Do you have good lead singers at Mass?

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It’s not always about the money, but musicians much too often are taken advantage of : it’s like expecting a house painter to come by and paint your house for free.
It takes years of expensive training, hours of practice, then preparation for each service ( gig, or Mass ). .
At our Parish, skill levels vary. 🙂 We have 6 Masses every weekend. 4 English, 2 in Spanish.
There are two English Directors who receive a salary.
Pianists ( for English services ) are paid. Singers are volunteers.
Spanish Directors ( in charge of music for very large congregation ) are not paid. Spanish Pianists, not paid.
Church Board influences distribution of money, and of course are all English.
Singing unto the Lord is certainly a blessing, playing and directing music for the Lord is a blessing. But, the musicians need to buy groceries 🙂
 
Our cantoress at 11:00 Mass has a beautiful mezzo-soprano voice. She sings very clean and clear with a slight vibrato, but sometimes her pitch drops each verse.
 
What’s this about singers getting paid to sing at Mass? That never happens in my country. Never.
 
the music ministry in my parish are all “paid”

a lot of money: i doubt it, but the quality of “product” that is produced is poor…

trust me i am not the only one here who thinks this way

no understanding of any way to change it; don’t want to take bread off anybody’s table
 
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the music ministers in most parishes around here are “paid”

they spend a lot of time practising & rehearsing; attend and perform at multiple Masses each weekend

their time is worth money

i seriously doubt that any parish “overpays” their music ministry

but i’d’ve just wished we’d’ve just gotten some “bang for our buck” here in my little parish…
 
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when i visit a parish with a quality music ministry; it is uplifting…

plus, there is always youtube… 😉
 
I went to a different parish the other day. Someone was just playing a tape of a professional singer/band. With the lyrics of the hymn flashed up on screen.
Actually it worked pretty well. 🙂
 
hmm…

that wouldn’t cut the mustard here

after all, we’ve a “paid music ministry”

lol’ j/k … sort of…
 
I’m right there with you. Were I to try and cantor @ Mass I’d likely be summoned before the Pope and publicly excommunicated.
 
I did read in the major paper, months ago, this homosexual guy with a superb voice. I found the article interesting. He does Broadway musicals and acting and such. But also sings in a Church in Burlington, when he can. One lady, her daughter tragically died young, insisted on him singing at the funeral. One of those strong clear voices, as you can imagine.

My church, there’s a single gal in her forties, that sounds like a bad violin out of tune. Everyone just grins and bares it. Year after year after year. Her voice does encourage others to sing hymns too. So that’s a good thing !
 
We are a parish of about 1300 families with few good lead singers. We are largely immigrant, and there are a couple of ladies that sings very well in Spanish. My wife is pretty good, though she won’t cantor. She does a few Psalms. No one is outstanding. My own voice is on pitch, and that is all I can say of that.

Sometimes you make do with the best you have. I cannot sing well, but I can write. So I write the Psalm in a way I can use what I do have. But in the end, we have a congregation that mostly sings, and that’s what its all about anyway.
 
Not every church has a singer that comes from the congregation. Or an air condition man. Or a roofer. Or a guy who repairs asphalt. Or a lawyer.

Just because we are the Catholic Church doesn’t mean we should get everything free. People gotta make a living too
 
I still feel it’s wrong to be paying singers for Mass. Singing at Mass is different from a painter or a roofer. The roofer isn’t roofing as part of the Liturgical assembly.

If I had to choose a devout Catholic with a horrid voice to sing, or a professional singer who only does it for the money, I would choose the devout Catholic every time.

I don’t think any argument will change my mind, sorry. I understand your arguments - but every fiber of my being cries out “wrong!” when I think of someone being paid to do something for the Holy Mass - ESPECIALLY if they wouldn’t be doing it at all if the Almighty Dollar were not involved (Mammon anyone?)

Would you need to be paid to stand by the Cross of Christ in the 1st century? How much to sing at his funeral? 30 shekels?
 
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I think you’re right. Professional singers give the Mass a less personal and more Corporate vibe, in my view.
 
i see your point, in a way

but the pennies my parish hands out to the music ministers (and i’ve no idea what the actual $ figures are); seem to be justified in regards to the amount of work that these people , who have lives, full time jobs (i would think) and families to manage

frankly, it is a little shocking to me how hostile some posters here are to “paid music ministries”;

i have no dog in this fight; i thought this was a common thing; i guess not
 
Our music ministry director is a paid position. It’s part time, but it’s paid. The choir and musicians are not, just the director.
 
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