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semper_catholicus
Guest
No, I’m not a fan of contemporary music at mass.
Does anyone here besides myself like the contemporary music at mass
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Sy_Noe
Guest
If you are referring to “On Eagles Wings”, you would have cringed then at my mother’s funeral. I had “On Eagles Wings” played over “Ave Maria”. One of my sisters was a much more practicing Catholic than I and even she sang along.
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rondirect
Guest
I agree and can relate. If you read my posts here on Catholic Answers, you know where I stand. Of the 3 choral groups I direct each weekend, it’s the same music from traditional, contemporary, to some of the Life Teen composers you mentioned. We have a good Life Teen Band as well, but I have assigned a director to that one who knows his way and I keep in touch with when seasons change. All 3 groups use organ, piano, guitars, and, um, drums. It’s up to me, as it is up to you probably, to blend the sound each week based on the number of singers and / or instruments present, especially my drummers and bass players. There are some songs they do not all play on or come in at specific measures of the music.
But, I gotta tell ya, my friend, it’s the days when I think we had a “bad day,” with one or all three groups, that a parishioner or a visitor will come up after Mass and praise the group for doing an excellent job today!
You were asked, “how do you know that what you play is pleasing to God?” To that I say, “how does one know that it isn’t?” Songs praising God in all compositions from authentic Christian writers composing with the backing of major publishers is all the answers we need. But, with that said, one size does not fit all. You might like one song that you know your congregation will love, but I know that that same song ain’t gonna make it with my people.
You are correct. But, remember, like it has been said before, we do our best. I hope you can appreciate that.
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Brandon_Cal
Guest
It’s funny you should mention this since I actually can’t stand hearing music by Mozart, or any other Classical era composer for that matter, at Catholic Mass. It sounds just as misplaced to me as contemporary music and completely distracts from what’s actually occurring in the liturgy. Oddly enough I tend to hear this at ostensibly “traditional” liturgies in the Extraordinary Form as if these traditionalists forgot to read Tra Le Sollecitudini in their haste to rid the sanctuaries of the drums and guitars but fill the choir loft with French horns. 
But what I like doesn’t matter. What matters is what’s befitting the liturgy. If you can produce contemporary music that is dignified, and is in some way set apart from secular music, with lyrics that are at worst not-heretical and at best straight out of scripture, there is and should be a place for it in the Church.
But what I like doesn’t matter. What matters is what’s befitting the liturgy. If you can produce contemporary music that is dignified, and is in some way set apart from secular music, with lyrics that are at worst not-heretical and at best straight out of scripture, there is and should be a place for it in the Church.
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mrsdizzyd
Guest
There is! I am listening to Kari Jobe’s album Majestic right now. I tend to listen to CCM or gospel when I’m working or cleaning or whenever. I can see how some folks can be drawn to using this type of music for the mass. I’m not one of those people. I really love chant and polyphony during mass, but I totally respect that some people prefer CCM at mass.towheadedmule:
Oceans, Lord I Need You, Holy Spirit, Revelation Song, How Could You Say No??
I use these at adoration.
Contemporary doesn’t necessarily me loud or fast. There’s some really great contemplative contemporary music out there.
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michaelhager
Guest
My parish has eight masses every weekend in six different cultures. We have three versions of mass in English; A Saturday vigil mass in a kind of folksy acoustic guitar style, a Sunday evening Youth mass for which we use contemporary Christian music with electric guitar, bass and yes, drums and two Sunday morning Masses for which the music is mostly played on the organ fro traditional hymnals and the Kyrie is in Greek and parts of the liturgy of the Eucharist are sometimes in Latin. Plus Spanish, Polish and Filipino masses with music prayed in their respective cultural traditions.
So, no, I don;t ignore the instructions of the missal, it is instructive and helpful. But if every mass was conducted in that form, our 4,500 parish families would soon dwindle to the few that prefer and attend the traditional masses while the vast majority would move on to other parishes, or worse to other denominations that more suite their personal desires.
Yes, I agree that personal desires should not direct the faith of a good Catholic, but we have to face it, that that is how society reacts. IF we are to keep them in the church, we have to be cognizant of what goes on with the faithful and make them feel welcome in the church.
Since we cannot change the actual liturgy of the mass, we can make it recognizable and joyful to the congregation. So providing seven cultural flavors, and making mass the joyful celebration that it is meant to be, we not only retain parishioners but we are currently not only the largest parish in the diocese, we are the fastest growing.
This is also the reason that the Bishops (the teachers and shepherds of our church) have given their permission for parishes to vary the instructions of liturgical music to fit the culture of the parish demographics.
The guidelines however, even modified still instruct us to use music and lyrics suited to the teachings of the church “the Propers” and we do carefully choose pieces that reflect or reinforce the readings for the mass.
I do appreciate the chants and hymns of the past, but enforcing Gregorian chant and Latin masses is a sure way to further reduce the size of the Catholic Church in America.
And lastly, traditions can change. The great traditional song Ave Maria was “contemporary” when it was written as “Ellen’s Third Song”, by Franz Schubert in 1825 as part of his Opus 52, a setting of seven songs from Walter Scott’s popular epic poem The Lady of the Lake, The church added the lyrics to the Latin Hail Mary prayer to this “contemporary” song… Should we then no longer perform this song during mass? The church was 1,830 years old when this “Traditional” Latin Song was introduced.
Sincerely, faithfully and prayerfully with song,
Michael Hager
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Mtdobbs
Guest
John Michael Talbot, Steve Bell, Matt Maher, Casting Crowns and dozens more. I could easily pick songs from each that would be appropriate for Mass, especially a youth/teen/young adult Mass. I love contemporary Christian music. I grew up in the Charismatic Renewal and this type of music seemed to always fit. If a song in the CBW ministers to 20 people at Mass, but a contemporary song by Matt Maher ministers to 100, I would think it a good thing! Keep using your talents for the glory of God.
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JimR-OCDS
Guest
I can appreciate it, I use to play guitar and sing in a folk group at Mass every Sunday and for First Holy Communion and Confirmations.
However, I also know about how big ego’s try to take over and sometimes do.
Some people think the music ministry is about entertaining the people, it’s not. It’s about leading the people in worship through music.
Jim
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Angel_Bradford
Guest
I also play the guitar (acoustic-electric) at Mass; we also play some very reverent music in addition to contemporary. We have songs that are guitar only, guitar-piano only, and organ only. I love it all!
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Paul71
Guest
No, I don’t like contemporary music at Mass at all. I mean no offense to you, and you probably do a great job of performing those songs. We have a choir at our church with beautiful voices who do a great job of singing. Unfortunately, they mostly choose to sing awful, terrible songs, so that we get to hear terrible music performed very well. I find it difficult to endure or tolerate this music. I have actually come very close to walking out of Mass several times, both at my parish and in other places, because the music is so cringe-inducing, because I am so sick of hearing it, and because it is so horribly out of place in the Mass. In fact, I recall that I did walk to the back of church during a particularly awful song at another parish several years ago. When I returned to our pew, I told my wife that I just had to get a break from the music. She understood completely.
A few of the contemporary songs wouldn’t bother me nearly as much, if I heard them in some context other than the Mass. But I feel that most of the contemporary music I hear at Mass is very inappropriate for Mass.
Sorry, that’s probably not what you wanted to hear.
A few of the contemporary songs wouldn’t bother me nearly as much, if I heard them in some context other than the Mass. But I feel that most of the contemporary music I hear at Mass is very inappropriate for Mass.
Sorry, that’s probably not what you wanted to hear.
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Paul71
Guest
If only it were so simple! There is only one parish in my area that at least sometimes has more traditional, reverent music, and it is an ugly church to the point that its ugliness distracts me from worship. So we would be trading an assault on our ears for an assault on our eyes – not really any advantage there.
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rondirect
Guest
Although, as I have said here many times, I blend my music for my choral groups from traditional to contemporary (older 80s and the new in Spirit and Song) to the new modern compositions, it does matter what you like. We might not agree on song or hymn selections, but that is why I use a blended style, hoping that some songs will be pleasing to people who feel the same as you and to those who like the newer songs. My repertoire is definitely “set apart from secular music.” I make sure or that. Some of the newer selections may have the “sound” of a secular piece, but the lyrics are not. I tend to use some upbeat newer songs for closing and some much prayerful, e.g. “10000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)” (for which I know some know here), which I believe is dignified for Mass; people have said it and ask when we are going to sing it again. YouTube that song and let me know what you think. It’s impossible to please 100% of the people 100% of the time. Same song: some hate, some love. Publishers like OCP and GIA provide song books that fit all needs and they would not place music in their books that are secular. I think they like staying in the church music business!
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SacredHeartBassist
Guest
its easier to overcook filet than it is to cook a bad hamburger if I’m going to go along with the comparison
Besides not every church can afford filet or the chefs that can prepare it
Besides not every church can afford filet or the chefs that can prepare it
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mrsdizzyd
Guest
I don’t get this. Maybe it’s because I’m still coming into communion, but isn’t the point of mass to prayerfully accept the Eucharist and that special oneness with Christ? If the building is ugly just focus on Christ.Tis_Bearself:
If only it were so simple! There is only one parish in my area that at least sometimes has more traditional, reverent music, and it is an ugly church to the point that its ugliness distracts me from worship. So we would be trading an assault on our ears for an assault on our eyes – not really any advantage there.
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rondirect
Guest
So, so true Jim. Over the years in this ministry, I was able to eliminate those big egos, by not bowing down to their requests or “correcting” me, by standing up to their negative remarks, etc.
Jim, with regards to entertaining the people, it is tough subject. I don’t necessarily think people think we are there to entertain. It’s a two edged sword. If you have a great music ensemble and singers, some people see that as a performance. If the group is just OK, people will see it as, “well, they did their best in leading us.” Music in Catholic worship is always judged.
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Loud-living-dogma
Guest
A couple of thoughts:Loud-living-dogma:
My parish has eight masses every weekend in six different cultures.
So, no, I don;t ignore the instructions of the missal, it is instructive and helpful. But if every mass was conducted in that form, our 4,500 parish families would soon dwindle to the few that prefer and attend the traditional masses while the vast majority would move on to other parishes, or worse to other denominations that more suite their personal desires.
Since we cannot change the actual liturgy of the mass, we can make it recognizable and joyful to the congregation. So providing seven cultural flavors, and making mass the joyful celebration that it is meant to be, we not only retain parishioners but we are currently not only the largest parish in the diocese, we are the fastest growing.
This is also the reason that the Bishops (the teachers and shepherds of our church) have given their permission for parishes to vary the instructions of liturgical music to fit the culture of the parish demographics.
The guidelines however, even modified still instruct us to use music and lyrics suited to the teachings of the church “the Propers” and we do carefully choose pieces that reflect or reinforce the readings for the mass.
I do appreciate the chants and hymns of the past, but enforcing Gregorian chant and Latin masses is a sure way to further reduce the size of the Catholic Church in America.
Should we then no longer perform this song during mass? The church was 1,830 years old when this “Traditional” Latin Song was introduced.
Sincerely, faithfully and prayerfully with song,
Michael Hager
- Masses in “six cultures”. Hmmm - - do we not have ONE Catholic culture? Wouldn’t our common Catholic culture be an overarching similarity in all the Masses? I would hope so, but that’s not how it plays out, I guess.
- So, the one thing that’s keeping those 4,500 families at this particular parish is the music, and the variety of music styles at different Masses? I agree that that fear of “everyone leaving” is a big driver of the pop styles at Mass. That’s personally why I think a bishop (or ALL bishops) should give guidelines for music across an entire diocese, so St. Paul’s won’t be afraid of losing parishioner’s to St. Monica’s, and there won’t have to be a competition for most-popular music going on.
I shudder to think that some Catholic music directors tailor their music choices to those folks who are a hair’s breadth away from going to “Big Cedar MegaChurch” because their music is “better”, more contemporary, etc. - I actually do agree with you that the Schubert Ave Maria is not liturgical music.
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rondirect
Guest
No, Paul, I do not mind hearing that at all. Contemporary music in church is not for you and that is OK. However, you must also realize that their are others celebrating Mass with you that find the music perfectly acceptable. Read through my posts here and you will see where I stand on this, basically, we cannot please everyone all the time and how I handle it.
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Tis_Bearself
Patron
Well, you could have the problems of the lady who posted about not being able to attend Mass because people are shooting and bombing the Catholics who go to church.
It’s all about perspective.
It’s all about perspective.
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Loud-living-dogma
Guest
Not to mention, the problem of non-liturgical music at Mass, is all those kids essentially being catechized to think that such music is good and desirable for the liturgy. So this problem of non-liturgical music will be with us for the next 50-60 years…
Tis_Bearself
Patron
If the kids coming up all like it, and the people who don’t like it presumably go on to their heavenly reward, then it ceases to be a problem for the Church on earth.
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