Does your parish sing the ENTIRE recessional (closing) hymn?

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Yes and I stay and sing until the hymn is over. I LOVE TO SING! 😃
 
Generally, as music director, I opt to sing all verses of a closing hymn as I do with all other hymns. Unfortunately, many of the faithful choose to use the hymn as exit music and we are left with a small amount of parishioners at the hymn’s conclusion. I have noted the number of persons who remain has been steadily growing however and, undaunted, we continue to get more people to remain.
 
We have a beautiful pipe organ and a full time organist. However, the music director loves to choose songs that feature his guitar playing and yelling of the lyrics for effect. This seems to be popular at my parish because there are quite a few people who clap when the final song is over.
I love to sing the hymns in their entirety, but the recessional is so much a venue for the director to perform. Also, many times he chooses songs that feature parts that are not in the hymnal…so we are forced to just be quiet and listen. For example, during the Advent season, we sing a song where the congregation sings O Come, O Come over and over again while he sings verses not printed in the hymnal. I would love to be able to participate more fully. And gosh, I would sure love to be able to sing O Come O Come Emmanuel, one of the most beautiful and appropriate Advent songs. We only got to sing it once this Advent, after the first communion hymn-only 2 verses and sung at such supersonic speed that it was almost impossible to participate,

So, yes, I would love to stay and sing the entire recessional hymn, but it is sometimes made difficult for the various reasons I mentioned. And to be polite and respectful, I usually remain in my pew until the hymn is over, just not necessarily singing.
 
Generally, as music director, I opt to sing all verses of a closing hymn as I do with all other hymns. **Unfortunately, many of the faithful choose to use the hymn as exit music **and we are left with a small amount of parishioners at the hymn’s conclusion. I have noted the number of persons who remain has been steadily growing however and, undaunted, we continue to get more people to remain.
Isn’t that why it’s called a Recessional? 😉
 
Hi,

At our parish, I generally do not, although I suppose like so many others here, it really depends on how long it takes for them to get to the back of the church. In our church, the organ console faces across the sanctuary so I can see them as they process past me. I usually play until they pass completely from my sight (the aisle continues to the left after they pass), and then I play one more verse. If the song has finished by then, I sometimes stop, but I have been known to repeat the first verse in cases where it takes a long time.
 
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