Guitar Mass at My New Parish (Warning: this is positive, not a negative thread)

[pnewton]

even if their recordings were out-of-date and not in line with doctrine.

Not in line with discipine, not doctrine. This is not a theological issue and it may well change in time as technology changes.

 

[Sarabande]

I don’t usually like guitars at mass (don’t worry, the rest of the post is positive. ), but I did a Catholic wedding where the organ was broken and they hired a wonderful classical guitarist and violinist. They played the music beautifully and very reverently. It was also the first time I sang the Schubert Ave Maria with a guitarist. He had a lovely arrangement of it. In addition to that, I remember it being one of a handful of Catholic weddings where almost all of the guests actually completely participated in the spoken AND sung responses. Inspirational. The couple had requested that the Holy and acclamations would be chanted a capella in Latin and the guests actually filled the church with their voices. I didn’t have to feel like a soloist while I chanted, which often happens at weddings. It was a lovely example of how the use of guitars could work even in a more “traditional” mass.

I’m still in touch with the duo and we have done a few weddings together since then.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

Although I dislike 1970’s “folk music” at Mass, most of the songs from the original Glory and Praise books were theologically sound and very Scriptural. When OCP acquired Glory and Praise and started changing the words and inserting inclusive language, they went downhill.

Very true. I grew up with Glory & Praise and Catholic Book of Worship II (They hadn’t gone inclusive language yet and God was still a He) and I had missed the music.

That being said, I have since matured and learned what Mass is and isn’t. Now when I want to sing along to Carey Landry, or the St. Louie Jesuits, I turn to iTunes and my iPod. There’s a time to sing such music and a time not to. Mass is a time not to sing such music. Perhaps gather up some like-minded folks, a piano, and a case of beer and have an uber corny Catholic Music sing-a-long or something.

I’m quite sad that I wasn’t subjected to this song when I was kid.
youtube.com/watch?v=ixn91uf8hm8 (At least thing song acknowledges that not all religions are the same, and that all must become one. Far too conservative for today. )

Though, this one was my personal favorite growing up, but no one could ever make Verse 4 sound this good. Mmm…stopless organ.

youtube.com/watch?v=xmFvhL8suj8

Sometimes I get nervous at our EF Mass though. There are many traditional hymns which were re-written and modernized into uber corny and lame touchy-feely music. Of course, I was born after Vatican II, so I never knew them in the their traditional hymn form, and I’ll hear our organist start to play them softly before or during Mass, and think they’ve gone modern.

 

[CharlesinCenCA]

youtu.be/5cHthk-wOD4

youtu.be/VmdWvTaZPlM

When singing prayer and praise to God, maybe it would be helpful to place one’s attitude in addressing God as “You, the singer; You the song.”
It an instrument interrupts that attitude or one’s attention to praying, then consider what aspect, player or the instrument itself, presents the problem.

 

[tngail]

love the guitar mass

 

[Angel_Bradford]

At my parish, we are so blessed to have an extremely talented music director who is accomplished in playing the organ, piano, and guitar. He is writing new pieces for the Mass; his Gloria is absolutely beautiful! He frequently accompanies the choir on guitar, both acoustic and classical.

 

[robwar]

Guitar masses can be very reverent and beautiful. The most beloved Christmas carol of all time “Silent Night” was written for a guitar because the church organ was broken. it is one of the most peaceful gentle songs ever written.

 

[Angel_Bradford]

Guitar masses can be very reverent and beautiful. The most beloved Christmas carol of all time “Silent Night” was written for a guitar because the church organ was broken. it is one of the most peaceful gentle songs ever written.

 

[Sarabande]

I think these are lovely with classical guitar.

Silent Night
youtube.com/watch?v=kUF-RevdZTs&feature=related

Ave Maria - Schubert
youtube.com/watch?v=LNUJA9N14eM&feature=related

Ave Maria - Caccini
youtube.com/watch?v=9M-swNowIhs

Ave Maria - Bach/Gounod
youtube.com/watch?v=aLozNbkzR64

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring - Bach
youtube.com/watch?v=0iX8tsA0N7E&feature=related

God’s Blessing Sends Us Forth
youtube.com/watch?v=thW26H6Y7xA

O Come All Ye Faithful
youtube.com/watch?v=-c4rTci8tLY

Once in Royal David’s City
youtube.com/watch?v=c1FhNAV4aPM&feature=relmfu

Be Thou My Vision
youtube.com/watch?v=x3dlETPISgw

 

[robwar]

I think these are lovely with classical guitar.

Silent Night
youtube.com/watch?v=kUF-RevdZTs&feature=related

Ave Maria - Schubert
youtube.com/watch?v=LNUJA9N14eM&feature=related

Ave Maria - Caccini
youtube.com/watch?v=9M-swNowIhs

Ave Maria - Bach/Gounod
youtube.com/watch?v=aLozNbkzR64

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring - Bach
youtube.com/watch?v=0iX8tsA0N7E&feature=related

God’s Blessing Sends Us Forth
youtube.com/watch?v=thW26H6Y7xA

O Come All Ye Faithful
youtube.com/watch?v=-c4rTci8tLY

Once in Royal David’s City
youtube.com/watch?v=c1FhNAV4aPM&feature=relmfu

Be Thou My Vision
youtube.com/watch?v=x3dlETPISgw

thank you so much for the wonderful posts.

 

[clem456]

Very true. I grew up with Glory & Praise and Catholic Book of Worship II (They hadn’t gone inclusive language yet and God was still a He) and I had missed the music.

That being said, I have since matured and learned what Mass is and isn’t. Now when I want to sing along to Carey Landry, or the St. Louie Jesuits, I turn to iTunes and my iPod. There’s a time to sing such music and a time not to. Mass is a time not to sing such music. Perhaps gather up some like-minded folks, a piano, and a case of beer and have an uber corny Catholic Music sing-a-long or something.
I’m quite sad that I wasn’t subjected to this song when I was kid.
youtube.com/watch?v=ixn91uf8hm8 (At least thing song acknowledges that not all religions are the same, and that all must become one. Far too conservative for today. )

Though, this one was my personal favorite growing up, but no one could ever make Verse 4 sound this good. Mmm…stopless organ.

youtube.com/watch?v=xmFvhL8suj8

Sometimes I get nervous at our EF Mass though. There are many traditional hymns which were re-written and modernized into** uber corny and lame touchy-feely music**. Of course, I was born after Vatican II, so I never knew them in the their traditional hymn form, and I’ll hear our organist start to play them softly before or during Mass, and think they’ve gone modern.

You should pause and think before hitting the reply button…

 

[Sarabande]

thank you so much for the wonderful posts.

You’re welcome!

Here is another. Two different arrangements. At that same wedding I mentioned, we did the Mozart Ave Corpus as well. This only has the guitar without the violin and voice, but it pretty much had the same expression.

 

[JoyIsLikeRain]

Beautiful renditions here!

A number of years ago, I was fortunate to have studied in the Eternal City. Every Monday night, we’d have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in our school’s chapel.

Seminarians from the North American College (surprise, surprise!) would come over with guitars and accompany us with soothing, introspective and reverent songs on their instruments.

I love the international diversity of our church, including its music!

 

[Jerry_Westerby]

I’m just not getting a clear sense of why guitars are so intensely disliked by some. is this a dislike of stringed instruments in general? guitars have anywhere from 12 to four strings, and there are dozens of related instruments: dobros, mandolins, ukuleles, cuatros, lutes, charangos, bouzouki, most of which aren’t used in rock bands, are they also hated?

Westerby

 

[Cat]

I’m just not getting a clear sense of why guitars are so intensely disliked by some. is this a dislike of stringed instruments in general? guitars have anywhere from 12 to four strings, and there are dozens of related instruments: dobros, mandolins, ukuleles, cuatros, lutes, charangos, bouzouki, most of which aren’t used in rock bands, are they also hated?

Westerby

I think a lot of people associate guitars with secular music; e.g., bars, stadium rock concerts, honkeytonks, the Grand Ol’ Opry, movies, etc.

People like me, who grew up in a Baptist church and didn’t go into bars, stadium rock concerts, honkeytonks, the Grand Ol’ Opry (just on the radio!), and movies, etc. do NOT associate guitars with anything secular. We saw them used in church all the time and associate them with worship.

 

[Filii_Dei]

I am personally uneasy about acoustic or electric guitars in Mass as I feel they are inappropriate for a liturgy that is two millenia old, but I find classical guitars can be acceptable when used as a classical guitar - be it part of an ensemble or even in an orchestra.

Of course, the scoring needs to be carefully chosen too. One must be cautious not to pick settings that discard the reverence of Mass for bombastic and theatrical expressions, nor for casualness. If in doubt, you can never go wrong with chant.

Anyway, I don’t wish to attack my fellow Catholics’ musical choices. It’s just that I believe we need to make reverence and solemnity the focus of our music, and these principles are how I feel it can be best achieved.

 

[Jerry_Westerby]

I think a lot of people associate guitars with secular music; e.g., bars, stadium rock concerts, honkeytonks, the Grand Ol’ Opry, movies, etc.

People like me, who grew up in a Baptist church and didn’t go into bars, stadium rock concerts, honkeytonks, the Grand Ol’ Opry (just on the radio!), and movies, etc. do NOT associate guitars with anything secular. We saw them used in church all the time and associate them with worship.

Thanks for the insight. I, who grew up Catholic with the opposite musical experience, don’t associate stringed instruments *per se *with secular music, since I also heard guitars played reverently at Mass since I was a kid. There’s a piano at my church that’s used for hymns, there’s a piano at home that I can bang out tin pan alley music.

What I object to is the rare occasions when musicians (of any kind) at Mass become the focal point.

Westerby.

 

[Filii_Dei]

I am personally uneasy about acoustic or electric guitars in Mass as I feel they are inappropriate for a liturgy that is two millenia old, but I find classical guitars can be acceptable when used as a classical guitar - be it part of an ensemble or even in an orchestra.

Of course, the scoring needs to be carefully chosen too. One must be cautious not to pick settings that discard the reverence of Mass for bombastic and theatrical expressions, nor for casualness. If in doubt, you can never go wrong with chant.

Anyway, I don’t wish to attack my fellow Catholics’ musical choices. It’s just that I believe we need to make reverence and solemnity the focus of our music, and these principles are how I feel it can be best achieved.

 

[april32010]

Thanks for the insight. I, who grew up Catholic with the opposite musical experience, don’t associate stringed instruments *per se *with secular music, since I also heard guitars played reverently at Mass since I was a kid. There’s a piano at my church that’s used for hymns, there’s a piano at home that I can bang out tin pan alley music.

What I object to is the rare occasions when musicians (of any kind) at Mass become the focal point.

Westerby.

 

[Jerry_Westerby]

I am personally uneasy about acoustic or electric guitars in Mass as I feel they are inappropriate for a liturgy that is two millenia old, but I find classical guitars can be acceptable when used as a classical guitar - be it part of an ensemble or even in an orchestra.

Of course, the scoring needs to be carefully chosen too. One must be cautious not to pick settings that discard the reverence of Mass for bombastic and theatrical expressions, nor for casualness. If in doubt, you can never go wrong with chant.

Anyway, I don’t wish to attack my fellow Catholics’ musical choices. It’s just that I believe we need to make reverence and solemnity the focus of our music, and these principles are how I feel it can be best achieved.

I agree with almost all of that. My preference would allow classical guitars (the wikipedia definition works for the instrument and style) or instruments that can produce a similar sound (e.g., a baritone ukulele) played in an ensemble, amplified if necessary using a mic but not a pickup/amp. Those conditions would, necessarily, disqualify a electric guitar or electric bass guitar. The guitar dates from the 17th century. The organ my parish uses is digital.

Westerby