Can we have a frank discussion about music in Mass?

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I do not like my own voice. I am not a good singer. But it, Mass, is not about me. It is about glorifying and praising God through words and song. I try to stay focused on this principle.
Let us raise our words and our voice in song to praise the Lord.
And of course, may we all, as brothers and sisters, partake in communion.
Amen! 🙏🙏🙏
 
The Church has centuries of beautiful Gloria’s, Kyries, Credos, etc. It’s too bad they haven’t been so inspired by the vernacular translations. I don’t blame you at all for not singing.
 
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I am the complete opposite. I can’t handle the contemporary pop stuff. It feels too Protestant.
 
I grew up with music in the Mass. I’m old enough to have a few years experience with the Latin Mass.

The Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy), Gloria (Glory to God), Credo (I believe), Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy), Pater Noster (our Father) Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) were sung in “high Masses” ( that’s redundant I think, a sung Mass was a High Mass). There was a song in English at the end.

The priest and congregation sat for most of the singing of the Gloria and the Credo. Everybody has a “missal” where Latin was on the left side page and English on the right side, with drawings of what position the priest was in at each part of the Mass so you sort of knew where he was. I think there was only one standard Eucharistic Prayer.

I thought it was very special when new versions (new music) of those standard songs were used.
Virtually the only instrument used was the pipe organ.

Then, the music collapsed into piano and guitar music. Things have gotten nutty, in my opinion. One recent Easter Sunday Mass, there were over 70 verses and choruses sung. I’ve developed asthma and I can’t hold out for that much singing.

My current parish has a weekday Mass without music and the priest guarantees it will be done in 25 minutes.

After Vatican II, I expected an explosion of beautiful music. I was wrong.

I feel regressing to Gregorian chant is a mistake. I’m generally in the minority, I guess. No parish that I’ve been in has ever had a public poll of what music to use.
 
I will say this. I am in the process of looking into EASTERN Catholicism Because our western Mass is not fully helping me fully worship God. On Sundays I feel like I am in the 1970s with the peace and love songs and the boring rumble of reciting the liturgy.

I need to be at a mass where most of the liturgy is chanted (vernacular is fine) and the music is more richer.

The Mass is supposed to be Heaven on Earth, Not a Brady Bunch living room.
 
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Also, Im tired of Marty Haugen songs. I heard the guy isn’t even a Catholic. He is UCC I think?
 
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But it’s driving a lot of the youth away. The youth want raw Apostolic catnolicism.
 
ColorMomma said:
I am the complete opposite. I can’t handle the contemporary pop stuff. It feels too Protestant.
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We have a radio station here that plays this kind of music and I’ve been toying with the idea of checking out a non-denominational church nearby that plays that kind of music.
 
I need to sing! It’s like breathing. Please don’t take away the music. I will bellow solo if necessary.
 
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What songs do they sing?
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I haven’t attended a worship service there, yet, but I know some of the music they sing is by Crowder, Matthew West and music like that.
 
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FloridaCatholic said:
Right but the church has to meet the needs of its people though, right? At least somewhat? That’s why the liturgy was changed into the vernacular
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What do you mean by “the needs of the people.” To some, music does that. If the church met everyone’s need, the church would be chaotic. That’s why there are instructions on the importance of singing at Mass and order in all things during the Mass. The church cannot possibly please everyone all the time.
 
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otrrl said:
One recent Easter Sunday Mass, there were over 70 verses and choruses sung.
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I think maybe you exaggerate just a bit…70 verses…really?
otrrl said:
My current parish has a weekday Mass without music and the priest guarantees it will be done in 25 minutes.
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God forbid we should not have that guarantee and spend more time with our Lord at Mass.

Music that people like or dislike is subjective. Pleasing everyone is very hard to do.
 
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As a Charismatic Catholic, we played similar music. PRAISE MUSIC. It’s really uplifting. On cable, you can find it under Contemporary Christian music.
 
We did that in 1970’s(?). I think we still had music?? 1950’s, the mass was 45 min to an hour. Ppl passed out from fasting from 9 pm and they went to 1215 pm mass. After Charismatic renewal, all verses of songs were sung. IF YOU ARE A CATHOLIC, BE ACATHOLIC! No Excuses! Stay till after priest leaves!
Loved the music & the mass…
 
po18guy said:
At the holy sacrifice of mass, we are not there primarily to hear music - good, bad or indifferent.
We are not there primarily to hear riveting homilies.
We are not there primarily for fellowship.
We are not there primarily even to receive the Holy Eucharist.
We are there to offer ourselves, parts of Christ’s Mystical Body, to the Father as living sacrifices in atonement for the sins of the world.

In the spirit of sacrifice, I often find that the prevailing culture has crept in and that culture seems to hate silence. I am not exactly a Carthusian, but reverent silence never hurt anyone.
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No, we are there to pray the Mass, and for the Sunday Mass in particular this normally ought to include singing, as it has since the beginning of the Church.

This is not about the “prevailing culture.” St. Paul said it. St. Augustine said it. The GIRM still says it.

If the music chosen to pray the Mass is bad or inappropriate, then change it. The Mass ought to have singing, though, and it should be neither bad nor indifferent, but really good music suitable to be offered as a prayer, the best that we have to offer.
 
It’s true, we are, as the Mystical body of Christ, a breathing prayer, in totu. Every part and prayer and song is communion w God. That’s why after Vat II, they asked to not say a rosary during mass. That mass was the prayer. Stay afterward for the Rosary.
 
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