Dear Catholic Hymnal: Music Not Written in the '60s Is Still Good

[Cat]

One of the parishes that I frequent offers an O.F. Mass in English. The priest there chants during much of the Mass.
This is a way to begin to reintroduce chant to those who lack familiarity.
The pianist/organists who play at my and at my parents’ local churches are not doing this as a means of survival. they receive a stipend, but to some extent are also donating their time and talent as others donate their treasure.There has been a tradition of donating labor to God, whether it is in helping clean the church and maintain the grounds, providing accompaniment to those who sing, or serving food to the poor ar volunteering for Saint Vincent de Paul.
Rather than emphasizing competing with professional Protestant salaries, it might be more in keeping with our tradition of service to continue emphasizing catechesis with the understanding that as people are strengthened in in faith more may be called to serve.
This is not meant as a critique of those earning salaries playing at church. A bachelors degree in music is not necessary to be able to play the music played at my local church. Nor was it necessary forty years ago. We’re not lacking in pianists capable of playing the current music or the traditional hymns and the piano continues to be a popular instrument among those who sign their children up for music lessons.
Sometimes, I think that we make these issues much more complicated than they need to be.

In our parish of 7000 people, we have four people who play the piano, and two of those play the organ (one of those is me, and I’m still very shaky at organ, since I just started learning three years ago).

Of those four, two of them are capable of teaching singing/choral skills. I am not one of those. I play. That’s all I do. I can run through parts with people, but I can’t teach singing and I can’t direct a choir. I know what I am capable of, and I am capable of playing.

I know of three children who are taking piano lessons in our parish. There are probably more. But there are not many. I am the chair of a large youth music competition (12 counties) in our state, and there are amazingly few children and teens who enter, even with cash prizes.

In our city, the public schoolchildren get one half-hour per week of “choral music,” and the few music teachers are shared between several schools (they do not have a classroom “headquarters” of their own). Many of the schools use this one half-hour to play and dance along to popular music, usually hip hop or some other ethnic musical style.

In our city, the public schools do not offer orchestra, and band is only offered in high school, not middle school.

I think it is accurate to say that around the United States, the level of musical competence and appreciation varies greatly, and it would be a major mistake for our U.S. bishops to make a blanket decree that all parishes will sing/play only certain styles of music. In our city, this would be an impossibility, and I am NOT “making this issue more complicated than it needs to be.” I am literally “in the trenches” with children and teenagers in music in this city, and I know what I’m talking about, and I am not exaggerating one iota. If anything, I am keeping my temper beautifully during this discussion, but crying on the inside. I can’t help but wonder what certain posters on this thread would do in our city. I’ve asked several times for practical action plans, but so far, have received very little in the way of a practical plan to help pull those ignorant of all music except Rihanna and Pitbull out of their Morass of Pop Music.

Sometimes, people make an issue less complicated than it needs to be.

 

[27lw]

In our parish of 7000 people, we have four people who play the piano, and two of those play the organ (one of those is me, and I’m still very shaky at organ, since I just started learning three years ago).

Of those four, two of them are capable of teaching singing/choral skills. I am not one of those. I play. That’s all I do. I can run through parts with people, but I can’t teach singing and I can’t direct a choir. I know what I am capable of, and I am capable of playing.

I know of three children who are taking piano lessons in our parish. There are probably more. But there are not many. I am the chair of a large youth music competition (12 counties) in our state, and there are amazingly few children and teens who enter, even with cash prizes.

In our city, the public schoolchildren get one half-hour per week of “choral music,” and the few music teachers are shared between several schools (they do not have a classroom “headquarters” of their own). Many of the schools use this one half-hour to play and dance along to popular music, usually hip hop or some other ethnic musical style.

In our city, the public schools do not offer orchestra, and band is only offered in high school, not middle school.

I think it is accurate to say that around the United States, the level of musical competence and appreciation varies greatly, and it would be a major mistake for our U.S. bishops to make a blanket decree that all parishes will sing/play only certain styles of music. In our city, this would be an impossibility, and I am NOT “making this issue more complicated than it needs to be.” I am literally “in the trenches” with children and teenagers in music in this city, and I know what I’m talking about, and I am not exaggerating one iota. If anything, I am keeping my temper beautifully during this discussion, but crying on the inside. I can’t help but wonder what certain posters on this thread would do in our city. I’ve asked several times for practical action plans, but so far, have received very little in the way of a practical plan to help pull those ignorant of all music except Rihanna and Pitbull out of their Morass of Pop Music.

Sometimes, people make an issue less complicated than it needs to be.

Really, as the other poster wrote, it begins with the priest. If he is chanting the parts of the Mass, then that really helps pull everyone out of the Rihanna / Pitbull mindset. Church is supposed to be a place apart from the world, right? Your priest sets the tone, and any music director has to take his lead, whether he is going the direction of chant, or 70s-80s pop-style church songs. Not everyone in the pews is 100% ignorant of what church music used to be (and still is in some places).

 

[ProVobis]

I think it is accurate to say that around the United States, the level of musical competence and appreciation varies greatly, and it would be a major mistake for our U.S. bishops to make a blanket decree that all parishes will sing/play only certain styles of music. In our city, this would be an impossibility, and I am NOT “making this issue more complicated than it needs to be.” I am literally “in the trenches” with children and teenagers in music in this city, and I know what I’m talking about, and I am not exaggerating one iota. If anything, I am keeping my temper beautifully during this discussion, but crying on the inside. I can’t help but wonder what certain posters on this thread would do in our city. I’ve asked several times for practical action plans, but so far, have received very little in the way of a practical plan to help pull those ignorant of all music except Rihanna and Pitbull out of their Morass of Pop Music.

Sometimes, people make an issue less complicated than it needs to be.

Well, if you try to change the world all at once, it’s guaranteed to be very complicated. As pnewton suggested, though, try it during Lent. Or perhaps on another seasonal basis. Or even at one of the regular Masses once in a while. Yes, I understand this wouldn’t justify hiring a full-time organist at $50K a year but you got to do with what you have. If no one wants to step up, then perhaps it’s not worth the effort and no need to discuss music further.

 

[Cat]

Really, as the other poster wrote, it begins with the priest. If he is chanting the parts of the Mass, then that really helps pull everyone out of the Rihanna / Pitbull mindset. Church is supposed to be a place apart from the world, right? Your priest sets the tone, and any music director has to take his lead, whether he is going the direction of chant, or 70s-80s pop-style church songs. Not everyone in the pews is 100% ignorant of what church music used to be (and still is in some places).

This might be true if the priest knows how to sing chant and sings it well, although what happens then is that many people don’t sing because they feel that their voices aren’t good enough (and they’re right), and they would rather just listen to the priest’s beautiful voice.

But if he doesn’t sing well, I honestly think it does more to discourage interest in chant than encourage it. Bad singing/chanting doesn’t help us to think about heaven and Jesus, other than to wish that the end would come soon.

 

[Weejee]

Our hymnal has Jubilate Deo, along with several other Mass settings.
If it is, then everyone will cringe, and eventually enough people will protest that it will be eliminated from the Mass and you’ll be back to Haugen and Haas forever,

Lord in his infinite mercy forbid!

With all the great hymns written by Watts, Wesley, and Cosby, as well as James Allen and hymn writers today, I’m sure we can find good music to sing without having to find fancy teachers. And a piano should suffice. To be honest, you can get sing-along-hymn instrumental music on a CD or in computer files on line. You don’t even need a player anymore! You just need a congregation that wants to praise the Lord and SING!
:harp:

 

[jeannetherese]

Our local priest who sings chant is doing this during the eucharistic prayers which does not require much from the laypeople. An amen from time to time. Its’ really not that threatening and has been favorably received in a parish with no experience with chant in the last generation.
Nowadays, cantors are learning their parts through cassettes and downloaded samples.

My Latin Mass has a volunteer schola which sounds quite good. Each year, bulletin postings let us know that practices are resuming in the fall (they take the summer off for the most part) and newcomers are welcome to join the schola. Practice occurs once weekly. There are new raw recruits coming in who have no prior experience with chant. Indeed there is no requirement or previous singing experience at all. I’ve yet to hear protests over the quality of their sound from those in the pews.
A new schola has been growing (also composed of amateurs in a parish an hours drive from my home. Their leader is a Carmelite nun (she does this in each of the two parishes) and their music is growing.
Priests sing parts of the Mass OThe Lord be with you…Lift up your hearts) and may chant if they choose to do so. Why would anyone want a priest (or layperson) to abstain from singing or chanting just because their voice isn’t perfect?
It seems as if we’re coming up with excuses not to try. And we know that it takes practice to improve at anything, whether it is learning the new Mass settings, or a new song. Starting small may be less intimidating and may help people become comfortable as they grow their skill sets.

 

[jeannetherese]

I know of three children who are taking piano lessons in our parish. There are probably more. But there are not many. I am the chair of a large youth music competition (12 counties) in our state, and there are amazingly few children and teens who enter, even with cash prizes.

In our city, the public schoolchildren get one half-hour per week of “choral music,” and the few music teachers are shared between several schools (they do not have a classroom “headquarters” of their own). Many of the schools use this one half-hour to play and dance along to popular music, usually hip hop or some other ethnic musical style.

In our city, the public schools do not offer orchestra, and band is only offered in high school, not middle school.

Perhaps reaching out to the Catholic schools-from grade school through high school to find students who are learning and inviting them to play as simple hymn (so that they don’t feel under the pressure of biting off to much) might be a way of building your long term pool of musicians. Contacting the music and band instructors at these schools might be a way of finding who the possible future keyboardists might be (with school approval of course), and then following up with outreach to parents. Some of the older hymns have very simple arrangements, melodies and time signatures.
The organist at my parents church started out playing at her home parish in grade school. There will certainly be different degrees of music education, but keeping things simple and providing encouragement could have, over time, far reaching benefits.

 

[Cat]

Perhaps reaching out to the Catholic schools-from grade school through high school to find students who are learning and inviting them to play as simple hymn (so that they don’t feel under the pressure of biting off to much) might be a way of building your long term pool of musicians. Contacting the music and band instructors at these schools might be a way of finding who the possible future keyboardists might be (with school approval of course), and then following up with outreach to parents. Some of the older hymns have very simple arrangements, melodies and time signatures.
The organist at my parents church started out playing at her home parish in grade school. There will certainly be different degrees of music education, but keeping things simple and providing encouragement could have, over time, far reaching benefits.

Let’s get practical.

I should do this?

I am a layperson.

And yes, yes, I HAVE suggested ALL these things, especially the suggestion of having the youth pianists play a hymn at Mass (I’ve even volunteered to play the tenor bass while they play the melody) to our parish music/liturgy director, who is a wonderful singer, organist/pianist, and conductor with a Master’s Degree.

I have also suggested many other ideas to get youth involved with playing for Mass, including asking the youth to play preludes and postludes, having occasional youth recitals (not during Mass, of course). I have chaired Pedals Pipes and Pizza. I have held parish sing-alongs in which the youth were invited to play solos on the piano or organ.

Always, ALWAYS, I volunteer to be in charge of these activities, although I do work full time and as a pianist, I’m involved in umpteen choirs and ensembles in the evenings and have little free time (except on days off like this, and even today, I have four musical activities that I’m scheduled to attend and play at, including one that I am in charge of).

The parish music/liturgy director has the authority to implement all these things that you suggest and that I have suggested to him. I don’t.

For the most part, he has not acted on my suggestions over the years to get kids involved with the Mass. I do not push him. It is not seemly for me to nag and push a superior. I feel that it is my duty to be encouraging to him and try to help him whenever he requests help (usually by playing for Masses when he is unable to play). When he does implement some kind of special music event or program in the parish, I feel that I should lend my full support (and money, if needed) to make that event or program a success.

I do NOT have any authority in my parish school. A layperson can’t just “start asking” kids in a parish school to do stuff. My kids are long grown, so I don’t have children in the school, and the parents do not know me.

Do you have that authority in your parish or school? Does anyone in this thread, other than pnewton?

I know I sound like a negative nellie, and I hope you don’t get the impression that I fold my arms, sit back in my pew, and scowl. No, far from it. I am upbeat and encouraging, and I will of course continue to make suggestions and volunteer to help implement them.

 

[Cat]

Our local priest who sings chant is doing this during the eucharistic prayers which does not require much from the laypeople. An amen from time to time. Its’ really not that threatening and has been favorably received in a parish with no experience with chant in the last generation.
Nowadays, cantors are learning their parts through cassettes and downloaded samples.

My Latin Mass has a volunteer schola which sounds quite good. Each year, bulletin postings let us know that practices are resuming in the fall (they take the summer off for the most part) and newcomers are welcome to join the schola. Practice occurs once weekly. There are new raw recruits coming in who have no prior experience with chant. Indeed there is no requirement or previous singing experience at all. I’ve yet to hear protests over the quality of their sound from those in the pews.
A new schola has been growing (also composed of amateurs in a parish an hours drive from my home. Their leader is a Carmelite nun (she does this in each of the two parishes) and their music is growing.
Priests sing parts of the Mass OThe Lord be with you…Lift up your hearts) and may chant if they choose to do so. Why would anyone want a priest (or layperson) to abstain from singing or chanting just because their voice isn’t perfect?
It seems as if we’re coming up with excuses not to try. And we know that it takes practice to improve at anything, whether it is learning the new Mass settings, or a new song. Starting small may be less intimidating and may help people become comfortable as they grow their skill sets.

When it comes to chant, I’m not the one. I know nothing. If I am asked, I could play for those who are trying to learn, but it has to be in modern notation, not neumes.

Just last week, my organ teacher gave me a book of pieces by Couperin, and told me about how the Masses used to be sung entirely, and the organ accompanied throughout. I had no idea, and I’m still not sure I can visualize exactly how all this book of music fit into one Mass! It seems like it would have lasted for hours! I’m supposed to play one of those pieces this weekend at Mass, and I’m still struggling with it.

I’m telling you this story to emphasize that if someone like me knows NOTHING, and had no idea how Masses in the past were done, then most laypeople who are not musical (other than listening to their iPods) will have absolutely no idea.

Honestly, I know only a few musicians in our city who probably do have some idea of Mass music other than what’s in the contemporary hymnals. Our city does not attract educated musicians because they can’t make a living here. We have a few who work like beavers commuting from our city to Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis, playing and teaching in many different venues. Of course, this leaves them with little time to help develop chant and polyphony in any of our local parishes, and chance are good they wouldn’t do it anyway because they have to accept paying gigs, not volunteer ones, in order to pay their rent and eat regularly.

I agree, we shouldn’t make excuses.

But neither should we over-simplify the issues.

One of the things that complicates this in my city is that we are within driving distance of one of the biggest and most amazing megachurches in the world, Willowcreek (Barrington, IL). The music in this church is fantastic, all live, and done by professional musicians. And it’s contemporary. We have a daughter church of Willowcreek in our city, and this church attracts 10% of our city’s population every weekend. Again, the music is professionally-done and excellent.

Many of the large Evangelical churches in our city feature full orchestras and professional singers. I just talked with a Catholic man who attends my parish only out of obligation to his children. He has visited these Evangelical Protestant churches with his wife (who is Protestant), and he was starry-eyed as he talked about the beautiful music (a mix of traditional praise, gospel, and contemporary).

This is tough competition for Catholic parishes. I play piano with expertise and aplomb, but I can’t compete with professional orchestras and bands. And yes, I agree, a Catholic Mass is not and should never be a “performance.” First, let’s not denigrate our Protestant brothers and sisters. And second, even though WE all know it’s not a performance, many Catholics in the pews don’t know that. All they know is that when it comes to wimpy chant done poorly vs. a full orchestra and ensemble of professional singers–well…

I’m not trying to crush anyone here or “win an argument.” What I’m trying to do is make sure that any ideas we have are practical and realistic.

 

[CompSciGuy]

I’m not trying to crush anyone here or “win an argument.” What I’m trying to do is make sure that any ideas we have are practical and realistic.

From about the fourth century until about the 1960s and 70s, chant was used in every Catholic church in every corner of the world. It was used in the Middle ages even among the poorest villages and communities, and where education and technology was severely lacking. It was used before organs or pianos were even invented, and before musical theory had been developed. So forgive all of us if we come across as ever-so-slightly skeptical when you insist on how unbearably difficult and unrealistic it would be to expect Catholic parishes to implement (or re-implement) the use of chant in their liturgies.