Do U ENJOY the music at your church?

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lisahiku said:
or do you tolerate it?
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I guess I’d say I appreciate it. It is singable, it is meant as prayer and not entertainment, and people actually sing, which is something to be thankful for. As long as it is that, I’m not going to complain that the songs aren’t always what I’d choose.
 
Very much. We are fortunate to have professional and talented musicians (who use their gifts wonderfully…not self-serving or self-promoting) and a director who keeps things more traditional and focused on glorifying God and not competing with the sacrifice of the Mass. The music truly frames and complements the prayers.

There are also several appointed times for silence, when the priest receives Holy Communion for example. The pews are pretty full and you can still hear a pin drop (or a baby fussing :)). I can’t remember the last time I saw anyone leave their pews before the final note of the recessional hymn! Our priests often tell us to appreciate what we have, that we are spoiled.
 
I appreciate all the time and effort our choir puts in. Most of the members perform at multiple masses between Saturday vigil and the last mass on Sunday. They are gracious with their time and talent.

I do wish that they sang a slightly lower pitch. Some times there is no way I can yodel along. 😃
 
aicirt said:
I find the songs too Protestant. For the life of me, I cannot understand how the Shaker song “Lord of the Dance” is considered appropriate. The Shakers were a cult. Once the piano player entertained the congregation with “Somewhere In Time”. Lovely but in Church? Before Mass? I have yet to hear one Catholic hymn including the Ave Maria.
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You are right, there are many songs written by Protestants that we sing during Mass, but we have to be very careful and not include ones done by cult or heavy metal groups…there are many groups bordering in this area. We are blessed that we enjoy vibrant Praise and Worship songs in our Parish…new as well as traditional hymns. God bless:D
 
ANNE_2 said:
In mid-November there will be changes to music at Catholic Masses when the new Liturgy takes place.

This is stated on the USCCB web site. Music must be approved.

Unfortunately, I have no further info at this time.
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I see people posting this a lot, but I have yet to see an links.
 
Does it matter?

Music is prayer and not there for our enjoyment (made perfectly clear to me each time we sing “Morning Has Broken”;)).

The Church says Gregorian Chant is the best thing for Mass but if we used that all the time you can be sure a good proportion of worshippers would say they ‘tolerate’ it. So , in effect, our personal taste is not a good way to judge the quality of the music program.
 
Yeh, I enjoy the music at my parish, very much.

Normally, there is a cantor present to lead the congregation in singing (i.e they largely sing alone!).

However, at the Sunday noon mass, we have a sung mass, with a large (latin) choir (which is largely organised / staffed from the public school associated with our parish).

The sung mass is wonderful imo. It combines the beatuy and reverence of Catholic tradition, with the accesibility and inclusivity (for lay people) of the vernacular mass.

When (years ago) I was curious about returning to mass / Catholic faith, it was - via no design of my own - the sung mass I went to (I didnt realise it was sung and just turned up, expecting a normal mass).

At that point I had literally no experience of gregorian latin, or the traditional format of our prayers - and so it was really wonderful to experience them on my return to Church. Maybe its just wishful thinking, but I like to think God guided me specifically to that mass, to show me what I was missing!

I strongly believe if every parish played to the strengths of Catholic tradition and practice - especially musically, Catholics would have a much stronger appreciation of their culture and be more inclined to appreciate and develop their faith, rather than drift away.

The single worst experience of Church music I have ever heard was a rendition of “Shine, Jesus Shine” (ugh) at a token (i.e. neither bride or groom went to the church normally) Church of Scotland wedding. I would have gladly walked straight out, clutching my ears, if would not have seemed overtly rude.
 
Given the current state of liturgical music (at least in my parish) I’d actually prefer a Mass without any music at all.
 
I absolute detest the songs at mass, I feel Satan whispering to me when I listen to it, which is why I go to a Tridentine mass. On the odd occasion (very) that I have to go to a regular parish due to a friend or what not, I have that dreaded feeling know that with every strum of the guitar the sound has the spirit of evil encapsulated within and is deceiving very many.
 
I prefer more traditional hymns. By traditional I don’t necessarily mean Latin, I just mean more common hymns that have stood the test of time. Unfortunately our choir director chooses more contemporary hymns that were written just after Vatican II. I feel like music of that era wasn’t as complex. Probably because it was composed quickly to match new music rules to go along with the Mass of Paul VI.
 
lisahiku said:
or do you tolerate it?
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I tolerate it. On Saturday, the "hymn"after the Eucharist was “God Bless America,” and the recessional was “America the Beautiful.” These are lovely patriotic songs, but they are not hymns. I NEVER walk out early but I did this time. We had the same combo on July 4th and I could not bear it.

Our piano player attacks the keys as if he is pounding them into submission. He’s a large man and I guess he doesn’t realize how LOUDLY he plays. Plus, there is no upholstery now inside the church, so the echoes are painful.

I am almost to the point of quitting that parish entirely.

At the other parish the musical talent is of a much higher quality, but even then, it’s kind of over the top, too operatic. Just sing the Psalm, you’re not auditioning for the Met!!

🤷
 
For those of you who are saying music is not there for our enjoyment…

Yes, we are not going to a concert hall to be entertained but music helps to rightly dispose us for worship. I’m only quoting the below because of the word 'EDIFICATION". It is a word that is common to a Protestant, but for some reason some Catholics act like we are not to get anything out of Mass.
SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM
But other instruments also may be admitted for use in divine worship, with the knowledge and consent of the competent territorial authority, as laid down in Art. 22, 52, 37, and 40. This may be done, however, only on condition that the instruments are suitable, or can be made suitable, for sacred use, accord with the dignity of the temple, and truly contribute to the edification of the faithful.
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So the wrong type of music can be jarring to the faithful. Although we may squeeze our eyes shut and focus on the sacrifice of the Mass, bad music does detract.

So although I do understand we should be focused on the sacrifice of the mass, it is easy to fall into the sin of self-righteousness, when we dismiss other’s concerns regarding improper music.
 
TrueLight said:
For those of you who are saying music is not there for our enjoyment…

Yes, we are not going to a concert hall to be entertained but music helps to rightly dispose us for worship. I’m only quoting the below because of the word 'EDIFICATION". It is a word that is common to a Protestant, but for some reason some Catholics act like we are not to get anything out of Mass.

So the wrong type of music can be jarring to the faithful. Although we may squeeze our eyes shut and focus on the sacrifice of the Mass, bad music does detract.

So although I do understand we should be focused on the sacrifice of the mass, it is easy to fall into the sin of self-righteousness, when we dismiss other’s concerns regarding improper music.
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Bless your heart! Thank you for these wise words.

This thread is so very sad. No wonder people don’t want to become Catholic. I can’t see that being a sour-puss and finding no good in Mass music does anything to attract people to the Kingdom of God and His Church.

It is so sad to me that so many of the people on this thread have been Catholic for years and years and year, living in the treasure house, the very castle, that is Christ’s Church, and yet they hate the music so much. That’s a terrible thing.

Although I will say that this is absolutely proof that Catholicism IS Christ’s true Church, because no one who is not filled with the Holy Spirit could stand listening to “awful” music year after year for their entire life. 🙂

People who hate any music written after the Gregorian age could just wear headphones, and while all the rest of us are enjoying singing “Gather Us In” and “Crown Him With Many Crowns” and “How Great Thou Art”, and singing a modern setting for the Mass and being accompanied by a pianist who is probably a former evangelical Protestant, you can listen to ancient chant and polyphony and Latin settings all done acapella to your heart’s content. How about it, eh? Peace.
 
Tenebrae said:
Given the current state of liturgical music (at least in my parish) I’d actually prefer a Mass without any music at all.
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This is so sad. I understand that the churches in Europe are empty if not for the elderly congregation. A good choir can also make liturgical music enjoyable. My two children and I have a Praise & Worship band and we can appreciate music. Although the focus of Mass is the Eucharist, good P & W can enhance the Mass and can draw in people, young and old alike.
 
Cat said:
Bless your heart! Thank you for these wise words.

This thread is so very sad. No wonder people don’t want to become Catholic. I can’t see that being a sour-puss and finding no good in Mass music does anything to attract people to the Kingdom of God and His Church.

It is so sad to me that so many of the people on this thread have been Catholic for years and years and year, living in the treasure house, the very castle, that is Christ’s Church, and yet they hate the music so much. That’s a terrible thing.

Although I will say that this is absolutely proof that Catholicism IS Christ’s true Church, because no one who is not filled with the Holy Spirit could stand listening to “awful” music year after year for their entire life. 🙂

People who hate any music written after the Gregorian age could just wear headphones, and while all the rest of us are enjoying singing “Gather Us In” and “Crown Him With Many Crowns” and “How Great Thou Art”, and singing a modern setting for the Mass and being accompanied by a pianist who is probably a former evangelical Protestant, you can listen to ancient chant and polyphony and Latin settings all done acapella to your heart’s content. How about it, eh? Peace.
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Ha ha. We kind of agree on something right?

Although I posted that section that talks of other instruments because it was the quickest thing I could find with the word ‘edification’, you know I mostly appreciate Gregorian chant and polyphonic music, although I love traditional hymns too.

No guitar masses. 🙂
 
Sometimes I enjoy it and sometimes I tolerate it.

When I enjoy it, it’s a mix of good musicianship and being spiritually edifying for me. That said, I’ve been to mass where there was good musicianship, but personally knowing the musicians who had huge egos or were just nasty/catty/gossipy people in general kind of tainted the music they were playing/singing. (Although having done music at many parishes, I’ve also known some pretty bad singers and poor instrumentalists with large egos and throw diva fits to their music director. It’s a little scary when you get people do music ministry for their own glory and not for God, especially people with little talent.)

But when the music and musicianship is sublime and treated like a prayer, it is ethereal and brings me to a higher spiritual plane and helps me focus even more on Christ. Not that it is absolutely necessary to have, but I truly appreciate it when that occurs.

When I tolerate it, it’s because the musicianship is poor quality and the hymns and other kinds of music is ok, but it’s not painful and jarring to hear. But I do appreciate the work the people put into preparing the music because I realize that many parishes just don’t have good musicians or the money to pay for quality. And I know that there are many people there doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.

When I’ve had to plan music for Sundays or when I help bridal couples plan music for their wedding masses, or families for their loved ones’ funeral masses. I try to follow as closely to the guidelines as possible by trying to be sure the music itself or the style the music is being played is not too secular in sound, but will always defer to the music director or pastor. What they say goes even if I don’t necessarily agree with it.
 
Well, if I could just blot out the bongo drum player thinking he is Desi Arnaz playing Babaloo, I think the music would be ok.
 
Prague said:
Well, if I could just blot out the bongo drum player thinking he is Desi Arnaz playing Babaloo, I think the music would be ok.
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LOL…Why would anyone, priest included, possibly think this is appropriate? I went up to the organist one day and asked her if she knew the history of a piece they had played during Mass. Not a clue.
Sunday, there was an African spiritual. We’re not Africans. It loses something. It would be like asking the Africans to play the bag pipes. Let the Scots and Irish at that. I enjoy black spiritual music done by black church groups. Sounds lame for us to do it and it makes me think we’re trying to be pc, or giving out the idea that we are so encompassing when the people whose music we’re playing are not in attendance. What’s the point of all this?
 
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