I have read some of the posts, but not all.
I think getting Catholic parishes to sing depends on two things:
- The nature of the parish.
- The kinds of songs people are asked to sing.
My parish is in the Ozarks. Many of the parishioners are rural people, and not at all shy or self-conscious. The music director (just one of the parishioners who does it on the side) does a lot of hymns during Mass; more than in most parishes. It’s interesting to hear what happens, depending on the selections.
a. Many of the songs from the eternally unchanging hymnbook date from a period which many remember fondly, particularly in urban areas, but which really didn’t have much currency here. I’m talking about the 1970s and 1980s kinda, sorta folk song type hymns. Folk song music just didn’t have a lot of popularity in places like this during their heyday, and aren’t popular in places like this now. Lots of them are tough to sing as well. Some ask too much of male voices. Some have these odd changes of melody and key. When those songs are the ones chosen, few people sing, and certainly few men do.
b. Some of the songs are classic or historical. Interestingly, some of the really old hymns of German or Irish origin are well sung. If the date at the bottom is 1700 something or other, probably people will sing it. More interestingly, one of the most avidly sung is one by Mozart. It has lots of notes (“too many notes”) but people seem to like going up and down them.
c. Some of the most strongly sung are a few of the “old” Catholic songs; the “Mary” songs, “Holy God We Praise Thy Name” shakes the walls. Interestingly, some of the old Protestant songs are well sung. The words are not mincy and precious like some of the 70s and 80s songs. The melodies are logical and within a good range. But perhaps most of all, this area is Bible Belt, and Catholics like me could hardly turn on a radio without hearing old Gospel songs. They have melodies and words that stay in the head, and people know them and are glad to sing them out loud.
So, I think a lot varies with locale. I also think (and I’ll get lambasted here, I expect) some have stood the test of time because their lyrics are strongly meaningful and the melodies make sense in the brain. Some, however, have stood the test of time only because they’re in the book and nobody thinks to weed through them. Because music directors try to follow themes related to the Mass, some of the worst just get selected over and over again in a kind of cycle. If you ask me, 90% of the Marty Haugen, Daniel Schutte and St. Louis Jesuits songs ought to be pitched. They’re just not any good and nobody wants to sing them, including me.
It’s kind of amusing to see how the music director copes with it. She sometimes ends up singing solos because of some unfortunate selection. At other times, the singing is extremely strong. It is, I guess, the only way people have of letting her know what they like and what they don’t without confronting her directly about it.
I’ll admit there have been times when I have gone up to her after Mass and complimented her on her selections. But I won’t complain about the bad ones. Her job is hard enough.
Now, my grandmother had a major crush on Goulet. She loved his voice and blue eyes. My husband thinks they all sound cheesy. 
Ok, maybe Goulet was cheesy as well as Groban and Buble, but I don’t care. haha!
