Dueling song leaders-MD needs advice

[jc-servant]

It sounds like a volunteer needs to stand by the board and just turn the priest down to a predetermined lower volume during song. He will still be able to hear himself, so he cannot get angry at being turned “off” while singing. We have varied sound levels at my parish between various people like the priest, the deacon and lectors, so someone has to occasionally run to make adjustments. Our board has some preset levels marked, so almost anyone can do the basic functions.

This sounds like a great opportunity to train some responsible teens (or anyone else who might be searching for a way to serve the parish) to run the sound boards during mass. Some shyer ones might volunteer who would not like being visible as an altar server.

 

[patches]

Patches, I’ve enjoyed reading about you trying to solve your little dilemma with charity and humor!

Do please keep us posted on how things go on Sunday. And don’t forget to ask for Our Lady’s intercession!

Thanks, and please pray for me, that I will keep charity front and center as this plays out.

 

[rpp]

Have an usher turn the mic off during the songs.

If his mic is turned off, he will notice. Have the usher turn down the volume during the congregational singing then back to the previous setting afterwards.

 

[patches]

Patches, I’ve enjoyed reading about you trying to solve your little dilemma with charity and humor!

Do please keep us posted on how things go on Sunday. And don’t forget to ask for Our Lady’s intercession!

Sunday update: I just returned from mass, and Father is muting his mic, just as I requested. Alleluia! Thank you, Mother Mary, thank you Lord! … and thanks to those here who offered advice, I put all that good counsel in a blender along with some prayers, and a very good thing came out!

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I am the music director at my parish. We have two masses with a cantor/song leader, and two with choirs, a very good adult ensemble and a competant children’s choir.

I’ve taken great pains to explain to everyone singing that they should generally consider themselves in a supporting role for congregational singing except when singing the Psalms or a special hymn or music designed for choir or solo voice only. I’ve asked them to carefully regulate their volume so as to invite the congregation to join in, with just enough volume to lead effectively.

Here’s the problem: our Pastor, who wears a lapel microphone, sings very loudly into his mic on all the congregational hymns, effectively drowning out choir, song leader, and congregation alike. (The other priest has a very gentle voice and presents no problem). As if that’s not enough, we are in a loft in the rear of the church, which results in a very noticable delay in the arrival of the booming voice, --which is extremely disconcerting to anyone trying to play or sing music from the loft. The delay makes it feel like you’re trying to play and sing with someone who has no sense of rhythm.

Has anyone else dealt with this sort of thing, and if so, what did you do? We mentioned it to Father a couple years ago and he became very offended, and stopped singing all together for several weeks. Gradually, Father “Caruso” has returned to his old ways, and some of our cantors are so thrown off by it they are threatening to quit. I occasionally fill in as a cantor, and after experiencing it first-hand, I can hardly blame them, Should I mention it again and let the “chips” fall where they may? (I’d hate to lose my huge salary over this) Any ideas?

It appears that you need a sound tech, who control’s microphone volumes, during the Mass.

Jim

 

[tcraig]

Sunday update: I just returned from mass, and Father is muting his mic, just as I requested. Alleluia! Thank you, Mother Mary, thank you Lord! … and thanks to those here who offered advice, I put all that good counsel in a blender along with some prayers, and a very good thing came out!

Oh, good! It’s so nice when something positive is announced on these boards!