Bad Music in Mass

[agp2176]

Recently attending a Mass with attrocious music, I couldn’t help ponder this question…again.

Gulp — I hope it wasn’t one that I where I was cantor!

The amped up band that plays at some of our Masses are pretty good musicians and have great entertainment value, unfortunately they get carried away with themselves and wind up being a distraction to the Liturgy. I think with todays music feeling the full presence of our Lord in the Eucharist, less is more.

This is something that is a constant source of irritation to me. At my parish, under our previous administrator, a man who was a ‘professional’ musician was brought in from the other parish our administrator administrated at. (Stop and think about that slowly an it will make sense). I was on a sabbatical at that time and was not acting in my role as music director. This guy brought in hymns that no one knew (the demographics of my parish are older folks), hymns not in our missal that photocopied (illegally) from other sources, and solos by him our his wife as meditation after communion, and his buddy on guitar.

During a return visit I attended one of these masses. Talk about feeling like I was watching a stage show featuring the Kingston Trio.

The Mass is not an entertainment spectacle. Its not there to oooh and ahhh at the children’s choir or some entertainer.

I’m not the greatest singer. I can barely read music. But I am humbled to be allowed to lead all the others like me in praising the Lord.

I may the Florence Foster Jenkins of cantors, but as she said “People may say I can’t sing, but no one can ever say I didn’t sing.”

God bless

Tony

 

[Newbie2]

Are we talking about “Bad music” in terms of bad execution of a tune or poorly written tunes?

 

[benedictgal]

Are we talking about “Bad music” in terms of bad execution of a tune or poorly written tunes?

That was what I was thinking as well. For me, “bad music” means poorly written, unsuitable tunes.

I don’t fault anyone for trying to sing even though they may not have the gift. I remember what a priest friend of mine once said: “Don’t be afraid to sing loud. It reminds God of the voice He gave you.”

On the other hand, poorly written, unsuitable music is more grating than anyone trying to warble along to a solidly written hymn.

 

[L_Marshall]

I suppose that if you compare our singing abilities next to those of the choirs of Angels… it could provide the same entertainment effect as watching the auditions of American Idol

 

[pnewton]

God does not see as man sees, so I guess he doesn’t hear as man hears. I am reminded of a passage from Micah.

*6:**6-8 **With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow before God most high? Shall I come before him with holocausts, with calves a year old? **Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriad streams of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my crime, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? *You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.

A lazy cantor is not pleasing to God, as is one who performs for his own glory. But anyone who gives their best with a pure heart is pleasing God.

 

[whatevergirl]

I think a lot of problems would be resolved if we followed the directions of Vatican II and restored Gregorian Chant to its place as the preferred music, replacing the “hits of the 1970’s”. To me, and I am by no menas a good singer, simple chant is much easier to sing than the “modern” (as of last century) stuff and sounds so much more beautiful.

Amen–wouldn’t that be wonderful? I LOVE Gregorian chants…You read my mind.

 

[bpbasilphx]

\I really like what everyone has to say here and it is funny because my dh just said to me on Saturday that he does not sing in order to keep the hymns more “pleasing to God’s ears.”\

As one priest urged his flock, "If God gave you a good voice, use it to glorify HIm. If He didn’t, now’s your chance to get even!"

 

[KingAlfred]

What Puzzleannie said.

I went to two of the most inspiring Masses last week, our Pastor gave the Band the week off. It was on New Years Eve Mass and New Years Day Mass. Not a note of musical instrument. The Priest called out the Title and Page No. of the Entrance and Ending Hymns and lead the congregation in singing them and yes it was off key in these well attend Masses.

The amped up band that plays at some of our Masses are pretty good musicians and have great entertainment value, unfortunately they get carried away with themselves and wind up being a distraction to the Liturgy. I think with todays music feeling the full presence of our Lord in the Eucharist, less is more.

THAT must have been a great Mass. I’d love to give our band some ‘well deserved, and lengthy’ time off.

 

[FrCorey]

I sang a latin mass once. the secretary said the watch cat ran out of the building in the first 20 minutes and hasn’t been seen since…

 

[ProVobis]

Like beauty, good music is in the eyes/ears of the beholder. My suggestion is always don’t sing more than two verses of a hymn. If it’s bad (to you), then it won’t aggrevate you further. If it’s good (to you), you don’t want to overdo it. There’s always an increasing chance of that.

A month later, they can sing the third and fourth verses. Just some thoughts, I see the subject of music has become a very touchy one lately.

Personally I’ll take the simple Low Mass in the EF. But then I don’t need the music to hear the Mass. Music may help one reach the utmost of spirituality but it is not the Mass.

 

[Biggie]

I fear I stand much in need of charity. God may be pleased, but I am not. The old pipe organs have been silenced and choir lofts have been abandoned. We have crowded electronic organs and pianos around the altar and have our choirs competing with the elevation.

Our particular “organist” cannot play the foot keys, and most usually slides over to the baby grand to hammer out a “hymn” in our 125 year old church. And every time she does, after I resist the urge to go up and give her hair a tug, I can only think what might have been as a hymn that might be worshipful gets butchered. It is more the feeling that something has been missed, but yes sometimes its outright anger. I’m working on it. But anyone who knew any organist 50 years ago, or sang in a bishop’s choir, or heard one, should be able to understand exactly what I’m talking about.

 

[daeve]

As one who cannot sing a note, this is all I ever heard growing up from priests, nuns, and anyone within earshot in Mass. What I always wished they would understand is that a person who cannot sing is totally unaware of it, because it sounds good to them, perfect in fact. A little charity goes a long way here in how one breaks this news to others. People never tell you, “you can’t sing,” they usually try to dilute the message with “can you sing a bit softer?” or words to that effect. That doesn’t help someone who makes noise like fingernails on a chalkboard but thinks they are giving the 3 tenors a run for their money.

For many years I just sung them to myself, making no noise and very little lip movement. But you know how people are, they can’t just worry about their own worship, they have to critique everyone else around them, and so it was years of hearing everything from “why do I waste my time coming to Mass if I don’t participate” (I guess the recited prayers and participation in the Sacrament means little) to “you must sing with the voice God gave you,” meaning that if I don’t I’m some kind of slacker.

So now I don’t sing at all, and it is a constant source of friction when it comes to the Gloria and the Lord’s Prayer, which my parish sings. I recite them, not real loud, and I try to say my words in a manner that meshes with the verse of those singing, but it doesn’t always work. My pastor noted it one day and thought I should sing also. After years of this do/don’t stuff, I told him my singing is a light switch - if he wants it on, fine, but if it goes on, I’ll not turn it off again, and he will have to deal with anyone who has anything to say about the effects of it.

Frankly I wish people would mind their own business and worry about their own worship. I’m really not receptive to having my worship critiqued by other people, usually those who need a missalette in their hand to say the Nicene Creed without error.

Two thoughts:

First, sing your heart out. You have the voice God gave you, and if He didn’t want to hear it, you’d have a different one.

Second, I’ve been attending Mass for almost 60 years. I went to Catholic grade school, high school and even college. In grade school, we went daily, and since I sang in both the children’s choir and the regular choir, I was there on most Saturdays for a funeral or wedding, too. When my kids were in grade school, I went several times a week. Now, I’m a cantor and sing at least once every weekend.

I won’t critique your singing, but give me the same consideration when my missalette falls open to page 12 for the Credo.

 

[CarrieH]

I sang a latin mass once. the secretary said the watch cat ran out of the building in the first 20 minutes and hasn’t been seen since…

 

[CarrieH]

Our particular “organist” cannot play the foot keys, and most usually slides over to the baby grand to hammer out a “hymn” in our 125 year old church. And every time she does, after I resist the urge to go up and give her hair a tug,

As an organist myself, I would ask: is your church able and willing to pay a competitive wage in order to attract a more-competent musician? If not, you’re probably stuck with this person. Pray for her. She is probably doing the best she can with the modest ability she has. It is likely that she is really not an organist at all, but is a pianist trying to play the organ. Despite their similar keyboards, piano and organ (esp. the pipe organ) are two very different instruments. Pianists who switch over without proper instruction from a real organist often have no idea how much they do not know. I didn’t have a clue myself until I began my studies with a university organ professor.

There are worse “sins” than failing to use the pedal division of the organ…like, overestimating your skill at playing the pedals and then totally butchering the bass line of a hymn, esp. when you are using a loud reed stop. And personally, I would rather hear a hymn played somewhat accurately on the piano than to hear someone murder it on the organ. Hymn-playing is an art in itself, and for many it is actually the hardest part of being a church organist.

When I first returned to the organ after a decade away, it was as an unpaid volunteer for our EF Mass. I was horribly “rusty,” but they were in desperate need of an organist, and I was better than nothing. I’m sure my first few weeks back at the console were an occasion of sin for those self-appointed music critics who are “charity-challenged,” because I hit quite a few “klunkers” as I regained my skills. So they were offered some good opportunites to practice charity while I had a many chances to mortify my pride.

 

[Phemie]

And personally, I would rather hear a hymn played somewhat accurately on the piano than to hear someone murder it on the organ.

I said something similar (“played very well on the piano”) when the musician I’d asked to play for our Carols and Lessons service asked me if she could play the piano instead of the organ. She played the piano very well but felt very rusty at the organ since they don’t seem to use it at the Salvation Army where she normally plays.

 

[pnewton]

And every time she does, after I resist the urge to go up and give her hair a tug, I can only think what might have been as a hymn that might be worshipful gets butchered. It is more the feeling that something has been missed, but yes sometimes its outright anger. I’m working on it. But anyone who knew any organist 50 years ago, or sang in a bishop’s choir, or heard one, should be able to understand exactly what I’m talking about.

God does not tug people’s hair for their lack of ability, but loves them for their effort. A person who is frustrated about the quality of music may choose to help, if they can do better, or donate to help hire someone else.

 

[agp2176]

I always try to pick hymns that are easy for everyone, things that they know, and in a key that everyone can join in.

I can’t tell you how I hate the fact that as I look out I see people just sitting there, staring back at me, not singing a note.

After sing worn out stuff like Gift of Finest Wheat or Be Not Afraid for the umpteeenth time, I want to liven things up by breaking into something like Amen as heard in Lillies of the Field, Oh Happy Day as sung by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, or something by Amy Grant.

At Christmas we sang Go Tell it on the Mountain, and a little imp inside me was ready to start clapping my hands on the chorus.

Just the kinda stuff that goes through my mind as cantor

God bless

Tony

 

[LindaSK]

CarrieH,

I love the expression “charity-challenged!” Sounds very ‘politically correct!!’

…from one who is ‘height-challenged!’

 

[CarrieH]

And another thought about “bad” church musicians – some people suffer from terrible stage fright, even when playing for a small congregation. They may play flawlessly when alone, but when they get up in front of a crowd, even a small group, their nerves get to them and they start to fumble and stumble. In my early days, I was one of those timid organists, and the least little distraction would throw me off, often resulting in mistakes in my playing. If the organist (or cantor, or other musician) is anywhere on the main floor where they can see the congregation, don’t think they can’t see or don’t notice the scowls and disapproving looks of people in the congregation. Worse yet are the people who comment. When I first returned to playing, I had a few people teasingly say to me, “Hey, you didn’t hit as many wrong notes today” and stuff like that. I laughed along with them, but it hurt on the inside, even to the point of making me cry a couple of times. If I had not been doing it for Jesus’ sake, I would have QUIT. Instead, I decided to shell out $125/month to the local university organ professor for some private lessons, and to practice 2 hours a day for the better part of a year in order to get back into shape. But not everyone has that opportunity or that kind of time to practice. (And now I’m playing better than ever, but I resist the urge to let 'er rip and say, “now criticize* this*!”)

So, for those lacking in charity, imagine putting yourself in a situation where you are nervous and where your skills aren’t the best to begin with. Now imagine having people watching your every move, just waiting for you to flub up. It’s not a very pleasant thought, is it? Yet this is exactly how some people treat the music ministers in their church. Indeed, their lack of charity is a far greater sin than any musical mis-step the organist or cantor might make.

Now, if the organist or cantor is doing poorly because they are slacking off, not practicing their music ahead of time, rolling out of bed 15 minutes before Mass, etc., that is a different matter altogether. Perhaps a chat with Father is in order in such a case.

p.s. And “Biggie,” there were bad organists 50 years ago, too. It’s by no means a new phenomenon, although organ-playing does seem to be a dying art, sad to say.

 

[Biggie]

God does not tug people’s hair for their lack of ability, but loves them for their effort. A person who is frustrated about the quality of music may choose to help, if they can do better, or donate to help hire someone else.

I am not God, which I as much as admitted. Nor have I tugged hair, only conceived of it and worse, which I didn’t admit. A better person may choose as you dictate, perhaps you. But mindful of my own weaknesses, prompting my presence in the pew in the first place, I must alas be satisfied with restraint and strive, as I also admitted, for greater charity.