Chorus between tabernacle and alter?

[GR1G1O]

At Mass last weekend, during the offertory, the chorus in the chorus loft broke into 2, while half stayed in the chorus loft and the other half came down and stood behind the alter, and in front of the tabernacle to sing a song. Then after the offertory they went back to the chorus loft. Was it ok that they stood between the alter and the tabernacle?

 

[japhy]

At Mass last weekend, during the offertory, the chorus in the chorus loft broke into 2, while half stayed in the chorus loft and the other half came down and stood behind the alter, and in front of the tabernacle to sing a song. Then after the offertory they went back to the chorus loft. Was it ok that they stood between the alter and the tabernacle?

I assume the altar and tabernacle are both in the sanctuary, so half the choir came to stand in the sanctuary (between altar and tabernacle) facing the congregation to sing the hymn? That sounds weird to me… almost like a performance. If the choir isn’t normally in the sanctuary (and it shouldn’t be, to my knowledge), it certainly shouldn’t move to the sanctuary to sing.

GIRM 312 is very vague about location: “The choir should be positioned with respect to the design of each church so as to make clearly evident its character as a part of the gathered community of the faithful fulfilling a specific function. The location should also assist the choir to exercise its function more easily and conveniently allow each choir member full, sacramental participation in the Mass.” It doesn’t explicitly exclude any place! However, GIRM 294 implies that the choir should not be located in the sanctuary, since it says “The faithful and the choir should have a place that facilitates their active participation. The priest celebrant, the deacon, and the other ministers have places in the sanctuary.” I don’t think it means to include the choir in “other ministers”, but rather ministers of the altar. But even if it is in the sanctuary, I would say it’s quite improper to place the choir between the altar and the sanctuary.

 

[GR1G1O]

you assumed correct. thanks for the GIRM reference!

 

[Dylpickleh8]

That is strange.
That is one of the things that shocked me when 11 year old me attended a Methodist service with my Grandma. "
The Choir is behind the Priest!
(I thought that every Leader of a Christian church was a priest)
The other things were the Lack of Crucifixes, Holy Water and Tabernacles.

 

[baltobetsy]

Many churches in the past were built with the areas for the choir divided, so that antiphonal (alternating back and forth) singing could be facilitated. In the OP’s instance, it seems that the choir piece being sung was one such antiphonal piece. In order to give the most glory to God by singing the piece according to the mind of the composer, for this one occasion, the choir put some singers in the sanctuary. I don’t see a problem with this, since it is a one-time thing for a particular piece of music.

In some places, however, the choir does have its place in the sanctuary. For example, in the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, the choir stands in a semicircle right behind the altar.

Betsy