Do you people at your church sing?

[Pawel_J]

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.

With a loud organ accompaniment you may be right, but I had once an experience of such collective singing without organ and I can assure you, it did not sound glorious at all.

 

[japscarousel]

There are some people who sings at Mass. Mostly young children and some old men and ladies. Honestly, I just started singing again for the past three sundays. I felt shy with singing and even responding during the Mass. When I read a Vatican 2 document which encourages the faithful to participate, I started singing and responding again.

 

[acadian]

People at our church DO sing. Their voices seem to fill the church. We have a male cantor. His wife filled in for him the other night (beautiful voice, but most of us mere mortals can’t sing that high), and it seemed that there were fewer people singing. I don’t sing very well, but I try. There are plenty of people to “cover” my singing.

 

[ProVobis]

With a loud organ accompaniment you may be right, but I had once an experience of such collective singing without organ and I can assure you, it did not sound glorious at all.

I think you’re right about that. At baseball games, people sing or shout extra loud when accompanied by the organ. In contrast to some jazz group trying to sing the national anthem; even if half the crowd is drunk, they probably won’t sing along.

 

[karoleck]

Sadly no singing at any of the Masses,none for the last ten years! Reason-- elderly priests probably too tired to organize and perhaps even “fight” with some singing leaders who like “come as you are” etc.The only time an effort is made, is on first communion day or confirmation-some of the teachers come in with their guitars and they sing kids songs!!
Bring back that “old time religion” and hymns like Soul of my Saviour etc.

 

[psr13]

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.

I’m not not fully worshipping if I don’t sing. How dare you suggest I’m not.

 

[surritter]

I’m not not fully worshipping if I don’t sing. How dare you suggest I’m not.

Well, that’s true – subjectively we don’t know the extent of a person’s worshipping. And I didn’t mean to touch a nerve. But I think it could be objectively said that it’s not full participation to stare straight ahead and not even pick up a hymnal.
I’m not saying you do this, but I often see folks just standing there with hands in pockets, deathly bored! Wouldn’t full participation entail making an effort to sing? Wouldn’t full participation entail joining in the responses (“It is right to give Him thanks and praise”) where appropriate?

 

[frenchbeatle]

Hey, I’m a Minnesotan, too!

All the churches I have been too sing pretty loudly. There are always a few people who don’t sing, but by and large, most of the congregation is singing. I am not the greatest singer out there, but I do sing the songs I like and the responses.

 

[BeluvdLily]

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.

I completely agree! I do not sing well but I love to sing. I sing in a moderate voice. Not belting it out there by any means. However, I am so aggravated that it seems like hardly anyone sings. If they just understood that you don’t have to be a professional. Everyone should sing and like you say, it would all blend together and no one would need to feel self-conscious.

I also see singing as another form of worship.

Amie

 

[moreorless]

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.

Full participation, as understood by the Council Fathers, means full interior participation. The faithful are asked to align their prayers with those of the priest, and to assist at Mass by their prayers. I’m all for singing, but at the same time, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is not a sing-a-long. A person can be fully and actively participating on the interior without singing some hymn on the exterior, which is really the point the Fathers were trying to get across.

 

[brotherhrolf]

I also see singing as another form of worship.

I believe it was St. Augustine who said “He who sings prays twice”.

My cathedral parish sings but then we sing an awful lot of traditional Catholic hymns. We raise the roof on “Praise to the Lord”, “Holy God We Praise Thy Name” and “Immaculate Mary”.