Bad Catholic Mass music

[VAC]

Whoever said that “On Eagles Wings” was unsingable because of the lower range, I’d have to say I agree that it’s not the most singable song (I really don’t care for the melody at all), but most OCP music is completely unsingable unless you happen to be a soprano or tenor. That’s the one thing about “On Eagles Wings” that I DO like is that it actually has a part that you don’t have to be a soprano to sing. Sorry, that’s my rant for the day.

‘Eagle’s Wings’ has a beautiful harmony line that might be in your range…
Come join our choir, I’ll help you expand your range!!!

 

[Aramis]

Bernadette Farrell, in my own opinion, often gets lumped with the bad without just cause.

Not that everything she has written is great; But there are many fine compositions among her work, including “Praise to You, O Christ, Our Savior” and “Christ, Be Our Light.”

I find her works often MORE objectionable than many of the Marty Haugen ones.

Making God? Heresy! But it’s the gist of a line in one of her works in the OCP Today’s Missal Music Issue. One that was sung recently at St. Andrew’s Parish.

 

[VAC]

I find her works often MORE objectionable than many of the Marty Haugen ones.

Making God? Heresy! But it’s the gist of a line in one of her works in the OCP Today’s Missal Music Issue. One that was sung recently at St. Andrew’s Parish.

Can you be more specific about what is objectionable about her songs? “Making God”? I don’t understand.
Which song are you talking about?

 

[Canadian]

Just a really humble opinion… But I believe that tons of young people are turned off going to church because of the wana-be-retro Cheese tunes with that sticky 60s or 70s feeling that are so persistently played and sung in sooooooooooo many churches…

 

[Sarabande]

Just a really humble opinion… But I believe that tons of young people are turned off going to church because of the wana-be-retro Cheese tunes with that sticky 60s or 70s feeling that are so persistently played and sung in sooooooooooo many churches…

I know that was one of the many reasons why my younger cousin doesn’t like attending mass. She’s 18. Her mother thought by taking her to a guitar and drummer mass, which was supposedly good, she’d be more into it since she likes rock/pop music. She thought it was “lame”. I know the music is not the only reason for the youth today not wanting to attend mass. I think there are a lot of other factors, but the music as you described it to be is one of them.

 

[PatienceAndLove]

I have to admit that I used some Hagen/Hass for my wedding (outside of Mass) because most of the people attending were Protestant of varying flavors. I chose them for the “catchy” tunes that would be easy to follow. I got lots of compliments on the music.

As for Mass, I would agree, I don’t enjoy them. I like some of the older school stuff, but I also like Jim Cowan/John Michael Talbot… so you make the call.

 

[mchium]

A little levity (or, depending on your parish, a bad flashback)

Many have probably seen this, but it’s worth a look - :bounce: :banghead:

youtube.com/watch?v=Fz2aE6DvHDc

 

[lak611]

A little levity (or, depending on your parish, a bad flashback)

Many have probably seen this, but it’s worth a look - :bounce: :banghead:

youtube.com/watch?v=Fz2aE6DvHDc

I never saw this before. :bigyikes: :bigyikes:

 

[JimR-OCDS]

My band, “The Back Porch Jug Band,” has been asked to play
out our Mass Sundays. This is great I can’t wait. We have a wash-tub bass and a washboard player that are just great. One of my friends does a great job with a juice harp, hopefully he’ll join in.

OK relax, put down your heart medication, I’m just joking.

Jim

 

[VAC]

Oh, I get it… This is what they mean by liturgical dance, right???

I think I’ll teach this to the little kids that sing with me at mass for advent…

I’m kidding…
Just messing with ya’ll

 

[VociMike]

My band, “The Back Porch Jug Band,” …

I’d listen to them just based on the name.

 

[RWMorris]

I am the pianist/organist for our little cathedral here in Guthrie, Ok (y’all are welcome - ha!).
anyway, I seriously try to choose hymns the congregation knows already as well as a few “new” old ones to get them back in the habit, so to speak. We are incapable of singing Latin chant because there is no choir to speak of, unfortunately. But my feeling is that the congregation is better off singing our own Catholic hymns than the cheesy 60’s/70’s “cuddle up to Jesus” songs. Sheesh. I don’t mind using one at communion but I draw the line at playing too much P/W stuff. Too much of it seems “me-oriented” rather than community and the doctrine. And our old hymnds contain so much valuable doctrine, I want the young people to have it seeping out of their ears. God knows, in this world they need it.

 

[tamccrackine]

A little levity (or, depending on your parish, a bad flashback)

Many have probably seen this, but it’s worth a look - :bounce: :banghead:

youtube.com/watch?v=Fz2aE6DvHDc

Ok I just nearly died laughing, that is hilarious!

I’ve been all over the world regarding parishes and I have to admit that I just like music that is played and sung well. I don’t mind the older tunes and I don’t mind the newer ones. I like the newer tunes and I love Gregorian Chants. I like songs sung in english and songs sung in Latin.

I’ve been to too many parishes that the pianist was horrible and would basically suck down the mic (and she couldn’t sing, let alone sing and play at the same time) and it just made you cringe. The parish I attend now is so super small that the smallest mistake is noticable. We have an electric piano of some sort and one pianist has it set to electric organ, which just doesn’t sound right. When it’s set to sound like a normal piano, it’s great. But then there is less than 40 people in the congregation and alot of the songs are in Latin, and when you have about 35 people that don’t know what they’re saying in Latin, let alone can’t read music nor sing… it doesn’t sound too pretty.

And some of us really are the type that God reaches us through music. So I do walk into a parish and will have a Mass experience that can (and has) been based off how well the music is done. I sounds shallow but I have a bunch of kids so getting to pay attention to the readings, gospel and homily sometimes just doesn’t happen. So the music does reach me.

Thank you to all the people on here that are volunteers in their parishes that play or sing using their God given talents to the Church.

 

[PaixGioiaAmor]

St. Paul also says that prophecy is a gift that is given to some, not all. We should not feel forced to prophesy.

Some of the lyrics are also troubling in other ways. For instance “Sing a New Church”. We will never have a “new church” as long as we are Catholic. The Catholic Church is the same Church today as it was on Pentecost Day. That is what makes us Catholic, not Protestant.

Your taking the song WAY to literally and not in the way it was intended. See my previous post in this thread.

 

[PaixGioiaAmor]

Do you believe that Fr. Frederick Faber meant to blatantly exclude women when he wrote “Faith Of Our Fathers?” The forced imposition of inclusive language in traditional hymns certainly smacks of politics. I did not state that everything was about political leanings, but you should meet some of these modern composers and hear them speak. It’s hard not to come to these conclusions.

Of course he wasn’t trying to excluse women. The sesibilities were much different then.

My previous statement stands: Chaning psalm translations or parts of the mass is unacceptable. But changing hymns to make more people happy is no sin.

Now, I’ll admit, I have my limits on this. I’m sickened that GIA changed “Sing of Mary” to omit the word “undefiled”. But to simply INCLUDE women rather than leave them out? There’s no harm.

 

[PaixGioiaAmor]

I find her works often MORE objectionable than many of the Marty Haugen ones.

Making God? Heresy! But it’s the gist of a line in one of her works in the OCP Today’s Missal Music Issue. One that was sung recently at St. Andrew’s Parish.

As others have asked, I echo the question. Of what song are you speaking?

 

[VAC]

We are incapable of singing Latin chant because there is no choir to speak of, unfortunately.

Hold up there, Incapable? If a guitar playing praise and worship music fan like me can pull it off… anyone can.
When I started leading the music mass a few years ago, I was asked to put in the Latin chant mass parts for Advent, (by a priest who shortly thereafter checked himself into alcohol rehab and never came back to hear us play it) At first I thought he was joking. Our’s is a relatively new parish of mostly young families. .
I’m in my early 40’s and had never been exposed to any Latin at mass. Being new at leading music ministry, I was afraid to say no, and set about learning it.

Here’s what I did the first week of Advent: I made sure the words were printed in our songsheets (new churh, no building = no hymnals.) I got up a few minutes before mass and asked if anyone remembered the mass in Latin (one or 2 hands up)
I then said ‘we’re going to have a lesson in Catholic history, this is how we used to sing at mass from the time of the early Christians until the 1960’s…’ Then I said “let’s go over the pronunciation” and had the crowd repeat after me.
I hit one note on the guitar (for a starting pitch), then sung it unaccompanied.

I expected us to be hit with rotten eggs and tomatos… but we weren’t.
The crowd didn’t sing as loud as they did for our well known mass parts we usually sing; but they did sing.

Then when I went to play it for the season of Lent, during a time when we had no real acting pastor, only subs, I was told/requested to take out the Latin, as this was the children’s mass, and some parents and CCD teachers were complaining about them learning Latin rather than English.

So for this year’s Lent season I was asked last minute to put the Latin back in… By this time my group had evolved into a children’s choir. I had only one practice session to teach them these kids… I told them (and the crowd before mass) not to worry if they didn’t pick it up right away, that by the end of Lent they’d have it down pat.

 

[lak611]

Hold up there, Incapable? If a guitar playing praise and worship music fan like me can pull it off… anyone can.
When I started leading the music mass a few years ago, I was asked to put in the Latin chant mass parts for Advent, (by a priest who shortly thereafter checked himself into alcohol rehab and never came back to hear us play it) At first I thought he was joking. Our’s is a relatively new parish of mostly young families. .
I’m in my early 40’s and had never been exposed to any Latin at mass. Being new at leading music ministry, I was afraid to say no, and set about learning it.

Here’s what I did the first week of Advent: I made sure the words were printed in our songsheets (new churh, no building = no hymnals.) I got up a few minutes before mass and asked if anyone remembered the mass in Latin (one or 2 hands up)
I then said ‘we’re going to have a lesson in Catholic history, this is how we used to sing at mass from the time of the early Christians until the 1960’s…’ Then I said “let’s go over the pronunciation” and had the crowd repeat after me.
I hit one note on the guitar (for a starting pitch), then sung it unaccompanied.

I expected us to be hit with rotten eggs and tomatos… but we weren’t.
The crowd didn’t sing as loud as they did for our well known mass parts we usually sing; but they did sing.

Then when I went to play it for the season of Lent, during a time when we had no real action pastor, only subs, I was told/requested to take out the Latin, as this was the children’s mass.

So for this year’s Lent season I was asked last minute to put the Latin back in… By this time my group had evolved into a children’s choir. I had only one practice session to teach them these kids… I told them (and the crowd before mass) not to worry if they didn’t pick it up right away, that by the end of Lent they’d have it down pat.

It probably would not work in many parishes, though. Many people want to pray before Mass, not practise singing.

 

[pprimeau1976]

My problem with most of those newer songs is the lyrics being sung in the first person, as if we are God. I am not the Bread of Life, Jesus is. I am not raising anybody up on eagle’s wings, God is. Hymns should be sung to God, not as if we are God.

How is this a big deal exactly? Everyone knows that Suzanne Toolan, the cantor, or the choir will not raise anyone else up on the last day. If they do, they are in DESPERATE need of spiritual direction. The song, “I am the Bread of Life” is a eucharistic song and in this day in age where there are Catholics who don’t even think that the Real Presence is real, why are we complaining about it being in the first person if it is based on scripture?

The apologetical value that this song has is enormous as well.

 

[VAC]

We’re only talking about 2-3 minutes before the start of mass.
Around here there is not a excess of people arriving very early (or on time ) to pray before mass.They tried to implement 15 minutes of silence before mass, and it didn’t really work out for those reasons.

I’ve been in many churches in which the cantor will go over a brief song or response right before mass.