This is so important, especially for musicians who can play their instruments outside of a church. They truly learn the difference between what most non-musicians consider “performing” and “rendering”.
The organ is one of the only exceptions. Because organs are mostly in churches, they are taught to play according to what the church needs and the organ compositions require. Most organists I know don’t consider themselves “performers” at all mainly because of the nature of their job and their instrument. People mistakenly assume and judge them of showing off when they play organ preludes or postludes by composers like Buxtehude or Couperin, but in reality, they are playing exactly what the composer wrote to be done in a church setting. For hymns and mass parts, good organists are taught to help support the congregation for congregational pieces. A good organist won’t play it like an instrumental.
All other instrumentalists and vocalists learn this as they go along and work more in churches. I have found that many who “gig” outside of church tend to know the difference between a secular performance and a sacred offering or “spiritual presentation” as our bishop has said. It’s a little different for musicians who mainly perform outside of church then come into a church setting. And that’s for any kind of musician. Freelancing and substituting a lot, I have witnessed a big difference in that. But if a good musician has been working in church ministry on a continual basis, they learn the difference and it is always a joy to work with them in that regard.
I can remember growing up in a Protestant (Conference Baptist, or Swedish Baptist) church, when the organ prelude and postlude were works of great music literature by the master composers. The organist worked hard to play these preludes, which literally lifted us out of the world and placed us as close to heaven as we could get while still alive.
Many Protestant churches, at least the evangelical ones, do not use organs in their worship services nowadays. The only time the organ is used is in funerals for old people, and then a Bach Fugue is not appropriate (old hymns are appropriate).
Only a few time, have I have heard a truly great organ piece done as a Prelude in the Catholic Church. Several times, I’ve heard great Postlude pieces, but that’s also controversial–the ones who say that the time after Mass is supposed to be a “quiet time” for praying object when the organist is up there with all the stops pulled out blasting away at a Buxtehude piece! Grrr.
What I usually hear in Catholic churches is no Prelude or a very simple play-through of a hymn. Sometimes the organist just plays meditative chords.
If I am playing the piano, I play a simple hymn for the prelude, often a “Protestant” hymn because I have no copies of Catholic hymns arranged for the piano. I feel awkward playing anything technically difficult, because I think that Catholics are not capable of listening to good instruments before Mass without getting their focus bent out whack. They forget all about the Mass and instead, concentrate on that great pianist up there.
Once my daughter sang “Rejoice” from Handel’s Messiah (Advent Mass), and the people applauded and it was very beautiful. But so many people on this CAF board have condemned such a thing as “Protestant” that I feel awkward when people sing a Prelude now.
So I continue to play non-descript, quiet, super-easy (for me) pieces.
No wonder the Catholic Church has sucky, wimpy, lifeless music. The congregation doesn’t let us do what we are capable of doing. Someone will complain.
BTW, I played my Palestrina CD the other day while making up my menus. Honestly people, you enjoy this? Sorry. I found it creepy. I had to turn it off and put on some Taylor Hicks. I honestly don’t see any local congregation doing this kind of music well–most people do not know how to sing in a head voice or stay on pitch. It was bad enough listening to a professional choir do it; I can’t even imagine listening to a group of senior citizens with “minor thirds” instead of vibratos, or to a teenaged choir bending the notes “pop style” doing Palestrina.
He’s the only young guy singing. (At least he sings loud. 
