Are pianos approved for the liturgy?

[Cat]

You have nice ideas but none of them are realistic unless you live in a large area with big churches and Catholic Schools. Most elementary Catholic schools could not afford a full time teacher that has organ experience. Most Churches are not going to open their sanctuary for people to go into to “practice”. There isn’t money in any diocese anyway to sponsor organ scholarships, what money is available needs to go to general scholarships just to have children even attend Catholic Schools. Having the sanctuary open an available for people to practice cuts against the sacredness of the sanctuary itself and with todays crime and vandalism concerns, I highly doubt any priest is going to open the Church up for people to come in and practice willy-nilly. You are also assuming people want this type of music. Reading the post from someone that is actually a Church musician and her experiences says that isn’t the case or reality.
Back to Catholic schools, most of the elementary programs focus on singing. There is not the time or available to even begin to teach keyboard instruments to students which would be the basis for piano and organ. When even reading music is introduced, it is done in the form of plastic recorders for a year or two. Even availability of having a band and doing band instruments is tough and there are not the bodies to do it many times.

I am actually a church musician, too, robwar.

Of course practice times should not be open “willy nilly,” and I agree that the sacredness of the Blessed Sacrament must be maintained at all times. The solution is to schedule practice times for approved people–I did mention this in my post, but perhaps it was not clear. I mentioned “Catholics and parish members.”

As I said to pianistclare, this isn’t really a question of whether the people want this type of music. The GIRM states clearly that the organ deserves “pride of place.” We can’t just ignore this.

Hey, I absolutely LOVE contemporary Christian music, and if I had my way, the Mass would have rock bands! (Not praise and worship bands–real ROCK bands!) But it’s not all about what I want, it’s about what the Church wants.

And I play piano, and even though I’ve been taking organ lessons for two years now, I still play piano when I play for Masses. I’m not capable of playing organ for the Mass parts and most of the hymns yet.

IF the people do not want organ, and if maintaining organ music in most parishes is unrealistic and too expensive, then perhaps the Church in the U.S. needs to re-evaluate the GIRM and make some adjustments so that parishes are in compliance, and those who insist that organ must be used will be at peace.

I agree with you that the emphasis in parish schools should be singing, and I agree that the recorder is the instrument most appropriate (and cheapest!) for children to learn music with. But in the past, many parish schools DID have a “piano teacher” who taught on campus. It’s not a bizarre idea to suggest returning to those days and help children to learn some keyboard basics that will perhaps get them interested in taking lessons from a more advanced teacher.

And please re-read my post. I’m not saying that money should be taken away from other worthwhile and necessary budget items to provide scholarships for music students. I suggested that the scholarship money for instrument students should be raised through concerts and recitals. Obviously, the money to pay for music scholarships needs to come from those individuals in the parish who are actually interested in seeing the quality of the parish music maintained and improved. I think there are probably a few such individuals in each parish. We had a concert a few weeks ago in our parish featuring young pianists and organists, and the offering for the AGO organ scholarship fund was $300. Certainly no fortune, but it pays for books for a young organ student. It’s a start, and considering that this money was given a few days after Christmas, it’s pretty good, IMO!

 

[pianistclare]

[or “the OCP is pushing their banal music onto unsuspecting parishes,” )*

As far as I know, OCP is a company that sells sheet music and music materials.
They do not “push” their music on anyone.
They have some great resources, most notably the “Respond & Acclaim” series of chant like settings of the weekly Psalms. A publication which also comes in Spanish which we could not do without, as no one else has bothered to write psalm settings in Spanish.
If you don’t like their music, fine. But no one is forcing a parish to use their materials. And many of us find a lot of good things there.
Unless you have another definition for the OCP initials???*

 

[robwar]

Cat,
I’m not going to quote your too long posts but a couple things. The often quoted GIRM concerning the organ in a place of pride doesn’t mean that all other instruments (usually the piano) can’t be used and people on CAF quote this as if it is the only thing in there concerning sacred music. The other thing is about Catholic School music teachers teaching piano. Well, my boy’s school did have that and this teacher only pick to teach during school private piano lessons and she only pick the “favorite ones” and that didn’t include either of my boys even after repeated requests. I am a classically trained pianist myself and have a real piano at home for them to practice on and only after I complained about her favoritism, did the “lessons” stop. The school is crammed too full anyway to offer private piano lessons to a select bunch of children. If the original poster who hasn’t responded to anything would come forward with the actually quotes of St. Pius X, might lend more credibility to his thought. Any way following the line of thinking here concerning the piano, you shouldn’t be playing at Mass since it is the piano and not the highly esteemed organ which you yourself quoted should be the instrument of choice and use everywhere and for all time and this thread is much ado about nothing.

 

[Cat]

[or “the OCP is pushing their banal music onto unsuspecting parishes,” )**

As far as I know, OCP is a company that sells sheet music and music materials.
They do not “push” their music on anyone.
They have some great resources, most notably the “Respond & Acclaim” series of chant like settings of the weekly Psalms. A publication which also comes in Spanish which we could not do without, as no one else has bothered to write psalm settings in Spanish.
If you don’t like their music, fine. But no one is forcing a parish to use their materials. And many of us find a lot of good things there.
Unless you have another definition for the OCP initials???

pianistclare, I LOVE the music and materials that OCP publishes!!! I am a HUGE advocate for contemporary Christian music in the Mass, although I also love traditional hymns. I like the way OCP prints hymnals and missallettes with both traditional and contemporary music, along with multiple Mass settings, and even some chants. I LOVE Respond and Acclaim and wish that we could use their beautiful melodic Psalms more often.

You have only been on this forum for a short time. Keep your eyes open. Over the years that I have been on this forum (almost 10), over and over again, I have seen posters accuse OCP of the most vile motives. It’s as if they have a conspiracy theory about the OCP. They blame multiple problems on the OCP. They claim that the OCP controls the bishops and is only out to earn the big bucks.

I apologize that I can’t post links to the threads in which these things are said. I don’t know how to do that kind of search, and I don’t really want to spend a lot of time doing it.

Here is the paragraph in which I made that statement: If indeed there is no money in the parishes, then it should be made clear to the people that the parish organ is un-used not because “the priests are liberal,” or “the OCP is pushing their banal music onto unsuspecting parishes,” or some other reason that some traditionalist-leaning Catholics often seem to claim. The parish should make it clear, in writing, in the church bulletin, that the organ is not being used because there is no money to maintain the instrument and hire an organist. It would be interesting to see what would happen if such an announcement was made in a parish. I’m betting that the money would start rolling in!

Please allow me to explain what that paragraph meant, because apparently I didn’t make sense to you and I apologize for that. In many parishes, the organ is seldom or never used. Parishioners will often surmise different reasons why the organ is not used, and sometimes very conservative parishioners might say,

1. “The priests are liberal.”
2. The OCP is pushing their banal music onto unsuspecting parishes."

As you know, since you are a parish musician, both of these are wrong. The reason why the organ is not used in most parishes is because there is no one who knows how to play it. Also, in some parishes, the priests have a preference for the piano or for acapella music, and they have the right to make that decision.

I hope this clears things up. It appears that you and I have a difficult time communicating. Too bad we can’t talk in person instead of in writing.

 

[pianistclare]

pianistclare, I LOVE the music and materials that OCP publishes!!! I am a HUGE advocate for contemporary Christian music in the Mass, although I also love traditional hymns. I like the way OCP prints hymnals and missallettes with both traditional and contemporary music, along with multiple Mass settings, and even some chants. I LOVE Respond and Acclaim and wish that we could use their beautiful melodic Psalms more often.

You have only been on this forum for a short time. Keep your eyes open. Over the years that I have been on this forum (almost 10), over and over again, I have seen posters accuse OCP of the most vile motives. It’s as if they have a conspiracy theory about the OCP. They blame multiple problems on the OCP. They claim that the OCP controls the bishops and is only out to earn the big bucks.

I apologize that I can’t post links to the threads in which these things are said. I don’t know how to do that kind of search, and I don’t really want to spend a lot of time doing it.

Here is the paragraph in which I made that statement: If indeed there is no money in the parishes, then it should be made clear to the people that the parish organ is un-used not because “the priests are liberal,” or “the OCP is pushing their banal music onto unsuspecting parishes,” or some other reason that some traditionalist-leaning Catholics often seem to claim. The parish should make it clear, in writing, in the church bulletin, that the organ is not being used because there is no money to maintain the instrument and hire an organist. It would be interesting to see what would happen if such an announcement was made in a parish. I’m betting that the money would start rolling in!

Please allow me to explain what that paragraph meant, because apparently I didn’t make sense to you and I apologize for that. In many parishes, the organ is seldom or never used. Parishioners will often surmise different reasons why the organ is not used, and sometimes very conservative parishioners might say,

1. “The priests are liberal.”
2. The OCP is pushing their banal music onto unsuspecting parishes."

As you know, since you are a parish musician, both of these are wrong. The reason why the organ is not used in most parishes is because there is no one who knows how to play it. Also, in some parishes, the priests have a preference for the piano or for acapella music, and they have the right to make that decision.

I hope this clears things up. It appears that you and I have a difficult time communicating. Too bad we can’t talk in person instead of in writing.

It looked as though that was your opinion.
Perhaps your posts are long.

 

[Cat]

Cat,
I’m not going to quote your too long posts but a couple things. The often quoted GIRM concerning the organ in a place of pride doesn’t mean that all other instruments (usually the piano) can’t be used and people on CAF quote this as if it is the only thing in there concerning sacred music. The other thing is about Catholic School music teachers teaching piano. Well, my boy’s school did have that and this teacher only pick to teach during school private piano lessons and she only pick the “favorite ones” and that didn’t include either of my boys even after repeated requests. I am a classically trained pianist myself and have a real piano at home for them to practice on and only after I complained about her favoritism, did the “lessons” stop. The school is crammed too full anyway to offer private piano lessons to a select bunch of children. If the original poster who hasn’t responded to anything would come forward with the actually quotes of St. Pius X, might lend more credibility to his thought. Any way following the line of thinking here concerning the piano, you shouldn’t be playing at Mass since it is the piano and not the highly esteemed organ which you yourself quoted should be the instrument of choice and use everywhere and for all time and this thread is much ado about nothing.

robwar, if you’ve followed my posts over the years, you will know that I LOVE piano, I love playing piano, and I believe that the GIRM allows the piano, as well as many other instruments in the Mass.

I absolutely agree with you about piano in the Mass. Nothing at all wrong with this. The argument that the piano is primarily secular is incorrect.

I’ve seen those quotes from St. Pius X, and I’ve seen threads on CAF about those quotes. People are taking those quotes out of context to try to “prove” that pianos aren’t allowed in the Mass.

You and I actually agree on a lot of things.

It’s a shame about the piano lessons in your parish school. It’s terrible for teachers to show favoritism.

 

[robwar]

Cat,
that is wonderful you share your talents in music at your parish and are able to give your main musician a brake. However, your beginning posts on this thread imply otherwise which is that you feel that there needs to be more organ music in every Catholic Church, that GIRM is often ignored and that if there is just more of a push by the Church in promoting organist that our problems in this area will be solved. You also want to see more old German and Dutch hymns played which kinda contradicts the “rock band” in Church statement. I think Pianistclair who is an actual paid Church musician gave an honest assessment in that people don’t study the organ because of low paying/no jobs in it. Likewise GIRM doesn’t say the organ is the only instrument but that it is considered the highest instrument. This is not what most people on these thread who are pining away for organ music use it as or quote it for. You are obviously in a wealthier Chicago sub that can afford to give recitals that result in $300 money to study the organ. Now maybe your parish can pay to have an organist but it is obvious that you as a sub musician don’t, you play the piano, which is probably the easiest musician to find, after guitar. Likewise, many smaller Catholic parishes are simply not set up for the big booming organ and the smaller piano or even electric keyboard works fine. If you think that St. Pope Pius X is misquoted about the piano, you didn’t state that in the beginning.
peace

 

[pnewton]

It’s all well and good to speak of “pride of place” and I certainly am not denying what the GIRM says.
But the fact is, most new parishes can barely afford to get the sanctuary up and furnish it. Ever looked to see the price of a beautiful tabernacle? How about the pews?

I think you have a valid point, though the cost of an organist and maintenance must equally be considered. I live in such a parish where money is scarce and the median income is rather low. Still, we were able to participate in giving the organ a place of pride in the Church by contributing to the diocesan organ that was built a couple of years ago. It was an 11 ton Opus 19 and sounds incredible.

So besides the approved organ, we have no other instruments approved for Mass, but then neither are any disapproved. It is simply recognized that other unnamed instruments may be used though some unnamed instruments may not be suitable. This makes it possible for a parish like ours to still have music in Mass despite the economics of a parish in this community.

 

[pianistclare]

I think you have a valid point, though the cost of an organist and maintenance must equally be considered. I live in such a parish where money is scarce and the median income is rather low. Still, we were able to participate in giving the organ a place of pride in the Church by contributing to the diocesan organ that was built a couple of years ago. It was an 11 ton Opus 19 and sounds incredible.

So besides the approved organ, we have no other instruments approved for Mass, but then neither are any disapproved. It is simply recognized that other unnamed instruments may be used though some unnamed instruments may not be suitable. This makes it possible for a parish like ours to still have music in Mass despite the economics of a parish in this community.

Agreed. Some of the most beautiful Mass music I have encountered is a soft piano and solo violin. And, you have to consider that organ only plays essentially one kind of music. You can say that it will do more modern stuff, but it really doesn’t sound great at that, and the organ lovers will complain. When I played the organ and piano at the last parish, most of the time the priest and the parishioners preferred I not play the organ. It was just way too much for a small congregation. I don’t necessarily think one is better than the other. They each have their strong points. But in the modern world of innovation, a fine quality digital (like a Kawai) give you the whole orchestra to select from. At a very reasonable cost. You can get some with beautifully crafted cases or even to appear as a grand piano if your sanctuary can accommodate it. One of the things I loved the most was I could burn CD’s right from the keyboard. that way I could play a piece, and it individual vocal parts and send a cd home with the choir member. They would listen to it while commuting, and by the time practice came around, we spent way less time plunking out notes to learn. We could immediately begin working on the blend of the ensemble. Made it possible to do some major works when lots of choir member lead busy lives.

 

[Philomeena]

i’ve often read that pius x forbid pianos becuase they were “frivolous”

A piano is frivolous? Okaaaaaay…

Hopefully that is a misquote…what an ignorant statement that would be.

 

[pnewton]

angell1;11576535:

i’ve often read that pius x forbid pianos becuase they were “frivolous”

A piano is frivolous? Okaaaaaay…

Hopefully that is a misquote…what an ignorant statement that would be.

It is not an ignorant statement. It is just a dated statement. I assure you St. Pius X was not an ignorant man.

 

[Cat]

Cat,
that is wonderful you share your talents in music at your parish and are able to give your main musician a brake. However, your beginning posts on this thread imply otherwise which is that you feel that there needs to be more organ music in every Catholic Church, that GIRM is often ignored and that if there is just more of a push by the Church in promoting organist that our problems in this area will be solved. You also want to see more old German and Dutch hymns played which kinda contradicts the “rock band” in Church statement. I think Pianistclair who is an actual paid Church musician gave an honest assessment in that people don’t study the organ because of low paying/no jobs in it. Likewise GIRM doesn’t say the organ is the only instrument but that it is considered the highest instrument. This is not what most people on these thread who are pining away for organ music use it as or quote it for. You are obviously in a wealthier Chicago sub that can afford to give recitals that result in $300 money to study the organ. Now maybe your parish can pay to have an organist but it is obvious that you as a sub musician don’t, you play the piano, which is probably the easiest musician to find, after guitar. Likewise, many smaller Catholic parishes are simply not set up for the big booming organ and the smaller piano or even electric keyboard works fine. If you think that St. Pope Pius X is misquoted about the piano, you didn’t state that in the beginning.
peace

I am a paid musician. I am paid for Masses when I play at parishes other than my own. I am also paid for the choirs, groups, and soloists that I accompany.

I am paid for my playing by my parish, but I choose to not accept that payment. So I’m not a “volunteer.”

Because I do not make a living with music (I’m a med tech in a hospital), I often choose to donate my services. If I were making a living with music, believe me, I would not do this because I would not be able to do this. I would joyfully accept payment.

I do NOT live in a wealthier Chicago suburb. I live in a city that has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation (around 16.7%), and a dropout rate in the public high schools of 25% (50% among African Americans). Our city was deservedly named “3rd Most Miserable City” in the U.S., (Detroit 1st, Flint Michigan 2nd). One good thing about our city is that we have some of the lowest housing costs in the U.S., mainly because people can’t afford higher housing costs.

Yes, I Iove the old German and Dutch hymns! And I love Christian rock! And while we’re at it, I love gospel, soul, jazz, and country music! And I love classical music, especially Baroque music!

 

[27lw]

Look up the NPM. National Association of Pastoral Musicians. they are in the business of doing everything you list except…wait for it…
MONEY.
A parish has to be large, and have plenty of money.
I see you live in the North, where Catholics, and Traditional Catholics especially are in great numbers. this is not so in other parts of the country.
Many parishes struggle just to pay the musicians any sort of stipend, much less a salary, and certainly have no funds for education.
And as for practice times? My parish is booked solid, every available night of the week, in the salon, the meeting rooms, the chapel, AND the church with standing ministries and music groups who need to practice for the Saturday and Sunday Masses.
I studied the organ. I began at 10 years old playing for the Jesuit priests of my home parish. I was excused from school to play Masses, funeral, etc. The last time I was in a parish with a huge organ was over 30 years ago. Parishes with organs around here are in the 6000 family plus range. They are the only ones who can realistically afford everything you have suggested. And they are rare.

Plus, here’s the real question: How many congregations and pastors really want this? How many parishes would not like it, despite the fond memories of a few people? The last 2 interviews I had for Music Director, it was very clear that the parishes looking for a musician clearly were not interested in organ music, except to play the odd wedding processional. I think that’s why young people don’t bother to look into organ music. There’s just not a lot of demand for it. Kids go to college to study something that will earn them a living.
You can’t make a living as a church musician. Not unless you work for a huge Cathedral in a big city. :shrug

There is a difference between the fantasy some posters are having verses the reality of the situation where there are smaller churches with smaller budgets. I think you hit the nail on the head, how many pastors and Catholic Churches really want some organ style music besides some of the posters on CAF?

Yeah, there are a lot of folks from the hippie era who absolutely hate the organ. No matter what the Church would like for us to have at Mass. I’m afraid that Joe Average Catholic has been exposed to so much inappropriate / weird music at this point, he thinks it’s all about his personal preferences.

Speaking of organist salaries, take a look at the American Guild of Organists website.
agohq.org/profession/indexsalary.html
Of course, this is for people with degrees in organ performance. Probably in large cities. Some (Protestant) churches actually pay these salaries. Catholic Churches don’t often pay in this range, for a variety of reasons.

 

[robwar]

Yeah, there are a lot of folks from the hippie era who absolutely hate the organ. No matter what the Church would like for us to have at Mass. I’m afraid that Joe Average Catholic has been exposed to so much inappropriate / weird music at this point, he thinks it’s all about his personal preferences.

Speaking of organist salaries, take a look at the American Guild of Organists website.
agohq.org/profession/indexsalary.html
Of course, this is for people with degrees in organ performance. Probably in large cities. Some (Protestant) churches actually pay these salaries. Catholic Churches don’t often pay in this range, for a variety of reasons.

I don’t think that folks from the “hippie” era hate the organ. St. Pope Pius X wrote about the piano and other instruments in Tra le Sollecitudini in 1903. From what I was able to gather in reading this and some other comments is that his concern was more Italian and that local Italian bands were leading parades into the Church and doing music. Obviously the general principal stands but it is kinda obvious that the Mass has changed since then. St. Pope Pius X also wrote this on his own, he didn’t have a committee review it nor did he consult others. In other words, it is dated. Speaking of organ music, aren’t organs used in a very secular way at baseball parks and have done so for many many years? So is the organ just a sacred instrument? Now maybe someone that is much better versed in cannon law and issued Pope documents could explain and shed more light but it is kinda obvious that what St. Pope Pius X wrote in 1903 was dealing with some issues and concerns of that day and that doesn’t mean in 2014 that this is being applied in the same literal way by subsequent Popes and bishops.

 

[ProVobis]

And I love classical music, especially Baroque music!

That should put a few smiles on the faces of the more traditionally inclined.

 

[Sarabande]

I don’t think that folks from the “hippie” era hate the organ. St. Pope Pius X wrote about the piano and other instruments in Tra le Sollecitudini in 1903. From what I was able to gather in reading this and some other comments is that his concern was more Italian and that local Italian bands were leading parades into the Church and doing music. Obviously the general principal stands but it is kinda obvious that the Mass has changed since then. St. Pope Pius X also wrote this on his own, he didn’t have a committee review it nor did he consult others. In other words, it is dated. Speaking of organ music, aren’t organs used in a very secular way at baseball parks and have done so for many many years? So is the organ just a sacred instrument? Now maybe someone that is much better versed in cannon law and issued Pope documents could explain and shed more light but it is kinda obvious that what St. Pope Pius X wrote in 1903 was dealing with some issues and concerns of that day and that doesn’t mean in 2014 that this is being applied in the same literal way by subsequent Popes and bishops.

From my own reading, as you have alluded to, Pius X was dealing with many concerns. It wasn’t just about the local Italian bands parading into church. (As a side note, one of the parishes I do performances in for their Italian festivals and for other special events, still has the local Italian band, all part of that parish, who will parade in for the processional and then for the recessional.) Pius X was also dealing with the influx of what he considered too much secular music and styles of playing. It was both the “pop” music of the time as well as operatic styles of music, which was another form of popular music of the day, especially amongst Italians. He wanted to get operatic styles in masses like Verdi’s “Requiem” out of the liturgy.

Pianos, at the time, were mostly used for entertainment whether in the classical realm or popular realm. You rarely, if ever, saw it in a Catholic church. So, there was very good reason for him to think of it as a “frivolous” instrument to be used at mass, no matter how “elegant” and even “refined” the instrument might have been used. I personally still get a tad weirded out whenever I hear one of my piano colleagues play a gorgeous Chopin nocturne or ballade at mass. I love it on a personal and emotional level, but it is just too secular in sound even if it is “absolute” music. That said, when I hear a piano used to play regular hymns it doesn’t weird me out… unless it is in an inappropriate style of playing. (We once had a pianist who played everything like it was a honky-tonk house. She used a digital piano and actually would put this honey-tonk setting for a beat to all of the hymns. It made everything sound like a joke. She was a good pianist, but with bad taste in how to use her talents for mass. I wish the pastor could or music director could have given her some constructive criticism on that. I was a teenager, so I had no right to.)

 

[Sarabande]

I don’t think that folks from the “hippie” era hate the organ.

I missed this part. I think it depends. My generation is basically the children of the hippie generation. I grew up in the 80s and 90s. Although my parents weren’t hippies (they were the few people of their time who didn’t engage in “free love”), many of my classmates’ parents were.

It’s only anecdotal, but from my experience dealing with people of that particular generation, the organ represented a Church that they did not like. In some respects, it was a Church that they despised. It represented Latin mass, the old, stern priests and the nuns too happy to beat them at school. Even my parents at one time in their younger lives, loved hearing the folk guitar at mass because it represented a new Church… not what they grew up with. They laugh now about that time and couldn’t believe how misguided they were when it came to music at mass. As a young teen, I was like the “old fogie” in our family when it came to liturgical music. lol! Perhaps it was my unknowing rebellion against the hippie generation. haha!

 

[andrewstx]

I like CAT converted from an evangelical denomination. In my former sect the piano ruled. There was a small spinet type electric organ and a huge grand Piano. The piano was loud and the congregation favored it far more than the organ which basically existed only to provide the bass.

I prefer the organ much more, for one thing the piano is a percussive instrument, bad for chant or any sustained music that is not fast.

I know not every parish can afford an organ, esp one with pipes and tuning and maintenance on an organis not cheap either.

I go to a parish in a wealthy city with an excellent organist/pianist. He switches between the instruments depending on the music. But even he in a rich parish in a rich town cannot survive on only his organist salary. He also gives lessons and plays behind the community theater.

 

[pianistclare]

I like CAT converted from an evangelical denomination. In my former sect the piano ruled. There was a small spinet type electric organ and a huge grand Piano. The piano was loud and the congregation favored it far more than the organ which basically existed only to provide the bass.

I prefer the organ much more, for one thing the piano is a percussive instrument, bad for chant or any sustained music that is not fast.

I know not every parish can afford an organ, esp one with pipes and tuning and maintenance on an organis not cheap either.

I go to a parish in a wealthy city with an excellent organist/pianist. He switches between the instruments depending on the music. But even he in a rich parish in a rich town cannot survive on only his organist salary. He also gives lessons and plays behind the community theater.

Chant is best with no accompaniment.

 

[Sarabande]

Chant is best with no accompaniment.

Oh, yeah!!! I have a Protestant music director who doesn’t really have much experience with chant, so she insists on playing along, thinking that it’s right, but plays each note like they are all quarter notes. It makes it so frustrating for me to sing because I was trained in how to chant correctly. I did a funeral there where we had a sub who understood not to play and I was able to chant the In Paradisum a capella. The priest came up afterwards and told me how nice it was to hear chant done well.

That said, chant is best with no accompaniment if the people chanting does it well, although I have never heard a chanted “Our Father” done badly by the congregation.