Are Drum Sets and Electric Guitars Ever Appropriate For Mass?

[johnpaul2_fan]

The only Mass that I can attend (that is within walking distance, since I have no car) has some Bongo type of drum that is always thudding an extremely obnoxious modern song when I am trying to have silent prayer before and after receiving our Lord in the Eucharist. They also have electric guitars and guitars that are not played in a classical manner. It’s such a distraction, I end up thinking about how annoying the bongo type drums are, instead of reverencing Jesus.

I would much rather have no music that musicians who sit on the alter during the consecration or who play music that reminds me Sesame Street songs.

 

[brotherhrolf]

I would much rather have no music that musicians who sit on the alter during the consecration or who play music that reminds me Sesame Street songs.

Amen! Muppet music.

 

[jc-servant]

Life teen masses are an abomination as they completely destroy the sense of the Sacred and violate so many Rubrics of the Mass

Unless you have been to every LT mass at every parish in the world, you really should avoid sweeping condemnations based on your limited experience. I’ve been to very reverent LT mass and horrible “regular” mass and vice versa. I would never believe that I could speak for what they are like everywhere.

 

[Godfollower]

Amen! Muppet music.

To the tune of the Muppet theme:

We’re here to worship Jesus;
We’re here to praise the Lord.
We’re here to listen to Him
And to love with one accord.

This bread becomes His Body;
This wine becomes His Blood.
And throughout all the ages
He will save us from the flood.

The Father is the highest;
The Son is Lord indeed.
The Holy Spirit’s our guide
Who will help us in our need.

 

[puzzleannie]

on the topic, kind of, can we hear from those in the know about liturgical music, on pianos. I remember their presence being very hotly debated as more churches ditched their organs (including beautiful old pipe organs) in the liturgical “reform” of the 60s-70s. I know my pastor has a prejudice agains pianos. Other pastors hate electric organs (as I do). I am very glad to see many churches restoring these old pipe organs (the Cathedral in Baton Rouge is one notable example) in part because it gives my brother a job as that is his area of expertise.

What is your view of pianos in church?

 

[brotherhrolf]

on the topic, kind of, can we hear from those in the know about liturgical music, on pianos. I remember their presence being very hotly debated as more churches ditched their organs (including beautiful old pipe organs) in the liturgical “reform” of the 60s-70s. I know my pastor has a prejudice agains pianos. Other pastors hate electric organs (as I do). I am very glad to see many churches restoring these old pipe organs (the Cathedral in Baton Rouge is one notable example) in part because it gives my brother a job as that is his area of expertise.

What is your view of pianos in church?

Annie, when the great electronic Hoover organ bellied up during the wedding Mass of a Cathedral choir member, we were faced with a dillema. We could have used the electronic keyboard we used in practice with speakers. We had the wooden portativ organ built by our choir director (which we used for some months). We used a harpsichord built by another choir member - which was really, really lovely except that it couldn’t encompass the whole cathedral. And then we had another choir member loan us a baby grand. We used it for well over a year until the organ and choir loft were rebuilt.

We had no problems. But the piano was played in a classical manner and solely in support of the choir. Our organist/pianist did not “noodle” ( if you know what I mean) and it worked.

 

[Michael_Welter]

The only Mass that I can attend (that is within walking distance, since I have no car) has some Bongo type of drum that is always thudding an extremely obnoxious modern song when I am trying to have silent prayer before and after receiving our Lord in the Eucharist.

Really? How does a bongo drum do anything? I seen musicians play the bongo drum, but I’ve never seen the bongo drum itself “thudding an extremely obnoxious modern song”. That must have been quite a site.

But seriously, is it possible that it was the way in which the drum was played that bothered you? Is it possible that it could be played in a reverent manner? Of course it could.

I would much rather have no music that musicians who sit on the alter during the consecration or who play music that reminds me Sesame Street songs.

Musicians sitting on the altar? Seriously, where did you ever see that?

 

[Michael_Welter]

What styles are completely unacceptable, and why?

IMHO, heavy metal would be a style that is inappropriate for Mass. Why? Because that style of music involves screaming words in an unintelligable manner. The lyrics must be worshipful, and understood.

 

[JButky]

But seriously, is it possible that it was the way in which the drum was played that bothered you? Is it possible that it could be played in a reverent manner? Of course it could.

I would speculate from my experience that it is not the drum, per se, but the music to which it was applied in which the drum was used.

The music itself and instrumentation are two very different things.

Joe B

 

[tom.wineman]

Do to the huge squabble music styles have caused in the church is the any better reason to have a non-music Mass where the prayers are just recited even if it takes a decision by the pope. It would be interesting to see what the attendance would be between the two. Music has become too derisive as shown in this thread.

 

[Godfollower]

Do to the huge squabble music styles have caused in the church is the any better reason to have a non-music Mass where the prayers are just recited even if it takes a decision by the pope. It would be interesting to see what the attendance would be between the two. Music has become too derisive as shown in this thread.

That’s why I support the policy I found in most of my past parishes (not my current one, sadly): have a different style of music at each Mass. My personal music beef is that in our parish every Mass must have the very same songs. So the organ-and-choir Mass, the guitars-and-folk-group Mass, and the cantor-and-piano Mass each must perform, say, Faith of our Fathers, I Am the Bread of Life, You Are Mine, Blest Be the Lord, and Ave Maria – meaning that the organ has to play Blest Be the Lord (which is not pretty on organ!), and the guitars have to perform Faith of our Fathers (which is boring on guitars!). I’d love to see it change; one thing I loved about my old parishes was that the people who liked a particular type of music in Mass could simply go to that Mass. You like Mass to be celebrated with cantor and piano? 7:30. Organ and SATB choir? 9:00. Guitars, piano, flute, and folk group? 10:30. Air guitar, bass drum, and zithyr? 12:00.

(Okay, I was kidding about that last one).

 

[JButky]

Do to the huge squabble music styles have caused in the church is the any better reason to have a non-music Mass where the prayers are just recited even if it takes a decision by the pope. It would be interesting to see what the attendance would be between the two. Music has become too derisive as shown in this thread.

That would seem to be against what the Church has always taught though. That being… that music is integral and important to the liturgy. But this is nothing new either. The Church has spoken and guarded the direction music should take for centuries. People have always quibbled over it.

If we applied that logic you present, the liturgy would have ended a long, long time ago. Fortunately for us, the Church doesn’t operate that way. People quibble over many things in the liturgy and always have. That doesn’t mean those contentious points should be eliminated under the guise of “can’t we all just get along.” The Church is not an appeaser.

Abuses are even documented in Scripture. But because people can’t agree on what they LIKE in the liturgy is no reason to remove it or parts of it. The liturgy is there as a work of our God. It exists FOR us, not too make us feel a certain way. What we personally like should have absolutely nothing to do with it.

But this is a modernist poison that gives us the squabbles we have over such things. There is a proper focus and backwards focus, especially in matters of liturgical music. One seeks to introduce things that make us feel good. The other seeks to do what the Church teaches it should be. And then there is every degree in the middle from these two endpoints. There are going to be disagreements. It’s just the way it is.

We live under the influence of concupiscence. This is, has been, and always will be the case in this life. Let’s not start casting out important and inseparable aspects of liturgy because people are the way we are.

Joe B

 

[mom2three]

Yes. They both can be played in a manner that supports the prayer of the community.

Agreed… They use these instruments at the Youth Mass at my parish and it’s done quite tastefully… It’s *how *they are used, not whether or not they are use, imo.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I guess this forum can’t have too many threads debating over what instruments, or what style of music should or should not be used at Mass

Myself, I could care less of what style of music or what instruments are used, so long as the music fits into the liturgy and it’s done for the purpose of worship, not entertainment.

A washtub string band could possibly pull it off, but can’t picture it right now.

Jim

 

[wynd]

IMHO, heavy metal would be a style that is inappropriate for Mass. Why? Because that style of music involves screaming words in an unintelligable manner. The lyrics must be worshipful, and understood.

So would you allow a heavy metal band with screaming worshipful words? Just trying to find out where the line is.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

So would you allow a heavy metal band with screaming worshipful words? Just trying to find out where the line is.

Have you ever heard the Mass in F-minor, by the Electric Prunes?

It was the latin version of the Mass and it was pretty good.

However, I can’t imagine the average parish having the level of talent the Electric Prunes had, in order to pull it off.

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

Electric Prunes at Mass – what a horrifying suggestion. We might as well put two lava lamps on the altar and load up the thurible with marijuana.

 

[Chris-WA]

IMO, what most people are missing here is that the OP is referring to a SPECIFIC type of drums and guitar.

That is Electric guitar and drum sets. These fall into the general categories of guitars and drums. The question then becomes can drums and guitars in the general sense be made appropriate for liturgical use.

In the general sense, yes, in the specific sense no. The key is that they are made appropriate for liturgical purposes. Electric guitars and drumsets are suited to specific purposes as a sub category of the general classification of which they are a part. And it is not appropriate for liturgy.

One must take their guitar skills or drum skills and apply them to appropraite means for use in liturgy.

I have used or played with guitarists and drummers in Liturgy, but NONE of it resembled anything of the ilk of the electric guitar/Drumset versions that is the point of contention here. These are innappropriate because they were designed for strictly secular purpose and I have yet to find anyone who has managed to appropriately find a way to use them in a manner suitable for liturgy.

Sorry but ROCK STYLED MUSIC ALWAYS becomes the application for these instruments. That is completely backwards. If you are a guitarist or a drummer use your talents appropriately. That is your gift AND your challenge. Don’t force what you want to have on the Church. It just doesn’t work.

Joe B

Thank you for clarifying my point. You get exactly what I was driving at. Electric guitars and drum *sets *generally are used for rock-styled music. Rock-styled music is never appropriate for mass, period. Rock-styled music lacks any sense of humility or sacredness. It’s more about having fun and entertainment than anything else.

I’m 35 and I have a decent collection of rock CD’s that I listen to in my car or in my home, but I understand that this genre is not appropriate in all places at all times.

 

[Michael_Welter]

So would you allow a heavy metal band with screaming worshipful words? Just trying to find out where the line is.

Screamed words are unintelligible. So no, I would say it’s inappropriate. If you can understand the lyrics, then it’s not heavy metal.

 

[childofmary1143]

Screamed words are unintelligible. So no, I would say it’s inappropriate. If you can understand the lyrics, then it’s not heavy metal.

I totally agree however I do have a question: Is it just me or is opera unintelligible words too?