Do you people at your church sing?

  • Thread starter Thread starter cloudcar
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

cloudcar

Guest
Do people at your church sing? I mean really with some effort or feeling? It sounds like most of the people at the one I visit are whispering or only mouthing the words. It’s disappointing. Maybe I should try sitting more up front. I’m always towards the back because I’m with my 3 year old who usually can’t make it through the entire mass. Maybe the problem is that I live in Minnesota, a notoriously reticent place.
Tell me what it is like where you are.
 
Yes, at my parish most people sing. Or maybe it’s that my family is singing so loudly, I just assume everyone else is singing also? 😃

My husband’s family lives in Minnestoa… old German community. They aren’t so big on singing… or any real show of emotion now that I think about it. Good people though …👍
 
For the most part, they don’t at our parish. I mean, at least pick up the hymnal and make it look like you’re trying…
 
A few do. All I can hear usually is The Man With the Big Voice. Happily, it’s a nice voice, because it drowns out everyone else.

Betsy
 
most people at our church don’t put forth a loud singing voice. probably for the better because they sound like me and it will make your ears bleed and be painful. if i had a decent singing voice i would be happy to be louder. when i was younger i just wouldn’t sing at all. now that i’m older and wiser i recognize it is worshiping so i sing in a low voice.
 
It depends. If it’s something that the congregation will know, then they will sing. If it’s something that they don’t know, or it’s bland, or bad, then they won’t sing.
 
I don’t sing, never really cared to do it. Besides, I would be excommunicated if anyone heard me!! 😃 Some of the other parishoners do, but the choir does a much better job.
 
Depends on the hymn. At the anticipated Sunday Mass we are usually fewer than 50 and the median age is probably 60. Sing anything that’s been written in the last 30 years and you usually don’t have too much participation. OTOH, give them something like “Hail Holy Queen” or “Immaculate Mary” or, sadly, the worse that came out just after Vat. II, and they will raise the roof. They do OK with a couple of the Taizé chants too.

The congregation at the Sunday Mass sound as though they are participating more but you still notice a big difference when it’s something traditional.
 
cloudcar said:
Do people at your church sing? I mean really with some effort or feeling? It sounds like most of the people at the one I visit are whispering or only mouthing the words. It’s disappointing. (…)
Click to expand...
I think those who sing out of tune should better keep silent.😃
 
It always sounds like there is not much singing at Mass in my parish, but our acoustics are really bad inside the church. However, if I am in the gathering space for some reason and Mass is being said, you can hear that people really are singing most of the time. Even the choir sounds louder. I can’t explain this, but it always catches me by surprise.

But they tend to sing louder if it’s a song they know and it’s within their vocal range.
 
We always sing and I think most of the parish does sing to some extent. My dh and children are musically gifted with beautiful voices. Usually I can’t really tell if anyone else is singing because they fill the air around us! Our pastor loves to sing and I think that encourages people. We have a good group of cantors and a wonderful organist which helps quite a bit!
 
If I know the words by heart, I’ll sing. If not, I’ll probably spend a few minutes looking for it in the hymnal while they’re playing it. There are so many of them in the hymnal and most of the lyrics don’t exactly match to catchy melodies. 🙂
 
surritter said:
For the most part, they don’t at our parish. I mean, at least pick up the hymnal and make it look like you’re trying…
Click to expand...
Why should I make it look like I’m singing if I don’t want to. I’ve never been one for singing or music and never will be. I don’t have to sing the songs in order to worship Him.

Usually in the churches I’ve been to around here, most people seem to sing.
 
In general,(making this personal), i sing

However, if im not comfortable with the song, be it too modern of the arrangement of the notes(musical person, please tell me the correct word), then i wont sing
 
I disagree about the Minnesota comment ;)😃 My old parish in MN almost everyone sang, (though I guess it was one of the charismatic parishes) But in General Minnesota is the place of great music. There is a great tradition of amazing choirs in MN. 😃

But here, I feel like the only one singing sometimes. (Sometimes I am the only one singing when the “folk group” does harmony and you can’t hear anything except some very off key harmony). :rolleyes:
 
psr13 said:
Why should I make it look like I’m singing if I don’t want to. I’ve never been one for singing or music and never will be. I don’t have to sing the songs in order to worship Him.

Usually in the churches I’ve been to around here, most people seem to sing.
Click to expand...
You should want to! Vatican II encouraged (you’re right, it didn’t demand) full, active participation of the people. So we’re supposed to be fully worshipping, whether we feel like it or not, and whether we have good voices or not.🙂
 
It depends on the song. The Saturday crowd doesn’t sing much, but maybe 1/2 to 2/3 of the congregation at the biggest Sunday Mass will sing if they know the song, esp. if they know it by heart and don’t have to open the hymnal. They belt out the Christmas carols, though! But if they don’t know the song, forget it.
 
I sing half the time. Some songs I do okay with, and other songs I can only croak out. I’m most vocal during the breaking of the bread when we sing “You take away the sins of the world / have mercy on us.” That’s my favorite. 🙂

Many people in my parish sing.
 
JaredR said:
I sing half the time. Some songs I do okay with, and other songs I can only croak out. I’m most vocal during the breaking of the bread when we sing “You take away the sins of the world / have mercy on us.” That’s my favorite. 🙂

Many people in my parish sing.
Click to expand...
that is Chant tho, which may be the same thing, tho i view it as different
 
Pawel_J said:
I think those who sing out of tune should better keep silent.😃
Click to expand...
Sorry to disagree with you-- as a choir director I would rather hear everyone singing. People tell me all the time that theycan’t sing. It doesn’t matter. When everyone sings it all blends together and sounds glorious.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top