.
 
CatholicZ09 said:
My music director never does “Amazing Grace” unless need be.
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Need be? There’s a need for it? The pastor where I work has instructed me not to play it at his church - not that I would have anyway.
 
I heard “Amazing Grace” just this morning.

I’ve heard “Faith of Our Fathers” at Mass only once in my life but I remember it being because that Sunday was also a patriotic holiday (I didn’t know the US even had a “national hymn”) and not just because someone felt like it. I don’t think it’s been within the past 365 days.

I have heard “On Eagle’s Wings” recently but it wasn’t at my parish.

My parish is a mixed bag when it comes to musical selection though. I did get to sing a lot of Latin when I was in the choir.
 
The_Curt_Jester said:
Need be? There’s a need for it? The pastor where I work has instructed me not to play it at his church - not that I would have anyway.
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Need for as needing it for a funeral per the deceased family’s request. I never hear it unless played at a funeral.
 
None of the above. 😃

You left out that option for those who exclusively or primarily attend the EF.
 
We regularly get a medley of “Open Our Eyes, Lord” with “Amazing Grace.” .Our music director really digs this arrangement.
 
Our pastor recently died. Amazing Grace was his favorite song.

So we’ve been singing it at every Mass during Communion in honor of the Monsignor.
 
Kit15 said:
I heard “Amazing Grace” just this morning.

I’ve heard “Faith of Our Fathers” at Mass only once in my life but I remember it being because that Sunday was also a patriotic holiday (I didn’t know the US even had a “national hymn”) and not just because someone felt like it.
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The National Hymn of the United States is “God of Our Fathers,” which, sadly, the majority of Americans have never heard.

youtube.com/watch?v=V8V6VJLIC6M
 
I remember singing “Amazing Grace” in the first parish I attended and I remember singing “On Eagle’s Wings” at the current one. But I only remember singing them one time during Mass. I was shocked to hear “Amazing Grace” because I had come from a Protestant background and I didn’t know Catholics sang it. The words were familiar and I had no trouble singing it!😃
 
I’ve heard all three: Faith of our Fathers at my current parish, Amazing Grace at the neighboring parish where I have been attending Mass, and Eagle’s Wings on my CD. OP is only partially right about where I am on the spectrum. I love the traditional hymns like Faith of Our Fathers, Alleluia Sing to Jesus,etc, and the contemporary music such as Eagle’s Wings, Blessed Are You, etc. I just don’t like chant. It could be that it is not performed well at my parish, or that hearing it reminds me of the loss of the music I preferred. I have offered up my discontent in hope that I might be granted an appreciation for this music form that I do not like.
 
Cavaille-Coll said:
The National Hymn of the United States is “God of Our Fathers,” which, sadly, the majority of Americans have never heard.

youtube.com/watch?v=V8V6VJLIC6M
Click to expand...
It’s an absolutely awesome hymn that I wish would become part of each church’s regular hymnody, but there are some problems.

The fanfare before each verse makes it difficult for a non-musical congregation to sing. The fanfare is best when there are actual brass instruments to play; 2nd best option is an organ, but the organist has to know what they are doing or the fanfare will sound like noodling. I play piano, and when I have played this hymn, no matter how much power I put into the fanfare, there are still a lot of people who get confused and start singing before I finish the fanfare, OR they don’t sing when I’m finished with the fanfare because they don’t know what’s going on.

Another problem with this hymn is tempo. Since it isn’t often done, it’s hard to know how fast or slow it should be done. IMO, it needs to clip along so that people can finish each phrase without taking a breath (or several breaths). But if it clips too fast, it sounds flippant and irreverent. So I try for a staid medium tempo. But all too often, it is played at dirge tempo, and people just can’t sing it when they have to take three or four breaths during each phrase.

One more problem is that it’s very low. Yes, I know, most people claim that they want lower-pitched hymns. But it’s hard to HEAR the hymn unless a really fantastic bass or mezzo sings it, and this makes it hard for people who do not read music to actually HEAR the melody and learn the hymn.

But if the hymn is well-prepared by good instrumentalists and cantor or choir, it is stunning. Great words, too.
 
DiZent said:
I’ve heard all three: Faith of our Fathers at my current parish, Amazing Grace at the neighboring parish where I have been attending Mass, and Eagle’s Wings on my CD. OP is only partially right about where I am on the spectrum. I love the traditional hymns like Faith of Our Fathers, Alleluia Sing to Jesus,etc, and the contemporary music such as Eagle’s Wings, Blessed Are You, etc. I just don’t like chant.
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I am mostly here. My favorite music is traditional English hymns from the 15th-19th centuries, but I like a lot of contemporary stuff and even some P and W music. I also like chant somewhat, and am trying to use it more and more. We are using Jubilate Dei this Lent in English, with a switch to Latin for Holy Thursday. We also have hosted our first Chant workshop, which isn’t bad for a parish as small and devoid of musicians as we are. It does kind of get under your skin once yo get used to the notations and the style, especially if you stick to the simple stuff. I am not the only one here that is doing this. I think Cat too is working on chant, and we are both products of the last generation.

In the end, I think we will return more to the chant and Latin hymns of the Church, which will allow us to retain only the best of praise and worship music, contemporary hymns, and classic hymns.
 
We have sung Amazing Grace but only because it was specifically requested at a funeral. I think Eagles Wings must be a US one because it’s not popular over here in England at all. As for Faith of Our Fathers, I have sung it, but I don’t think it’s a very good hymn. Frederick Faber was a convert, and in my opinion his best hymn was There’s a wideness in God’s mercy" that is often listed in our Parish.
 
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